The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-01-04

him that he did so. It was not tho
last of the affair. The old, prosaic
trail seemed fairly bristling with
ghostly visitants that night. He had
gone but a scant quarter-mile when
he met a second horseman, and this
time he would have sworn on oath
that the man had not been on the
forward trail as long as he should
have been to be seen in the starlight.
Jim was not doing now and he knew
what he was about. The fellow struck
the trail from across country and from
| the direction of Williston's home cat.
| tie sheds.
THE devil!" he muttered. and this
time he was in deep and terrible earn
est.
"Hullo!" the fellow accosted him.
genially.
TOO damned pleasant-the whole
bunch of EN-" found quick Judgment
in Jim's active brain. Aloud, he re-
sponded with answering good nature,
"Hullo!"
Where We goin'?" asked the other,
as If in no particular haste to part
company. If he had met with a sur.
prise, he carried 1t off we'll.
Home. Been to town" Jim was
on tender hooks to be off.
Belong to the Three Bars, don't
you?"
"Yep."
Thought so. Well, good luck to
you"
Say" said Jim, suddenly, "you
don't happen to hang out at the X w,
do you?"
NAV! What dye suppose I'd be
doing here this time of night If I
did," There was scorn in his voice
and suspicion, too. "Why?" he asked.
ooh, nothin'. Thought knew your
build. but guess was mistaken. So
long"
He had an itching desire to ask II
this night traveller. too, was in quest
of the doctor, but caution held him
silent. He had need to proceed wari-
ly. He rode briskly along until he
judged he had gone far enough to
allay suspicion, then he halted sud.
denly. Very wideawake was Jim
now. His hand rested unconsciously
on the Colts AZ. protruding from his
loosely hanging belt. His impulse was
to ride boldly back and up to Willis
toms door, and thus satisfy himself
as to what was doing SO mysteriously
There was not cowardly drop in
Jim's circulation. But if foul play was
abroad for Williston that night, he
Jim. of course, was spotted and would
never be permitted to reach the
house. 1t would mean a useless sac
rif1ce. Now, he needed to be alive
There was crying need for his good
and active service. Afterwards-well
it was all in the days work. II
wouldn't SO much matter then. I,
touched spurs lightly, bent his heat
against the friction of the air anC
urged his horse to the maddest, wild
est race he had ever run since tina
day long ago. to be forgotten b!
neither. when he had been broken t,
his masters will.
Paul Langford dropped one sho'
nervelessly to the wolfskin in front O
his bed. Though his bachelor room
was plain in most respects, plain TO
; the better convenience of the bachelo
hands that had 1t to put in right
every day-with the exception of
cook. Langford kept no servant-th,
wolfskin here, an Indian blanke
thrown over stiff chair by the table
Japanese screen concealing the ugl.
little sheet-iron stove that stood owe
in its corner all the year round, CAV
evidence that his tastes were reall,
luxurious. An oil lamp was burnin,
dimly on the table. The SCOT of man,
burnings adhered to the chimney
inner side.
The sound of galloping hoofbeat
!, on the hard road below came up {,
. him. A solitary horseman was com
ing that way and he was putting hi
horse to the limit, too.
"Who the-deuce," began Langford
ITS Jim's COW pony as sure as In
a sinner! What brings him home a
that pace. wonder? Is he drunk?"
. He peered out indifferently. TIL
hoof-beats rang nearer and neare,