Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1902-12-11
CHAPTER XII.
A conpaet.

Whom lIammeraiey entered hls
home he found three OF the cowboys
Who hnd Rtafted IN pursuit. Of EgaIi
Gnd hfH hand Of warrloTa 10 recap.
tllre nertha Lyle. They had followed
The Indians 70 point opposite the
tfnppef's abode and had come 10 HIS
Place the night before 10 secure hls
advice ard assistance. Ono whose
hnbt K wna 10 wtrali about camp In
the early mornlngs had taken hla
stroll this morning with The fatal re.
cult already known % the reader
Iiaihmorsley concluded that II waA
proper 10 inform these brave men OF
tho situation. He told them that
Bertha Lyle was safe and advised
them 10 bury their dead comrade
while he returned te escort her into
camp.
On the previous nivht when the
trapper had left Bertha concealed n
the opening III the rimroeks two Of
the Indian searching party had come
80 close that abe became alarmed for
her safety end st0lR away as quietly
ma q shadow. She econ found herself
safe however. IA the footsteps ard
lew guttcrntlilse mnrmurs Of the Ind
inns Indicated thar they had passed
on 10 the north But she had some
einlculty IN finding hor way back and
hho had not felt sure OF flndng the
trapper again. who was now dllgent-
~ searching for her, until she ran
almost into his arms.
The trapper had proceeded with her
as near his home a. he thought was
safe and had left Ter secretcd with
the admonitlon not to leave under
amy circumstances until HIS return,
end proceeded cautiously on foot
While approaching secret pnssagc
that led % his cavern. In the early
morning he heard the rlile shots and
Immediately asceaded to the summit
~ tho rimrocks 10 rsconnoitre. When
he discovered what had taken place
he supposed that 4 band of cowboys
had taken lodging IN his quarters, As
was their custom, and that the Ind.
fans having attacked the place the
white mon were defending Il 10 the
beet OF their ability.
Having o greater object In view
than the ofdlnsry warfare with
Indians, hc signaled both Sides 10 de.
sist and while the whlto men did 80
ont of respect for the trnpper's judg
meut the Indians did so because II
was the best thing for them 10 do.
II was late IN the forenoon whom
the trapper returned with the young
woman. The men had buried their
dead comrnde Ia the crude manner Of
Nha l4ttulsl ~ h.a a fRtatt oh
wrapped HIS body In his blankets and
placed II deep IN the sands and piled
tho lava rocks upon tho grave to pre-.
vent the prowllng coyotes from dis.
intering Il. They were sore at heart
over tho loss of ono Of their best
companions. hut the thought OF the
safety OF the niece of the Lord Of
The Desert and the honor OF escort.
Ing her Into his presence, somewhat
mitlgated the terror of the blow.
Hammersley had great task be.
fore him. TO acquaint Lyle. the in.
valid father, OF bis daughters pres.
euco and 20 bring the daughter to the
dlsngured father whom she believed
was dead was a trying ordeal FOR
such n tender hearted man. Then ne
felt II incumbent on himself TO &c.
quaint the COWBOYS of tho truth Of
the whole mntterUf their employers
guilt, OF the presence OF the long loct
Lyle and OF the plans on foot 10 right
the numerous wrongs which had been
perpetrated. He had only entered the
apartments OF the Invalid that morn
ing hurrIedly TO explain the cause
OF the rifle shots from the front OF
the cavern, and to let him know Of
his return and to ascertain his i'm
mediate wants.
while James LYLE was MANNED and
disfgured In body he still possessed
clear brain. And the brain OF tho
confined Invalid. when clear. seems
to he brighter than the ordinary.
Whether the vlgor intended for the
weak points 70 to the brain or the
prostrated invalid concentrates ell
force upon this organ, or whatever
may be the cause. this often proves
true. Hammersley needed counsel
and, while tho daughter was bright
and possessed extraordinary intelli-
gence for ono so young. he decided
first to consult the experienced father
Having provided temporary quar-.
ters for the young woman and re-
uuested tho cowboys to remain un.
I'll he could consult with them on
matters of Importance the TRAINER
quietly stole away to the invalld's
room. The consultation lasted sew.
eral hours but when he returned II
cid not take Ions to begin the plans
formed. He went straight to Bertha
and acquainted her with the fact that
her father still lived and then con
Quoted her to MS presence. The
scene that followed Is doubtless In
millar to the readers imagination.
The trapper left them alone together
and returning called the men to-
gether and made them acquainted
with the entire situation.
When these hardy men OF the des-
ert heard the story of the trapper
to say that they were indignant would
be putting 1t mildly. They had never
suspected treachery in the myster-
ious disappearance Of James Lyle and
now that the wicked Lord OF The
Desert had been proven guilty and
had also copspirod to have the child
murdered by Old Egan, they were
ready to attempt anything. The
further facts Of their long chase and
the loss Of their comrade in the cause
did not soften their tempers. They
would have gone straight to the
stone house and deliberately killed
Martin Lyle and his colleague Fol
lett But Hammersley impressed
them that there was other work more
important Just at this time.
The cowboy of the Oregon desert
of those days, like the cowboy of that
section today, was man of intelli-
gence. Some of them may have been
guilty OF some hasty committed OF
Tense in the east which was the real
cause Of their presence in this coun.