Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1903-01-15
LORD OF THE DESERT
BY PAUL de LANEY.
CHAPTER xxIr-continuod.

and continued his conversation. III
told him the facts OF her escape, ant
tho fraud In the scalp he had giver
him, at the same time repeating tha
he and the Canadian we're friends
now.
"I3ut where Ia shefp inquired n,
Canadian. A hundred things enteres
his mind. With Bertha Lyle IN hi
possession. no could got revenge o.
Hammarsley. on tho Lord OF the
Desert. on everybody With heI
under his control, he could demand
a ransom. Ho could make terms with
General Crook. no could possibly gel
possession OF that $4,000. Plans
came on so thick and fast that they
clouded his brain. and he saw q
thousand advantages in the posses
sion OF Bertha Lyle as q prisoner In
an Indian village.
where Is she7" he demanded
again.
"But waltz" said the chief. you
are too impatient TO make q good
brave for Egan'a band. told you she
escaped. The trapper still has heri'
"But have been TO his homo In
his absence" said Follett. "and she
was not there!"
"He hide her when he 90 away
replied the chief. "He fear someone
steal herl Now. me and my mon will
hurry away tonight. We viii so 70
heli trap, where soldiers never fnd
us; and II they find us they can
never get ua. You take two. four. ten
braves. go 20 trapper's home while
he away and get girl and bring her
with youl Sect make trapper mad,
you get even. and you have white
squaw, Egan a good friend as well
as bad enemy"
Within another hour Dan Follett
and four OF Egan'a most stealthy
braves were riding across the plains
toward the trapper's abode. and
Egan and q majority OF the chiefs
and warriors had Quilted the vicinity
Of tho Stone House as silently as the
desert night breeze. Only a small
scouting party remained behind.
Tie cowboys stood at their posts,
and the Lord of the Desert kept watch
over all with the vigilance OF q
trained general, waiting TO see what
the early morning would bring.
THE birds have flown" was the
first expression of General Crook
when he arrived In the vicinity OF
the Stone House There are no In
they may be close at hand. We viii
walt until daylight before we ap-
proach nearer"
He secreted his men In grove OF
jumpers on the mountainside, some
distance from the promises, and wait
cd developments.
As soon as the morning light be-
gan TO break. the general. accom-.
panied by Hammersley. began 10
reconnoiter. THE whites are vigi.
lant," he remarked. as he pointed to
the rifles In the ioopholes In the
wall. "They are evidently expecting
the Indians, but see no cover be-
hind which the redskins could con-
ceal themselves from our viaw. ] am
OF the opinion that the red rascals
have 'smelt a mouse and left during
the night, We must communicate
with the whites as quickly as posi-
BILE and get on the trail. Can't you
creep up near that guard and man
age to communicate with him7"
THAT will be easy" replied the
trapper and he started In STOPPING
posture, keeping himself we'll hidden
behind the runty jumpers.
Hello. there!" spoke the trapper
in a low tone, at o short distance
from the man at the loophole.
The astonlshed guard looked In a
dozen different directions In an in
stant.
II am the trapper. returned from
the fort with aid. Tell the Lord Of
the Desert wish to speak with him. :"
him"
In n few moments this parsonage
was at the loophole and Hammersley
walked to the place being we'll
shielded from the main points OF the
plain.
Daylight was rapidly coming on,
and the Lord of the Desert, upon
consulting his men. soon concluded
that the Indians had made their es-
cape. The guards. however. were
certain that some of the Indians had
remained until a late hour In the
morning as they had been seen
skulking about the place just before
dawn.
A short reconnoitre was made and
General Crook was informed Of the
result. His men were marched IN
side the stone wall surrounding the
Stone House and were ordered to
prepare their breakfast and to take
few hours rest.
In the meantime, the general held
an interview with the Lord of the
Desert and began preparations to
pursue the Indians as soon as
his men were refreshed. Scouts
were sent out upon their trail, under
the leadership Of the never-sleeping
but everfresh Hammersley, and they
soon struck the trail and sent word
back to the Stone House accordingly.
When General Crook informed
Martin Lyle of the episode with Dan
Follett, the Lord of the Desert went
to his treasury and found a large
sum Of his money missing He be-
came frantic. He wanted to 20 to
the fort and lynch the half-breed;
but General Crook informed him
that they had whole" breeds to deal
with just now, and that he would
take up Follett's case later.
Hammersley, at the head of the
band of cowboys, had followed the
trail of the Indians all day and kept
General Orook posted. The latter
moved out with his command from
the Stone House at sunset, intending
to travel by night so as to keep the
Indians off their guard. He started
out on one of his determined chases,
never Intending to return until he
had punished these bandits, the most
troublesome and bloodthirsty at that
time roaming the American plains.