Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-08-23
CHATTER XII.


carly next morning because he had a
horse which needed attention, stumbled
over the form Of Maude. who was lying
mon his back with his black eyes fixed
on the sky, and speedily released him.
80 cramped was he that it was necessary
10 call help and carry him into the quar-
tiers. A large bruise upon his cheek
showed where heavy blow had fallen
and there was some dried blood on his
Inns Otherwise he was not much harm
ed and found his voice, after an applica-
ZION of brandy, in a string of curses.
When Conference returned he told them of
the prisoners escape and urged immedi
ate pursuit.
Why" was the chorused objection,
THE fellow is twenty miles away'in Mex
leo by this time. Maude, old chap.
What's the use of running after him. old
chap"
Even the aaalf-crazed Maude was forced
TO see the justice of this and said no
more. Taking to his bed he'refused sui
leny to hold further converse with any
one and hedidnot reappear at the rancho
house for week, the disfiguring bruise
having in that time disappeared.
Meanwhile the fight of Weston was
were men too manly to blame the girl
and were too courteous to express a doubt
if they had had one The fact is, how
ever. that they believed the smuggler had
deceived her as to his condition and that
she was as unaware of his returning
strength as they. TheyGundeFstood that,
granting him power to move around, he
could easily have explored almost any
8 L, - |,
no guard was kept, could have 1re7pessess-
ed himself of his weapon without trouble
and might have even ridden away on
their besthorse if he had>so chosen The
fact that he had not done so gave them
rather a kindly feeling for him, which
was expressed by Glynn in the SEN
tence:
Il never liked the,way in which he was
captured and the fact that he has, stolen
nothing proves that he was not such
rascal after ALL
Il beg pardon, said Allyn. but can't
indOrse his honesty. My new sombrero,
which left hanging on the deer-horns IN
the hallway, is missing. I'd much rather
he'd taken Deveraux,s horse
This was at breakfast and a guilty
flush stole to the cheek of Lois. She
could have told good deal about the
sombrero if SO minded and she looked
at Allyn kindly as ifsshe intended to make
il up to him in some way She heard of
the mishap to AIaude with certain Sc
cret satisfaction. She told herself that
having attempted the role of assassin he
should be stricken Tor it and afterward
trussed ANONYMOUSLY like sheep. The
incident gave her a new idea of the mus
cular power and QuicknesS of the absent
one and she would not have been girl
if she had not invested him with god
like bravery and strength. When next
she saw Maude she looked at him curl
ously and found him looking at her with
equal intentness. This made her I'M
easy, but she was too high-spirited to
show it palpably. She wondered how
much he knew, how much he suspected
and whether his presence in the path of
her lover on that night had been inten-
tional or accidental. His first remark
showed plainly the direction in which his
suspicious ran:
Allyn tells me, Miss English, that the
cattle thief Weston decamped with his
Sombrero. Their two heads must be of a
size fact which You may have ne
tcca.''
4 am not likely to have noticed it,"
she said -soldly
oh, | Thought that probably in Your
daily, ,ea rnest, kindly, almost wifely. at |
tenli0ns to the wounded bandit you may |
have observed a similarity of cranial de !
Yelopment between him and our rattle !
pated young friend"
u did not"
Nor did for that matter, though il is |
true j saw Weston but once after he !
was shot and then when he was making !.
his escape
You had no time for extended 0bser- /
rationT' she questioned maliciously. /
Made flushed darkly and his sharp
teeth came together with click
Il see well in the dark, as l have told /
YOU, he answered. but it was the som
brero which fooled me. l believed the |
man to be Allyn. The brim of it was (
pulled down over his face, as Allyn often |
wears it. There is a marked difference ia I
their height. Witch for the moment es-
capped me. Before l perceived my error !
was struck in cowardly fashion
1t was Il straight shot two hundred |
Yards away she quoted The man
must have eyes like a cats "
What's that you're sayingy' he asked
sharply.
Merely an excerpt from the rawlings OF
NE fugitive when deliri0us from his /
wound, she replied. He declared over
ana over again that the man who shot
INN IN the dark was two hundred yards
instant and must have possessed abnor-
NAL vision"
Maude glowered at her, his sharp teeth
meeting upon his black mustache Then
me raised his right hand half threatening
ly and said:
II seems a singular thing to me. Miss
english. that the rascal could have de-
wed you SO completely as to his condi-
9A. You are said to have some medica!
.,.,, age rs well as mere mechanical
-.''. 1t seems strange that in the night
14e ne could have found his way 50 read
70 the san-room in another part Of the
aud abstracted his own weapon in
~. dark from the midst of dozens of
.'rs weapons hanging there. His pistol
IS not gone On the morning before his