The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-01-09
LORD OF THE DESERT

By PAUL de LANEY.


"The Lord of the Desert is sup
posed to be very rich," replied the
trapper. 81
you say he and the Lord are
friends?" queried the officer.
Eyes, in crimes and damnable
deeds, replied the trapper.
"What do you know?" asked Gen
eral Crook.
81 know a great deal, General" re
piled the trapper. "It is long story
and some of 1t is yet unfinished" he
continued, "but when we reach the
Stone House hope to enlighten you.
General Crook then informed the
trpaper Of the finding of the money
on the person Of Follett.
Il think understand it now" said
Hammersley, after hearing this. Fol
lett-that is the half-breeds name
know that | had been requested to
come to you, and for some reason he
decided to intercept me and pre-
vent your learning of the predica-
ment of the Lord of the Desert. They
may have fallen out. He simply
robbed, the Lord Of the Desert, and
intended. after killing me, to make
his escape. / can explain 1t in nc
other way. Before attacking me
with his knife he must have attempt
ed to shoot me, for | am sure heard
the snap Of a revolver hammer OF
that of gum"
Here are his weapons" said one
OF the officers, and upon examination
it was found that the hammer of one
of the revolvers rested on a percus
sion cap that had failed to explode
though its battered condition showed
that an attempt had been made to
fire 1t.
Guard him close and see that he is
kept here until my return" command
ed the general, as he dismissed those
present and placed the bag of money
In the iron depository Of the com
mand.
Long before the dawn Of day the
soldiers were astir. Everything was
work and hustle about the fort, il
preparation for the march at breal
of day. At this time the march would
begin. for General Crook was an of
flcer of the old school and his orders
would not be varied to a hairs
breadth In any detail.
At dawn of day the company moved
out with General Crook and his stat
in the lead, and Hammersley as chic
guide and scout. 1t was the purpose
to march by day for two days ant
then to change the march to nigh
time, so as not to be detected by the
Indians in the vicinity Of the Stone
House.
1t was aljo planned to reach thai
point between midnight and daY
and attackithe Indians at dawn.
After the departure OF one com
pany from small garrisoned fort
the place looked deserted. The post
had been only recently established
and most of the men were kept busy
constructing the buildings about the
fort. Many of them were in the
mountains throughout the day secur
ing timbers for the buildings, while
the hammers about the fort reminded
one of the building Of new town.
Even the guardhouse was crude
affair. hurriedly thrown together te
imprison refractory soldiers.
F'ollett began planning early TO
escape. He saw that If once freed
from the irons on his legs, that he
could break his way through the roof
at night and get away unobserved.
When the last meal was brought
that night he implored the soldier to
assist him in removing the irons,
but the soldier had no sympathy foI
him. Although the wounded guard
was only slightly injured, there was
not a soldier in the fort that was
not preiudiced against the man who
had made the knife thrust.
But there was a certain pluck that
seems always to attend the wicked
and the daring for a certain length
of time. Loophole after loophole is
offered them for escape, and opportu
nifty after opportunity for reform
The case of Dan Follett was no ex
ception.
Upon testing the locks of the irons
which bound his ankles he discovered
that one had failed to lock, and II
was easy to draw forth the bolt and
likewise release one limb. With one
limb free he tied the loose end OF
the shackle to the belt at his waist
and when all was quiet in the fort
he, silently removed the slabs at the
corner Of the roof and climbed out
and stole away like a cat.
Once among the rocks of the des-
ert, he pounded the remaining lock
into pieces and was soon walking as
free as before he fell into the hands
of the soldiers.
Fortune still favored him farther.
He found his stolen Indian pony still
tied fast in the gulch, where he had
left it the night of his capture, and,
mounting the animal, he rode away.
Like the villain on the stage, he ex-
claimed:
Now for a ride night and day!
| will beat General Crook and his men
to the Stone House and warn Egan of
his danger, and we will away to the
lava beds, and from that point con-
tinue to harass Uncle Sam and his
subjects to the end of our lives!
Hammersley, the trapper,' and
Lyle, the Lord of the Desert you
may yet fall into the clutches of the
half-breed!"
CHAPTER XXI.