The Washington times., 1904-12-25
A MONTANA MYSTERY II By SEWARD w. HOPKINS

The killing of the sheriff would not be
a thing to stand in his way Therefore
Gavin ordered him TO ride little in ad-
vance. Gavin followed with one hand
tightly gripping his revolver
But Cayright. divining what manner
of man the sheriff was. pursued the
difficult tenor of his drift-clogged way,
with no attempt TO converse or to
escape.
To him. the sheriff was the sheriff AS
a man and brother, he did not exist
The snow was wet and soggy from the
spring sun Travel was almost as bad
as when the sleet was flying 3ut they
could see. That was everything.
Across the white prairies on either
side they could see the foriorn cattle.
The Montana ranchers. for the most
part, left their cattle without winter
shelter.
The losses from this exposure were
less than the expense of building barns.
Here and there a han-frozen herder
could be seen warming himself in the
middle of a herd But the earth was
dead.
Where the snow mad fallen least.
rivers ran. The snow was melting al
most as fast as IT fell.
On they went, no word of conversation
between them. Cayright was thinking
over the events that had passed. and of
a sweet, sad face that had suddenly
grown dear to him.
True love- ne was saying to him
self phiIosophically. is not a plant of
sudden birth. I never believed in the
bosh of love at first sight But the last
few days have been laden with the po-
tentiality OF years It does not seem
possible that Nellie Hubbick and I were
utter strangers less than a week ago.
Poor little girl; This is hard on her.
Gavin, too, was communing with him
self
The trouble is so ran his thoughts,
that Armstrong Is just the kind of
chap this one says he is If he knows
his friend is in danger. innocent or
guilty, he will turn hell loose to help
him And he can do it, too The gov
ernor is his cousin He can do more to
upset my plan than any other
The sheriff's teeth came together with
| a click He glanced around.
They had passed the last visible herd
er Not a living soul save themselves
WAS in sight. His hand began slowly
to draw his revolver from his pocket
It stopped before the weapon saw the
light.
Devil take It.t' he said. THAT won't
do. L can't shoot him in the back and
say I did it in seIf-defense. I might say
he was trying 10 run away. But the
girl viii tell how willing ne was, and
Gordon is Just the man to believe her
And. anyway. whether Gordon did OF
not. she would not believe me- I've goi
l -
master -
The revolver slid back 70 It's resting
place
They rode into Hubbiels ike that, anG
the loengers who nodded TO the sheriff
knew that something was wrong. They
followed him TO learn, when he felt like
| talking, what this trouble was.
/ .'Hubbick and his wife both murder
| edi' he called TO friend.
I Hey. What's sthat2 Hubbick, the
| r1iser, killed Who did it 81
Gavin made qu-ck motion toward
Caprfght with his finger
The lookup at Hubbicks was a rud'
enough affair, but it had always served
the purpose for which it was intended
| No man whom the sheriff had ever pu
in there had escaped
This might be because it was safe.
for a criminal TO lodge there and wal
for a fair trial before Judge Gordon
than 70 effect escape and take hi
lchances with the men Of Hubbick ant
/ their rifses.
/ This lookup was a rude snack cf
place q little out from the center o
Huhbieks. on lonely road that le'
from Hubbicks up along ridge wher
some new mines were being worked IN
Jail was in charge of a haIf-breed caIle,
Nose. who was as faithful as any ma
afraid of his life would be.
Nose watched his prisoners well II
knew that a bullet from Gavin's re
volver woaId end his days If he did not
To this lookup Capright was taken. II
was placed in what nlasqueradad unde
the name of cell
II was q room, with small window
The door was locked, and bars held III
window safe.
: Having lodged his man safely in JaI
Gavin felt free TO talk He gathered
group of his cronies around him. an
: told them what he had discovered at tn
Hubbick farm
The story lost none in the telling. Tn
+ bag of gold in the saddle-bag grew t
: such proportions that II embraced a
5 the private papers of Hubbiek and som
: jeweiry which the Hubbicl1s neve
owned.
Its the worst thing ever was don
near Hubbicgs." said Gavin vengefuIls
1 Why, if such chaps as this can Xxi
men and women and go unpublished. nc
: body in Montana will be safe
Who said he's to go unpunished?
/ asked a bystander. Amt there a Ia
i agin kiIlin' in Montana?'
Yes" said Gavin savagely, with
i shake Of his head. but you know ho7
soft Gordon is. Nellie Hubbick swear
this chap didn't do II, and Gordon wi
believe her above me or anybody else
That's so. Are they lovers?" aske
1 another.
i Gavin shrugged his shoulders
). might be well for his purpose 10 hav
| them think that Nellie and Cayrtgf
were lovers and felIow-plotters. but
would not be nice in the future whe
Nellie became his wife # they remefE
: bered it
He let it go by insinuation-which h
: fcouid afterward deny
;, Having started all Hubbicl,s on III