The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-04-11
The Trouble 8
on the Toro1ito.
BY FRANCIS LYNpE.
copyright 1898, by Francis Lynde)
CHAPTER V.
ULTIMATUMs TWAIN.

ULTIMATUMS TWAIN.
When all is said, sober second
thought, SO much Wanted and be-
praised, is but an ignoble thing.
How many fine project, conceived
I'm impulsiye unselfshness and sent
,rocket-wise on its course starward,
has come to earth again a mere
smoke-blackened stick in the chill
downpour of reflection. How many
aAn emprise which seemed altogether
promising and feasible when planned
overnight has become thing pre-
posterous in the cold gray light Of
the morning.
Some such reflective misgiving as
sailed me when I came to write the
letter to my friend in the Glcnlivat
ecompany's directorate. Doubtless,
the passport into the camp of the
enemy would be forthcoming; but
once safely within the lines, what
could hope to accomplish? Would
Wykamp straightway proceed to I'M
bosom himself to me?-make con-
Gdant of a stranger, an emergency
guest foisted upon him by the good
nature of one of his directors? The
idea was absurd. And if he should
30 such an incredible thing, the end
would but indifferently justify the
means; one could hardly eat his
salt and betray him.
The letter was written and Dan
Connolly was saddling for the ride
TO the fort. In a few minutes the
undertaking would be afoot and re-
consideration impossible. But a
sI,or Ter respite has saved an army,
aud my reprieve was already on the
way. Connolly shaded his eyes un-
Ter his hand and Intercepted a
fimy dust-cloud on the up-valley
trail. It was approaching the ranch,
~vnd the level rays of the newly
arisen sun turned it into hazy nim-
bus OF gold-dust.
EVAN av thim's the Greaser, an
9E,other's the scut av an ingneer,'
says my Mercury, scowling. "Now
sEwhat'll thin two be dom on our
reservation betune daybreak an
breakfast, I'd like to know?"
TO be consistent I should have
gone indoors and kept out of sight
re were to serve Macphersons turf
as spy in the engineers camp, il
said itself that must not be known
as Macpherson's friend. But shame
pricked into the lists, sword out anc
visor down, and stood my GROUND
when the pair galloped up.
Wykamp drew rein at the door
stone, or, to record the fact, h,
dragged at the leather and his hors
danced an accompaniment. The anima
was fne-blooded bay which-witl
humane gentling and snaffle-bit-
might have been ridden by a woman
+. hut it had been spurred cruelty il
the race down the valley. In the bi
at equestrian by-play l had an OF
portunity to observe the two mer
The engineer was disappointment
Prefigurings Of person described
But otherwise unknown, are newt
able; hence, out of the materia
gathered from N[acpherson's conf
Gienccs I had fashioned a rathe
meiodramatic villain of the fctiona
school. No fancy sketch could hav
been farther from the fact. The er
;gineer was trim-built, athlet;
young fellow, as handsome in hi
way as Macpherson, though quite u
che opposite extreme of the gamu
of types, carefully groomed from hi
.cIose-trimmed beard and curtin
-7nustaches to the well-ftting tweed
and tan leather leggings; man c
business, clear-cut, concise, aggres
aive, one would say, emotional onl
In some food-tide of passion, an
~indictive only when thwarted.
His Mexican henchman could b
summed up in terser phrase. Darl
sLianed as Zambo, small and 18th
as the savage little tiger-cat of hi
native chaparrals, with sleepy eye:
pin-points of feral intelligence tina
saw everything without appearing t.
ambushed under the dropping bril-
OF his broad sombrero; he was
plain-song assassin of the baser sor
of type familiar enough in tn
pioneer period, and seen at it's hes
cxi1en found dangling from the cross
arm of a telegraph-pole or tn
branch of convenient tree.
When the bay was temperate
.subiugated, Wykamp ignored me an
Huiasd to Connolly.