The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-05-09

years, but he'll hang as sure as stand
here
! Burrell kneV he must gain time for
thought. One false step might ruin
all. He could not face this un the
spur of the moment; SO. Struggling his
! shoulders with an air of polite ssep-
| ticism, he assumed tone of good IA
tured raillery
Fifteen years? Murder? John Gale
a murderer? Why. that's almost
pardon me if | smile-I'm getting
sleepy. What proof have your"
Proofs blazed the gambler Proof.
Ask Gaylord! Proof! Why, the wo-
man he murdered was my wife,
1t was Burrell's turn now to fall In
coherent, and not only did his speech
forsake him, but his thoughts went
madly veering off into wilderness
where there was no trail. no light. no
hope. What frightful bones were
these he barred? This man was Ben
nett! This was Necia's father. He
raised pair of eyes that had become
furious and bloodshot and suddenly
realized that the man before him. who
persisted in saddling upon, Gale this
heinous crime, was the slayer OF Ne
cia's mother, for he did not doub.
/ Gales story for an instant He found
bis fingers writing to feel the crea-
lures throat.
"Proof!' Stark was growing. How
much proof do you need? I've fol-
lowed him for fifteen years. I've
tracked him with men and dogs
through woods and deserts and mining
camps. I've slept on his trail for
5000 miles. and now do you think I'm
mistaken? He killed my wife, ssy.
and robbed me of my little girl! That's
her in his house. That's her he calls
Necia. She's my girl-my girl, do You
understand land I'll have his life"
Burrcll had no inkling yet of the
fathers well shaped plans nor how
farreaching they were and could bare
~ stammer:
$50! YOu-yOu knOw?"
Eyes. She wears the evidence
around her neck, and if that isn't
enough l can furnish more-evidenee
enough to smother you. My name
isn't Stark at all. 1 changed it years
ago for certain reasons. I've changed
it more than once, but that's my priv
ilege and my own affair. Her name Is
Merridy Bennett
Il don't suppose you know I'm 60
ing to marry herr" said the Kentuck-
ian irrelevantly.
l H..
aware OF the fact
"Well, L am. I'll be your son-iD-
law
There's n lot of things, Burreli, for
you and me to settle up first. For one
thing, | want those mines OF hers.
I'm her father, and she's not of age.
I'll take them anyway as her next Of
kim"
Burrell did not follow up this state
ment, for its truth was incontrOvertl
BILE, so he continued:
We'll adjust that after Gale is at
tended to. But meanwhile what do
you want me to do?
81 want you to arrest the man viso
killed my wife. If you don't take iaim
tie HllucES VIII. Il We SOt IL aOi4OsnA1S
in this camp, and I'll raise crowd I'm
fifteen minutes-enough to hang this
squaw man or batter down your bar
racks to get him. But l don't want TO
do that. | want to go by the law
you've talked so much about. 1 want
you to do the trick"
At last Burrell saw the gamblers
! To 70 r111 &afs <x.>
too well to think shat he feared .
meeting with Gale. Stark had plan
ned his settlement coldly and with de-
liberate malice. Moreover, he was
istrOng enough to stand aside and jet
another take his place and thus deny
to Gale the final recourse of a hunted
beast, the desperate satisfaction that
the trader craved. He tied bis enc
my's hands and delivered him up with
his thirst unsatis1ied-t0 whom? He
thrust 4 weapon into the hand Of His
other enemy and babe this other enc
my use it-wOrSe than that, forced
him to strike the man he bOnOreJ,
the man he loved. Burrell never
doubted that Stark had carefully
weighed the effect of this upon Necia
and had reasoned that q girl like her
could not understand q soldiers duty
if it meant the blood Of parent. IL
he refused to act the gambler could
break him, while every effort he made
to protect Gale would but increase the
others satisfaction. There was DO
chance of the traders escape: Stark
held him in his hand. Was It impcg'
sible, the lieutenant wondered, to
move this man from his purpose:
"Have you thought of Necia? She
loves Gale. What effect viii this have
on her?'
| On her! She's more his brat than
mine l want John Gaylord-
At this vicious frenzy overlook
Burrell, and he thought IF the man be-
hind yonder door, whom he had for
gotten Well, why not? These two
men had stalked each other clear info
4 xInsxx r.