Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-10-13


ting.
did the giant powder let go,
Gryce?" he asked.
"I'm Jest tryin' to figger out what
happened" replied the under foreman.
81 seem to be all here, but, my! wasn't
1t awful? ! got the roar in my ears
yet"
"How does it come you're settin'
there with the seat of the wagon?"
asked another of the Sandy Bar men.
Got throwed out o the wagon,
said Gryce AN it's the best thing that
ever happened ter me. S'posin' I'd
been in the old trap along with that
other Teller? I'd be where he is now,
an that's tellin'."
THAT other fellow went up with
the wagon, did he?" inquired Cliff.
Sure. He was hangin' to the lines
when I shot out o. the wagonboX with
the seat. He stayed with the wagon
and the high explosive, all right, an
I reckon he's still with 'em. Got
bIowed ter atoms, that's what he
did"
The Sandy Bar men exchanged
chances, then swerved their eyes to
take in the havoc wrought by the ex-
plosion.
Don't We know, Uncle Alb, that was
the chap that killed Sturgis and gave
us the slip at the Bar, last night?"
aye don't mean it,"
ITS the truth" returned Cliff. eve
saw you Just before you took that turn
in the trail and we knew the man in
a minute"
Then" returned Gryce, after a
period of reflection. that's why he
let the bronks out inst'id o. pullin' 'em
in after he looked back an saw you
comm" He got up painfully. WELL"
he added, its all right; five hundred
pounds o. high explosive is as good as
a tree and a rope, only mebby not so
satisfyin'. Wonder how I'm goin' ter
set myself right with the super, at the
War Eagle?"
The Sandy Bar men were not con-
cerned with Uncle Abs troubles and
dismounted to make a more thorough
examination of the surroundings
watched them moving here and there
searching for any gruesome relics that
might have been left.
All that was found was the crown of
a derby hat deep in a clump of torn and
twisted hazels.
Its Darrel's," said Cliff, walking
towards his companions and holding
the object up for inspection. There is
no doubt about 1t, boys. Fate has
taken this matter in hand and avenged
the murder of Sturgis. Darrell is dead"
st would be a heap more satisfyin'
if we could find some remains ter prove
it," averred one of the men. would it
be possible for a man to be blown off
the face of the earth like that?"
"Why not" rejoined Cliff, impatient
ly. "If the wagon and its load were
blown to atoms, the same fate must
have happened to Darrell"
Lets have a look around before we
settle on that" answered the doubter.
1T seems as though we ought to find
sonlethin."
Like wrath Darrell turned and
glided away. A grim humor filled him.
'"rhey believe I'm dead" he thought
Let them think so; it's the safest way
out of this trouble, for me-"
He was bruised in body and limb
but life was at stake and he counted
his small injuries as nothing. Through
the hills that bordered the trail he
took his course, keeping steadily west
ward.
At last, completely tagged, he
dropped down on a rock to rest. He
had not had mouthful of food since
escaping from Sandy Bar and the eX-
ertions called forth by his fight had
| left him weak and nerveless.
What was he to do now? he inter-
rogated himself? To don a disguise
and get out of the country would be
comparatively easy, but he had no
desire to get out of the country.
There was still that unsettled score
with Murgatroyd. He was doggedly
determined that nothing should come
between him and that.
But that must be secondary, now.
His first work, if he could devise a
way, must be to prove his innocence
OF the murder of Sturgis.
In his secret heart he had persuaded
himself that Murgatroyd had slain
Sturgis, and with the deliberate inten-
tion OF involving him-Darrel. 1t was
q fearful suspicion to hold against a
man, but none knew Murgatroyd's Sc
cretiyeness, cunning and desperate
methods better than Darrell.
| Now. if ever. was Darrel's time To