Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-11-26
CHAPTER XIV.

IT< HE green pung was ten miles
4 or more beyond Clark's be-
S-S-sSs fore the section boss recover
ENE@Sg ed appreciably from his long
sulk. What u v s'pose Lounsbu"y
reckoned could happen T. my gals?
he demanded of David Bond.
The evangelist shook the reins at
Shadrach a storm, cold, want" he
replied. There are many evils that
might befall two young women alone
in shanty on the prairie"
"Waal, nothin' s ever happened t
'em before" declared Lancaster. But
he whistled to stay change in good
fortune and raped the wood of the
wagon box with his bare knuckles.
David Bond busted himself with
urging on his horse. God will watch
over them he said devoutly. BE
hold, he that keepeth Israel shall nei-
Their slumber nor Sleep"
The section boss shifted. Sure of the
safe trend of his affairs, he was in a
mood TO scott at any religious allusion.
Reverence with him was entirely
matter of urgent physical need. He
had called to his Maker but twice in
his life-once when an ugly tempered
peon threatened him with a spade,
again when, falling from his swiftly
moving fiat car, he felt the heavy
wheels grinding him flesh and bone.
Storm KANT tech tn shack" he
said proudly. "She's built like a ship
t stan any win. Shes warm, too,
an tibet Iniun lie brings US plenty OF
wood. An they IS grub 'nough t
las"
The evangelist was politely atten-
tive.
They S jes' one man tibet might
come botherin' EN-" Lancaster went
on. But faint likely he'll see these
parts before spring. An All dom
blieve he'll come then"
David Bond set his brows together.
The previous night an unshaped
thought had made him pause a second
before leaving Dallas. Now that
thought became n suspicion-a sus-
picion of the real truth. "A man?" he
said questioningIy. "a man,"
Being thus prompted on the subject
of the claim, Lancaster was willing to
proceed, for he had no feeling that he
was obeying Dallas. 'Ah'm speakin'
Of a man tibet filed on my section in
July" he said. His six months is up
t'day. SO All reckon he'll hev t. work
q new piece of track. For All inten' t
hang on t tibet Quarter-it's goin t
be worth pile"
The evangelist threw him a swift
glance. what is the name of that
MANI" he asked.
"Ah dunno. All clean gone an f'got
it. All ought t wrote it DOWN
would you know it if you heard
itT
wy, yes-'twas some ornery, name"
"Was twas it Matthews?"
Complete bewilderment spoke from
Lancaster's wide open eyes and mouth.
He whired about upon the evangelist
and seized the reins. Shadrach came
to squatting stop, his ears turning
round to catch a command. "Thets it!
Thet's it, cried the section boss. AN
how d. you know"
The two men looked at each other in
silence. Lancaster's face was dark
with distrust; David Bonds pale with
alarm.
"How?" exclaimed the latter, when
his tongue at last answered his will
How? Because Matthews came north
with me yesterday"
If Shadrach possessed the sense his
master claimed for him he must have
concluded then and there that the hu.
man beings in the pung had gone
stark mad For after some excited
shouting, the one TO the other, they
brought him square about and sent
him scurrying back toward Brannon.
They did not retrace their way, but
steered due south, thus saving the few
miles that could take them again
through Clark's. Shadrach approved
the change in direction, which pointed
to 4 snug corner beside the friendly
bull calf. and fairly skinned the hard
snow. He had already gone forty Ions
miles since morning. Yet. undaunted
he took up the return with good Zest
holding a smart pace unwearily. HI
breathed deep, and his long Roman
nose-thruSt out on Il line with hi
rocking back-smoked like an cage
chargers.
In the first half hour that followed
the evangelist's disquieting admission
he listened to a wild, profane trade
against himself for having failed t
speak of Matthews, against Dallas TO
being in such a tarnal hurry, agains
Lounsbury on general principles. Th
section boss found only one perso
wholly exempt from .blame--himseli