Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-12-16
CHAPTER XII.
A Compact.

home he found three of the COWBOYS
who had started in pursuit of Egan
and his band of warriors to recap
ture Bertha Lyle. They had followed
the Indians to a point opposite the
trapper's abode and had come to his
place the night before to secure his
advice and assistance. One whose
habit it was to stroll about camp in
the early mornings had taken his
stroll this morning with the fatal re-
suit already known 20 the reader.
Hammersley concluded that it was
proper to inform these brave men of
the situation. He told them that
Bertha Lyle was safe and advised
them to bury their dead comrade
while he returned to escort her into
camp.
On the previous night when the
trapper had left Bertha concealed Il
the opening in the rimrocks two Of
the Indian searching party had come
so close that she became alarmed for
her safety and stole away as quietly
as a shadow. She soon found herself
safe, however. as the footsteps ard
low gutteral-like murmurs of the Ind
ians indicated that they had passed
on to the north. But she had some
difficulty in finding her way back and
she had not felt sure of finding the
trapper again, who was now diligent-
ly searching for her, until she ran
almost into his arms.
The trapper had proceeded with her
as near his home as he thought was
safe and had left her secreted with
the admonition not to leave under
any circumstances until his return,
end proceeded cautiously on foot
While approaching secret passage
that led to his cavern, in the early
morning. he heard the rife shots and
Immediately ascendad to the summit
of the rimrocks to reconnoitre. When
he discovered what had taken place
he supposed that q band of cowboys
had taken lodging in his quarters, as
was their custom, and that the Ind
ians having attacked the place the
white men were defending it to the
best of their ability
Having a greater object in view
than the ordinory warfare with
Indians. he signaled both sides to de-
stst and while the white men did so
out of respect for the trapper's judg-
ment the Indians did so because it
was the best thing for them to do.
It was late in the forenoon when
the trapper returned with the young
woman. The men had buried their
dead comrade in the crude manner OF
the burial of the desert. They mad
wrapped his body in his blankets and
placed it deep in the sands and piled
the lava rocks upon the grave to pre-
vent the prowling coyotes from dis
intering it. They were sore at heart
over the loss of one of their best
companions, but 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
mitigated the terror of the blow.
Hammersley> had q great task be-
fore him. To acquaint Lyle, the in
valid father, of his daughters pres
ence and to bring the daughter to the
disfigured father whom she believed
was dead, was a trying ordeal tor
such a tender hearted man. Then ne
felt 1t incumbent on himself to ac
quaint the cowboys of the truth Of
the whole matter-of their employers
guilt, of the presence of the long lost
Lyle and of the plans on foot to 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
disfigured in body he still possessed
a clear brain. And the brain of the
confined invalid, when clear. Seems
to be brighter than the ordinary.
Whether the vigor intended for the
weak points go to the brain or the
Frustrated invalid concentrates all
force upon this organ. or whatever
may be the cause, this often proves
true. Hammersley needed counsel
and. while the daughter was bright
and possessed extraordinary intelh-
gence for one so young, he decided
first to consult the experienced father.
Having provided temporary quar-
ters for the young woman and re-
ouested the cowboys to remain I'M
til he could consult with them on
matters of Importance the TRAINER
quietly stole away to the invalid's
room. The consultation lasted sew
eral hours but when he returned it
did not take long to begin the plans
formed He went straieht to Bertha
ana aCOAdln(eu EST Nllu IHS Idtt lndI
her father still lived and then con-
Quoted her to mis- presence. The
scene that followed is doubtless ia
miliar to the readers ina eination.
The trapper left thcm 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 wouli
be putting II 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 conspircd to have the child
murdered by Old Egan, they We're
ready to attempt anything. The
further fact of their long chase ahd
the loss of their con,rade 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. FCl-
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 a 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 cour-
try. but as a rule they were men OF