Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1910-02-04
oOWHs11 T'4F "a 1870
CHAPTER KXXVIIl.

one WOKE IN dream q hoOu Do4t
Ing at her brain. Distracted verbs
fell from her lips. and VAsa she
o opened her swollen eyes and saw those
about her she could only scream.
Marion had called up the stable, but
the stablemen could only tell her that
Dicksie's horse, In terrible coalition,
had come In riderless. While Barn
hardt. the railway surgeon, At the
bedside administered rsItorAtiVOS,
Marion talked with him Of DiekSieG
sudden and mysterious coming. Dick.
sic, lying in pain and quite conscious,
heard all, but, unable to explain,
moaned In her helplssSneSI. She
heard Marion at length tell TIE doctor
that McCloud was out Of town, and
the news seemed to bring back her
senses. Then, rising IN the bed, while
the surgeon and Marion coaxed her
q to lie down, she clutched at their arms
and, looking from one to the other,
told her story. When II was done
she syOoned, but she woke to hear
voices at the door of the shop. She
heard as If she dreamed. but at the
door the words were dread reality.
Sinclair had made good his word, and
had come out Of the storm with a sum-
mons upon Marion and It was the sur
.geon who threw open the door and
saw Sinclair standing IN the snow.
No man in Medicine Bend knew Sin.
clair more thoroughly or feared him
less than Barnhardt No man could
better meet him q speak to him with
less Of hesitation Sinclair, as he
faced Barnhardt, was not easy in spite
of his logged selfNontrol; and he was
standing, much % his annoyance, in
the glare of an arclight that swung
across the street IN front Of the shop.
He was we'll aware that no such light
had ever swung within block Of the
shop before and In It he saw the hand
of Whispering Smith. The light was
unexpected, Barnhardt was surprise.
and even the falling snow, which pro-
tected him from being seen 20 feet
away, angered him. He asked curtly
who was Ill, and without awaiting an
answer asked for his wife.
The surgeon eyed him coldly. "Sin-
clair, what are you doing in Medicine
e Bend? Have you come to surrender
YOURSELF"
Surrender myself? Yes, I'm ready
any time to surrender myself. Take
me along yourself, Barnhardt, If you
think I've done worse than any man
would that has been bounded as I've
been bounded. want to see my wife,
= Sinclair, you can't see your wife.
Whats the matter-is she sick?"
mo, but you can't see her."
. "Who says l can't see herr"
Il say so"
Sinclair swept the ice furiously
from his beard and his right hand fell
.. to his hip as he stepped back. You've
turned against me too, have you, you
gray-haired wolf? Can't see her! Gel
out Of that door,"
The surgeon pointed his finger al
the murderer. mo, l won't get out Of
this door. Shoot, you coward! Shoot
an unarmed man. You will not live
to get 100 feet away. This place Is
watched for you; you could not have
got within 100 yards of it tonight ex
cept for this snow" Barnhardt pointed
through the storm. Sinclair, you will
hang in the courthouse square, and
will take the last beat Of your pulse
with these fingers, and when l pro
r1unce you dead they will cut you
down. You want to see your wife
You want to kill her. Don't lie; you
want to kill her. You were heard tt
say as much to-nigh; the Dunnins
ranch. You were watched and tracked