Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-11-25
CHAPTER V.
Two Villains.

Two Villains.
1t is the fourth night after the In
dians attacked the pack train At the
Stone House the Lord of The Desert
sits at his accustomed place, slipping
from a goblet of old Scotch whiskey.
OF late years he has done but little
besides drink from the flowing bowl.
One day he deadens all sense of feel
ing, to rise the following with keen
er appetite and conscience more
stinging. On this night his eyelids
are heavier than usual, his eyes look
more CLASSY and the grimaces are
deeper in his face.
No wonder. If Dan Follett, the |
Canadian Frenchman, has followed his
instructions and old Egan, the Indian |
chief, has kept his eyes open and |
been prompt in action, another crime |
has been added to his life. He stares
| into the vacant darkness and this, so
| still and gloomy on the desert, re-
minds him of distant cave in the
rimrocks, and the picture there causes
a shudder to come over the great frame
of Martin Lyle, the Lord of The
Desert.
The welcome bark of the dogs, an
nounces the arrival of one who is not
a stranger. In his eagerness, the Lord
of The Desert rises and PAGES the
floor, now and then stopping at the
arm chair and taking sip from the
goblet. Presently lank form enters
the door. His dark heavy eyebrows,
and the natural scowl upon his face,
his careless ambling walk, depict the
character of the man at a glance. But
nothing ever tells the inmost thoughts
of Dan Follett. Whether after victory
or defeat, or during anger or in hap
py mood, the oily black eyes of this
man never change. It is only when
he speaks or acts that his mood is
known.
Upon entering the house, and after
greeting it's Lord, he soon unburdens
himself.
st saw from the smoke above the
distant rimrocks the evening before"
said Follett, "that old Egan was ready
for action, but in spite of my efforts
, the clash came in a way that several
lives of our men were lost. I tried to
have the surprise SO complete that the
! girl and animals should be taken away
without the loss of life, but our boys
. were on their feet instantly and fought
brayely. and it was certainly mir
acle that any of them escaped after
q they engaged such odds" Then ne
: detailed the circumstances OF the hght
as the reader knows them.
: ssDo you think there is any chance
n of those four dare-devils rescuing the
n grip inquired Lyle.
= "None in the world" replied the
Frenchman. "They will either lose
their lives by their foolhardiness or
come in in a few days starved out, as
I saw to the fact myself that they took
but few provisions with them"
"How did the girl take her captiv
ity?" inquired the Lord of The Desert
81 only saw her for a moment by
a flash the campfire after she was
secured, and she wore bold look OF
firmness and defiance, as if she feared
not even the devils into whose hands
she had fallen"
"She's a Lyle!" muttered the Lore
- of The Desert.
. "This is a costly affair, Martini in
=, sinuated Follett.
y y "Yes. 1 know" replied the man O
~ wealth. "but old Egan wanted AMI
u mails for his men and would not dt
y the other work, you know, without the
y horses as he said his men would no
Is be satisfied with taking the gir
~. alone"
u u ssThe twenty-five head which l an
u to deliver at Gray Butte and the for
y ty head they got the other night,
- 10 said Follett, sare a pretty heavy tax
~ besides the mep we have lost. Bette
,,e if YOU had let the girl come on ant
~ made away with her as did with he
NJ father"
" s"That would never have DONE" re
e nIied Jyle. s"The notoriety of her Wis
it here would have led to an investigs
n ton. but now that the Indians haV
a done the work it is natural turn Q
~ affairs in this country and the Amer
az can's-sUncle Sam. will reWar
~ Egan and his warriors by glvin
them a reservation and feedin
" and educating them: Ihe Ems
~ lish would reward the whole gan
er by hanging them. But enough of thi:
~. Tomorrow arrange to deliver tn
W u. twenty-five cayuses to the old brutt
p but before you do it require pos1tiv
~ nroof that he's performed his part {
s5 the contract, he has to kill her. yo
is- know"
IS - "And the deed to the Spring Cree
~, Valley" replied Follett, don't forge
that. While Egan must be rewarde
r., for his damnable deeds, must be pal
G av for my bloody ones!" and he gave tn
~ ~ Lord of The Desert piercing loo
,n that made that man of nerve shrin
hi like a coward.
~ At this time Follett's companion
came in from attending to the horse
and the three repaired to the diniI
81 room. while the owner of the Stor
- House sat down and drank ar
thought, and drank and thought.
rly :
he ITO be conrtnuedl