Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-10-22

| dOTub kllIIuS Two men 10 ratIle the
posse-it all bears Sinclair's ear
marks. He has gone too far. He has
piled up plumber till he is reckless
He Is crazy with greed and insane
with revenge. He thinks he can gal
lop over this division and scare Bucks
till he gets down on his knees to him
Bucks will never do it. | know him
and tell you Bucks will never do It.
He is like that man In Washington
he will fight II TO the death. He would
eight Sinclair II he had to come up
here and meet him single-handed, but
" will never have to do It. He put
you here, George, to round that mar
up. This is the price for your advance
ment. andyou must pay 1t"
1T Is all right for me to pay It, but
don't want you to pay II. Will you
have a care for yourself, Gordon"
will you?"
yes"
You need never ask me to be care
full Smith went on. That Is my
business. ! asked you to watch your
window shades at night, and when ]
came in Just now found one up. It is
you who are likely to forget, and In
this kind OF a game q man never for,
gets but once. I'll lie down on the
Lincoln lounge, George"
Get into the bed"
mo; like the lounge, and I'm of
early"
In the private room Of the superin.
tendent. provided as a sleeping apart.
ment in the old headquarters building
many years before hotel facilities
reached Medicine Bend, stood the only
curio the Wicklup poss6sed-the
Lincoln lounge. When the car that
carried the remains Of Abraham Lin.
coin from Washington to Springfield
was dismantled, the Wickiup fell heir
to one piece Of its elaborate furnish.
ings, the lounge, and the lounge still
remains as an early-day relic. Whis-
pering Smith walked into the bedroom
and disposed himself in an incredi-
bly, short time. I've borrowed one OF
your pillows. George" he called out,
presently.
Take both"
Ones enough. hope" he went on,
rolling himself like hen into the
double blanket, "the horse Kennedy
has left me will be all right; he got
three from Bill Dancing. Bill Dan
cling he snorted, driving his nose into
the pillow as if in final memorandum
for the night, "he will get himself
killed il he fools around Sinclair too
much now"
McCloud, under light shaded above
his desk, opened a roll Of blue-prints.
He was going to follow a construction
gang up the Crawling Stone in the
morning and wanted to look over the
surveys. Whispering Smith, breath.
ing regularly, lay not far away. It
was late when McCloud put away his
maps. entered the inner room and
looked at his friend.
He lay like a boy asleep. On the
chair beside his head he had placed
his Old-fashlOned huntlng-case watch,
as big as an alarm clock, the kind a
railroad man would wind up with q
spike.maul. Beside the watch he had
laid his huge revolver in its worn
leather scabbard. Breathing peace
fully, he lay quite at his companions
mercy, and McCloud, looking down on
this man who never made a mistake,
never forgot a danger, and never took
an unnecessary chance, thought OF
what between men confidence may
sometimes mean. He sat a moment
with folded arms on the side of his
bed, studying the tired face, defense.
less In the slumber Of fatigue. When
he turned out the light and lay down,
he wondered whether, somewhere in
the valley Of the great river to which
he was to take his men in the morn
ing, he should encounter the slight
and reckless horsewoman who had
blazed so in anger when he stood be-
fore her at Marion's. He had strug-
gled against her charm too long. She
had become, how or when he could not
tell, not alone a pretty woman but a
fascinating one-the creature Of his
constant thought. Already she meant
more to him than all else In the world.
He well knew that II called on to
choose between Dicksie and all else
ne could only choose her. But as he
drew together the curtains of thought
and sleep stole in upon him, he was re.
solved first to have Dicksie; 10 have
all else II he could, but, in any case,
Dicksie Dunning. When he awoke day
was breaking In the mountains. The
huge silver watch. the low.voiced man
and the formidable six-shooter had dis.
appeared. 1t was time to get up, and
Marion Sinclair had promised an early
breakfast.
CHAPTER XII.