Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-04-25
CHAPTER VI.-CoNr1NUED
By STANLEY J. WIYMAN
Copyright, I'm, by Stanley J. Wsynan.>

he 1nukeepeT was uOC lar DCQl0U
him. An instant and he was down, too,
peering at the thing; and for an in
slant l thought that they would fight
over it. However, though their jeal-
ousy was evident, their excitement
cooled a little when they discovered
that the scrap of stuff was empty; for,
fortunately the pebble had fallen
out of it. Still, it threw them into
such a fever Of eagerness as it was
wonderful to witness. They nosed the
ground where it had lain, they plucked
up the grass and turf and passed it
through their fingers, they ran to and
fro like dogs on'a trail; and, glancing
askance at one another, came back al
ways together to the point of depart
nle. Neither in his jealousy would suf-
Ter the other to be there alone.
The shock-headed man and sat our
horses and looked on; he marvelling,
and I pretending to marvel. AS the
two searched up and down the path,
we moved a little out of it to give
them space; and presently, when all
their heads were turned from me, /
let second morsel drop under
:"rse-bush. The shock-headed man,
bye -and-bye, found this, and gave it
to Clon; and, as from the circum-
stances of the first discovery no sus-
piciOn attached to me, I ventured to
find TIL" third and last scrap myself.
did NOT pick it up, but called the inn
keeper, and he bounced on it as I have
seen hawk pounce on a chicken.
They hunted for the fourth morsel,
but. OF course. in vain, and in the end
they dcsisted, and fitted the three they
had together; but neither would let
his own portion out of his hands, and
each looked at the other across the
spoil with eyes of suspicion. 1t was
strange to see them in that wide
stretching valley, whence gray boar
backs of hills swelled up into the 81
1ence of the snow--it was strange,
say in that vast solitude to see these
Two. mere dots on it's bosom, circling
round one another in fierce forgetful-
ness OF the outside world, glazing and
shifting their ground like cocks about
to engage, and wholly engrossed-by
three scraps of orange-color, invisible
at 50 PAGES!
At last the innkeeper cried with an
oath: Il am going back. This must
be known down yonder Give me your
pieces, man, and, do you go with An
toine. 1t will be all right"
But Clon, waving a scrap in either
hand and thrusting his CHASTITY mask
Into the others face, shook his head in
passionate denial. He could not speak.
but he made it clear that if any one
went back with the news he was the
man to go.
Nonsense" the landlord retorted
1ercely. 1--WE cannot leave Antoine to
60 alone with him. Give me the stuff"
But Clon would not He had no
thought of resigning the credit of the
discovery, and I began to think that
the two would really come to blows.
But there was an alternative, and first
one and then the other looked at me.
Ut was moment Of peril, and l knew
1t. My strategem might react on my
self and the two, to put an end to
this difficulty, agree to put an end to
me-. But I faced them so coolly and
showed so bold front, and the ground
was so open, that the idea took no
root They fell to wrangling again
more viciously than before. One tapped
his gun and the other his pistols. The
landlord scolded, the dumb man gur-
gled. At last their difference ended
as I had hoped it would.
Every we'll then, we will both 20
bacl1:" the innkeeper cried in rage
And Antoine must see him on. But
the blame be on your head. Do you
give the lad your pistols"
Clon took one pistol and gave it to
the shock-headed man.
''The other!" the innkeeper said i'm
patiently.
But Clon shook his head with
grim smile and pointed to the aruue-
buss.
By a sudden movement the land
lord snatched the pistol and averted
Clons vengeance by placing both it
and the gun in the shock-headed mans
hands. There!" he said, addressing
fhe latter, "now can you do? If mon
sleur tries to escape or turn back,
shoot him! But four hours riding
should bring you to the Roca Blanca.
You will find the men there, and will
have no more to do with it."
Anrolne did not see things quite in
1hat light, however. He looked at me
and then at the wild track in front Of
us; and he muttered an oath and said
ne would die if he would. But the land
Aord, who was in frenzy Of I'M
patience. drew aside and talked to him
and In the end seemed to persuade
MN: for in few minutes the matter
was settled. Antoine came back and
said sullenly, Forward, Monsieur
Hhe TWO others stood on one side, |
shrugged my shoulders and kicked up
my horse and in I twinkling we two
were riding on togeth er-man to man.
J turned once or twice to see what
thosc we had left behind were doing
and always found them standing in AZ
parent debate; but my guard showed
80 much jealousy of these movements
that presently shrugged my shoulders
egain and desisted.
| I had racked my brains to bring
about this state of things. But,
strange to say, now I had succeeded, I
found 1T less satisfactory than I had
hoped. I had reduced the odds and
got rid of my most dangerous antago-
ntsts; but Antoine, left to himself