, 1906-05-23
CONTINUED.
CHAPTER WI.

i'ha Va 49, 'N
down to the door of the Kelly
4 cabin and leap from his saddle
with some fanciful greeting, carefully
and ornately uttered. So much he re-
tanned of his Kentucky breeding.
"The sheriff's army grows apace, but
does not march," he announced one
morning.
Ann could not understand this hui
morous defiance of law-this colossal
recklessness. What will you do when
1t does march?"
"Meet 1t and burst it."
TELL me, now,' she said to him at
another time, "what is your real mo-
tive? Why should you be the cham
pion of the rights of labor?"
He astonished her by giving back
earnestness for ea~rnestness. I'll tell
you. my lady. Labor has got to fight.
This union Is the coming thing. The
toilers have not only got to stand to-
gether. but they've got to drill. | hap
pen to have IL little military training,
and I'm going to give western labor its
first lesson in the power of military or
ganization.
Rob and Kelly both stand for the
thing that is going out. They think any
man has the same chance they have,
but | tell you this union that they de-
spise is the coming order
In truth, Kelly and Raymond were
watching Munro's rise to power with
growing uneasiness. He was now In
almost complete control of the camp,
and though he still deferred to the un-
ion and its committees, his reckless
bravery, his prompt execution of or
ders and his knowledge of military
forms had made of him the chief
source of command, the only adequate
regu,ative force OF the peak. Those on
the outside did not hesitate to call him
1.-THE arch devil of the district" and the
whole western world was filed with
his doings, his reckless speeches.
His fame had fired the hearts Of all
the dead shots and restless spirits of
the west. and from an irregular squad
of twenty-five or thirty men his forces
had risen to nearly 200 heavily armed
and hardy horsemen.
Raymond, though keeping keen eyes
upon Munro, was unable to find cause
for war in any word or act of the gam
bier, nor could he fathom AIMS mind
either toward Munro or himself. She
apDeared to find Munro diverting and
spoke of him only in that way. If she
understood his 'home life" it made no
change in her attitude. 1t was incon-
ceivable that Il refined girl should toll
crate a man who passed from one igno-
rant and vicious woman to another,
and yet AIMS greeting remained gra-
eious, if not friendly. What it was
when they were alone, he dared not
think.
As for Raymond himself, he contin-
ued to punish himself by putting aside
the many opportunities which came to
plead his own suit, and took Il morbid
sort of pleasure in his renunciation.
There will be II man ut least who
will not persecute her." he said say
agely and bent his best energies to the
work of developing his mine.
one afternoon as II and Mrs. Kel-
~ sat sewing and chatting together n
woman suddenly appeared in the open
door. She was large and high colored,
her hat was awry, and there was a
wild glare in her eyes a look in
her face that froze even Nora into 81
lence. Both stared at their strange
visitor in breathless apprehension till
she pointed her unsteady finger at
Ann and hoarsely cried out:
$50 you're the II that's cut me out?'
The muscles of one cheek contorted
and her eyelid dropped like that of a
paralytic as she fixed a baleful look on
the astonished girl. After a moments
pause she stepped uncertainty upon
the threshold and leaned against the
jamb. well, you'd better watch out.
If you don't give him up, I'll kill your
"She's crazy" whispered Nora.
The intruder fumbled in her absurd
~ f%amboyant skirt and at last drew
out a pistol. "Now you better hop!"
she said, with menacing calmness.
Ann rose, white and calm. "Who
are you? What do you want?'
"Wbo am l? I'm Jack Munro's wife,
that's who l am, and l want you to let
him alone, that's what l want. You
ran understand that, can't yOu?" Her
big, habby face again contorted hor-
ribly.
Nora found tongue. "You go away
or I'll call Matt"
Call him. What do l care for him?