The Lamar register., 1908-04-01
CHAPTER x.-continued.

He shrugged his shoulders and pick
ed up the fallen bride rein. He kept
on straight ahead. and 1t was well for
him that he did so. 1t was not the
last of the AFFAIR. The old. prosaic
trail seemed fairly bristlIng with
ghostly visitants that night. He had
gone but a scant quarter-mile wi IN
d. he met 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 II in no particular haste to part
company. II he had met with a sur
PRISE he carried It of well.
Home. Been to town" Jim was
on tender hooks to be off.
Belong to the Three Bars. don't
your
Yep"
! Thought so. Well, good luck to
you"
Say" said Jim, suddenly, Won
don't happen to hang out at the x 2.
do your
Nav! What dye suppose I'd be
doing here this time Of night II I
did," There was scorn in his voice
and suspicion. too. "Why?" he asked.
"Oh, npthin'. Thought l knew your
build. but guess l 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 45. 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 II 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 useless sac
rifice 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. 1t
wouldn't so much matter then. 1t
touched spurs lightly. bent his head
against the friction of the air and
urged his horse to the maddest. wild
est race he had ever run since that
day long ago. to be forgotten by
neither, when he had been broken to
his masters will.
Paul Langford dropped one shoe
nervelessly to the wolfskin in front of
his bed Though his bachelor room
was plain in most respects, plaip for
the better convenience of the bachelor
hands that had it to put in rights
every day-with the exception of
cook. Langford kept no servant-the
wolfskin here, an Indian blanket
thrown over a stiff chair by the table.
Japanese screen concealing the ugly
little sheet-iron stove that stood over
< in its corner all the year round. gave
evidence that his tastes were really
luxurious. An oil lamp was burning
.dimly on the table. The SCOT of many
burnings adhered to the chimney S
inner side.
The sound of galloping hoof-beats
on the hard road below came up to
him. A solitary horseman was COM
ing that way and he was putting his
horse to the limit, too.
who the-deuce," began Lapgford