Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-09-30


house." he said. He told them of the
broken window and of the sounds he hao
| heard. "Whoever's there has no business
! there and we may as well turn him out
| You two watch the corners of the house
he continued, indicating Raridan aud
! Wheaton: land you, Bishop, can stand
off here, If you will, and watch for signs
Of light in the upper windows The big
front doors are barred on the inside. and
my key opens only the back door,
The door opened easily, and John step
ped into the lower hall The place was
pitch dark. He remembered the posi-
ton of the articles of furniture as he
had left them on his last visit, and start
ed across the hall toward the stairway,
using his lantern warily. When half
way, he heard the whinny of horse
which he could not see y moment later
an animal shrank away from him in the
darkness and was still again. Then an
other horse whinnied by the window
whose broken glass he had found on the
outside. There were, then, two horses,
from which he argued that there were
at least two persons in the house. lie
found the doors and lifted the heavy bar
that held them and drew the bolts at
top and bottom. AS the doors swung
open slowly Raridan ran up to see If
anything was wanted.
"All right" said Saxton in low tone.
They're mighty quiet if they.Te here
But there's no doubt about the horses
You stay where you are and III explore
a little
The horses stamped fretfully as he
went toward the stairway, but all was
quiet above. He felt his way slowly
up the stair-rail, whose heavy dust stuck
to his fingers Having gained the upper
hall, he paused to take fresh bearings.
His memory brought back gradually the
position of the rooms. In putting out
his hand he touched a picture which
swung slightly on its wire and grated
harShly against the rough plaster of the
wall At the same instant he heard
noise directly in front of him as of some
one moving about in the chamber at the
head of the stairs. The knob of a door
was suddenly grasped from within. John
waited, crouched down. and drew his re-
volver from the side pocket of his coat.
The door stuck in the frame, but being
violently shaken. suddenly pulled free.
The person who had opened the door
stepped back into the room and scratched
a match.
wake up there called voice with
in the room.
Saxton crept softly across the hall.
settling the revolver into his hand ready
for use A man could be heard mum
bling.
Hurry up, boy, It's time we were out
of this"
The owner of the voice now reappear-
ed at the door holding a lantern; he was
pushing some one in front of him. The
crisis had come quickly; John Saxton
knew that he had found Grant Porter;
and he remembered that he was there to
get the boy whether he caught his ad-
ductor or not.
The man was carrying the lantern in
his right hand and pushing the boy to-
ward the staircase with his left. AS he
came we'll out of the door, Saxton sprang
up and kicked the lantern from the mans
hand. At the same moment he grabbed
the boy by the collar, drew him back
and stepped in front of him. The lam
tern crashed against the wall opposite
and went rolling down the stairway with
it's light extnguished. Saxton had drop
ped his own lantern and the hall was in
darkness
Stop where you are, Snyder" said
Saxton, ''or III shoot. I'm John Saxton:
you may remember me- He spoke in
steady, even tones.
The lantern, rolling down the stairway,
startled the horses, which stamped rest
lessly on the floor The wind whistled
dismally outside. He heard Snyder. as
he assumed the man to be, cautiously
feeling his way toward the staircase.
You may as we'll stop there" Saxton
said, without moving. and holding the
boy to the floor with his left hand. He
spoke in sharp, even tones. It's all
right Grant" he added in the same key
to the boy, who was crying with fright.
Stay where you are. The house is
surrounded. Snyder" he went on. You
may as well give in
The man said nothing. He had found
the stairway. Suddenly revolver fash
ed and cracked, and the man went leap
ing down the stairs. The ball whistled
over Saxton's head. and the boy clutched
him about the legs. \ bit of plaster,
shaken loose by the bullet fell from the
ceiling. The noise of the revolver roared
through the house.
It's all right, Grant" Saxton said
again.
The retreating man slipped and fell
at the landing. midway of the stairs ana
as he stumbled to his feet Saxton ran
back into the room from which the fellow
had emerged. lie threw up the window
with a crash and shouted to the men in
the darkness below:
Hes coming Get out of the way
and let him go, The boys all right -
He hurried back into the hall where he
had left Grant, who crouched moaning
in the dark.
You stay here minute, Grant. They
won't get you again" he called as he ran
down the steps. One of the horses be-
low was snorting with fright and making
great clatter with its hoofs. From the
sound Saxton knew that the fleeing man
was trying to mount, and as he plunged
down the last half Of the stairway the
horse broke through the door with the
man on his back.
Let him go, Wary" yelled Saxton
with all his lungs.
The horse was already across the
theshold at a leap, his rider bending low
over the animals neck to avoid the top
of the door Raridan ran forward, TAX
ing his bearing by sounds.