Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-05-26

"Then Keep Away from Her!"
riding. as I told you. Kennedy is
working up through the Deep Creek
country, and has three men with him.
l shall ride toward the Cache and meet
him somewhere neal South Mission
pass"
Gordon, would it do any good to
ask a few questions?"
ASK as many as you like, my dear
boy, but don't be disappointed if I
can't answer them. l can look wise,
but 1 don't know anything. You know
what we are up against. This fellow
has grown a tiger among the wolves,
and he has turned the pack loose on
us. One thing l ask you to do. Don't
expose yourself at night. Your life
isn't worth a coupling-pin if you do"
McCloud raised his hand. Take
care of yourself! If you are murdered
in this fight 1 shall know 1 got you in
and that l am to blame"
"And suppose you were?" Smith had
risen from his chair. He had few man
nerisms, and recalling the man the
few times l have eel him, the only
impression he has left on me is that
of quiet and %gentleness. Suppose
you were?" He was resting one arm
on top of McCloud's desk. What OF
1t? You have done for me up here
what 1 couldn't do, George. You have
been kind to Marion when she hadn't
a friend near. You have stood be.
tween him and her when I couldn't
be here to do it, and when she didn't
want me to-helped her when l hadn't
the privilege Of doing it." McCloud
put up his hand in protest, but 1t was
UNDECIDED. "How many times 1t has
been in my heart to kill that man. She
knows It: she prays it may never hap.
pen That is whx she stays here and
has kept me cus Of the mountains.
She says they would talk about her If
I lived in the same town, and l have
stayed away" He threw himself back
into the chair. TITS going beyond
both of us now. I've kept the promise
I made to her to-day to do all in my
power to settle this thing without
bloodshed. 1t will not be settled in
that way, George"
WAS he at Sugar Buttes?"
EFF not, his gang was there. The
quick getaway, the short turn on Van
Horn, killing two men to rattle 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. I know him,
and 1 tell you Bucks will do 1t.
He is like that man in Washington;
he will fight it to the death. He would
fight Sinclair IL he had to come up
here and meet him single-handed, but
he will never have to do 1t. He put
you here, George, to round that man
up. This is the price for your advance
ment, and you must pay it"
"It is all right for me to pay 1t, but
I don't want you to pay it. Will you
have a care for yourself, Gordon?"
Twill you?"
EYES,"
"You need never ask me to be care
full" Smith went on. THAT is my
business. 1 asked you to watch your
window shades at night, and when
came in just now / found n up. 1t is
you who are likely to forget, and in
this kind of a game a nan never for
gets but once. I'll lie down on the
Lincoln lounge, George"
Get into the bed"
mo; 1 like the lounge, and I'm off
early"
In the private room of the superin-
tendent, provided az a sleeping apart
ment in the old headquarters building
many years before hotel facilities
reached Medicine Bend, stood the only
curio the Wickiup possessed-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"
zones enough. l hope" he went on,
rolling himself like a 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 If he fools around Sinclair too
much now"
McCloud, under q light shaded above
his desk, opened q 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 q boy asleep. On the
.ssair beside his head he had placed