Putnam patriot., 1909-01-22

The baron and my father arranged
 1t over the telephone from the Springs. The prisoners understand that they are
 in serious trouble and have agreed to go quietly The government agents are discreet meu. You brought up the
 buck boardf''
 But the men should be hanged. for they shot our captain. and he may die
 The little man spoke with sad ca
 denee \ pathes in his erect. sturdy
 figure. his lowered tone as he referred
 10 Armitage. touched Claiborne.
 He will get we'll. Oscar. Everything
 will seem brighter tomorrow. You had
 better sleep until 1t Is time to drive to
 the train
 Oscar stepped nearer. and his voice
 sank to d whisper.
 "I have not forgotten the tall man
 who died; It is not well for him to go
 unburied- You are not a Catholic
 no?"
 You need not tell me how-or any
 thing about it But you are sure he Is
 quite deady"
 He is dead. He was a bad man and
 died very terribly" said Oscar. and he
 took of his bat and drew his sleeve
 across his forehead "i will tell you
 just how it was. When my horse took
 the wall and got their bullets and tum.
 bled down dead. the big man they
 called Zmai saw how it WAS. that we
 were all coming over after them. and
 ran. He kept running through the
 brambles and over the stones, and l
 thought he would soon turn and we
 might have q fight. but he did not stop
 and | could not let him get away. It
 was our captain who said. We must
 take them prisoners, was it not soEs
 .Yes. that was Mir Arnitages $ wish.
 Then 1 saw that we were going to-
 ward the bridge. the one they do not
 use there at the deep rayine. bad
 crossed il once and knew that it was
 weak and shaky. and l slaeked up and
 watched him He kept oil. and just before he came to 1t. when l was very
 close to him. fer he was slow runner -yes:- being so big and clumsy he turned and shot at me with his revolv- CT but he was in q hurry and missed. but he ran on lis feet struck the blanks of the bridge with great jar and creaking. but he kept running and Stumbled and fell once with mad chatter of the blanks. He was COW ard with heart of water and would not stop when 1 called and come back for little fight The wires of the bridge hummed and the bridge swung and crea-sed. When he was almost midway of the bridge the big wires that held it began to shriek out of the old posts that held them. though l had l not touched them. and it seemed many years that passed while the whole of il dangIed in the air like q bird nest in d storui and the creek down below laughed at that big coward. still heard his boofs humping the blanks until the bridge dropped from under him and left him for Il long second with his arms and legs flying in the air. Yes. it was very horrible to see | And then his great body went down. down God. il was a very dreadful
 way for wicked man to diei' And Oscar brushed his bat with his sleeve and looked away at the purple and gray ridges and their burden of stars
 -Yes: 1t must have been terrible. said Claiborne
 But now he cannot be left to lie down there on the rocks. though he gas so wicked and died like a beast 1 am a bad Catholic. but when l was a boy l used to serve mass. and 1t is not well for man to lie in a wild place where the buxxards will find him"
 But you cannot brfng a priest Great harm would be done if news of this affair were to get abroad You understand that what has passed here must never be known by the outside world My father and Baron son Mar hof have counseied that and you may be sure there are reasons why these things must be Kept quiet or they would seek the laws aid at once" "Yes; l have been soldier. but after this little war 1 shall bury the dead In an hour l shall be back to drive the buckbo to Lamar station" Claiborne looked at his watch. "I will go with you" he said They started through the wood to-
 ward the Port of Missing Men. and together they found rough inches in the side of the gap, down which they made their way toilsomely to the powder lined stream that laughed and tumbled foamily at the bottom of the defiie. When their work was done Os- ear took of his hat and knelt down by
 the side of the strange grave and bowed his head in silence for a mo
 ment Then they climbed the steep
 side of the gap and turned toward the
 bungalow Oscar trudged silently at
 Caaiborne's side and neither spoke
 Both were worn to the point of exhaus tion by the events of the long day
 The stubborn patience and fidelity of
 the little man touched chord Tn Clai
 borne Almost unconsciously he threw
 his arm across Oscars shoulders and
 walked thus beside him as they tray
 ersed the battlefield of the morning.
 You knew Mfr Armitage when he
 was q boy asked Claiborne.
 .Yes: in the Austrian forest on his fathers plaee-the Count Ferdinand von Stroebel. The young captains mother died when l.e was a child His father was the great statesman and did much for the Schomburgs and Aus iria. but II did ,zct aid bis disposition nos''
 The secret service men had come oy yay of tue springs and were Eaifing at the bungalow to report to Claiborne They handed him sealed packet of