Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-04-12

smoke or dust, IN act to strike tierceiy
at the TANKS Of the animal, and the
next second he stopped. dropped the
whip. nd, as Ii seemed to me. refined
IN his horse. At all events. the pace
was now much slower-in fact, but a
comfortable umblc. While | was Won
uerinS on this curious mancuver The
trap drew near enough for me II notice
the driver. and. II my establishment, \
saw that it WAS Hood.
His face WAS all 4 sweat and yrin.rd
with dust, and plainly he had been
Squeezing the last ouncl out OF his
beast, as the saying is. Why, thea,
did he pull up on seeing me: y flow
OF thoughts rushed through my brain,
but it was not until he came we'll nigh
abreast OF mp that the Inspiration
seized me. He made rs ii to pass,
civilly touching his hat. but 10y a su,..
den movement | wheeled my horse
across the road ami barred his way.
Had he been going 1T his previous rate
l confess that | should have thought
twice ere l took This hazard; but. as it
was, there was no harm done. Hood
himself, taken by surprise, pulled back
and ierkcd his left rcin. sending the
beast toward the ditch. l cried TO
Montgomery and, leaning over. caught
at the rcin>.
Its all up, Hood" l said. You're
a done mau this time
a.pn,r ,-n,,. ,,,,},, civ. =, g, IL ~, ,,,r
ing at me. But l was going to Ray
mond."
Yes, and l dare say you We're" said
l. But now you're going to the cas-
tle."
AT that moment Montgomery II
up, leading his mare, and took in the
situation. Running round, he held the
other rein. Hood looked from one to
the other.
This is highway robbery. gentle
men," he said.
Call it what YOU WILL" I replied,
with nonchalancc. montgomery, III
trouble You TO noep into that c~arriage."
AT the words Hoods eyes shot With a
malignant light. and his nostrils curled
and shivered like those of Il vicious
horse. The next second he sprang
from his seat across the horses back
and leaped at my throat With his open
knife. My horse plunged and took the
blow upon his shoulder, which was rip
ped open in a red cash. Then, without
Il sound. Montgomery pinned the ruff
fan to the earth. 1t was not the first
time that he had felt the grip of those
great arms, and he lay still, underfoot
in the dust.
We had been SO engrosSed with the
incident that we had not noticed the
sound of an approaching horseman,
and now his voice broke in upon US,
startling us.
THANK you kindly, gentlemen. | am
obliged to YOU it said. and there was
'Sercombe, very red and very dusty.
but with a twinkling smile struggling
over q grave and anxious face. Hood
got to his feet at once.
The rascal gave me the Slip said
Sercombe, "but 1 am much in your
debt for stopping him
AL. Silu /. itt ) lIle SIOrN. is
it?''
1t is extremely odd. and l recall the
TACT now With some sense of discom-
future. but this sudden appearance of
SercoIhc and the evidence that he had
been chasing Hood completely put my
reckoning out. The events had turned
things topsy turvy for the time, nor
did | realize at once that we were still
antagonists, opposed upon the posses
sion of the very treasure which. had
conceived. was concealed in the car
riage. But if l was late in coming to
my wits, not so Hood. He might quar-
rel with Sercombe privately, but as
against US he was the captains pert
ner. and, siding up to him. he whis.
pered a few words. Sercombe nodded.
and ere I had time to observe all this
properly he had edged his horse be-
tween the carriage and myself and
pulled forth Il revolver.
very sorry, MI. Greatorex," said he,
pointing it at INC. 1T seems an I'M.
grateful return, but ui,on my soul
CdH L ucip IL. ~ Il QtuHiG sight sooner
offer the barrel elsewhere. but there il
is-we are such creatures of fortune
He Grinned pleasantly, ard Hoo:l
whipped into his seat ana turned the
carriage about. AS Tor MONTGOMERY
and myself, we were entirely taken
aback. They had the advantage of US.
and we should have been fools 70 70
u to recognize it. So, after the first
stare Of CONSERVATION, I made the best
of it.
"Dclighteu to he Of service 10 can
tain Sercombe any time" said. And
now, rs | presume we ere Ill going the
same way, we shall have the pleasure
Of your company"
THAT'S right he observed. "u,ol
irivc ahead. not too fast this time"
And the iDnkcepor, who had Low re-
sumei his placid air, ohe:@c'l him. We
logged along together. convcrsiny cuj,e
atfably, but the captain Lcp. an e.c
upon US, riding Il little to one side ANA
holding a hand ostentatiously in his
pocket.
In this manner VIC rode through Liam