Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-09-27
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CHAPTER xi.-(contlnusd.)

''The action has only really begun. "
ne assured her. still retaining his hold
upon her hand. This was merely q
preliminary skirmish. and you must
prepare to bear your part In what
follows. We have settled Mr.. Hawley
for the present, and now must deal
with his gang
4 'Oh, what would l have done II you
mad not been here?"
Let us not think about that; we
were here, and now have a busy night
before us II we get away safely. Give
me the rope first. Good! Here, Neb,
you must know how to use this-not
too tight. but without leaving any play
to the arms; take the knife out OF his
belt. Now for the cloth. Miss
Iaclaire.''
please do not call me that"
''But you said 1t didn't make any
difference what called you"
Il thought 1t didn't then. but 1t does
now
.Oh. 1 see; we are already on new
footing. Yet must call you some
1hing.''
She hesitated Just long enough for
aim to notice 1t. Either she had no
substitute ready at hand. or else doubt
cd the advisability OF confiding her
real name under present circumstances
70 one SO nearly stranger.
You may call me Hope"
"A name certainly OF good omen. =
he returned. From this moment
shall forget Christie Maclaire. and re-
member only Miss Hope. All right.
Neb: now turn over chair. and sit
your man up against 1t. He will rest
All the easier In that position until his
&aIg arrives"
He thrust his head out of the door.
peering cautiously forth into the night
and listening. A single horse. prob
ably the one Hawley had been riding.
was tied to q dwarfed cottonwood near
the corner Of the cabin. Nothing else
living was visible.
Il am going to round up our horses.
and learn the condition Of .Hawley's
outfit" he announced in a low voice.
Il may be gone for fifteen or twenty
minutes. and. meanwhile, Miss Hope.
get ready for long ride Neb, stand
here close beside the door. and II any
one tries to come in brain him with
your gun-stock. Ill rap three times
wherf return"
He slipped out into the silent might,
and crept cautiously around the end
OF the dark cabin. The distinct change
in the girls attitude of friendship to.
ward him, her every evident desire
that he should think we'll OF her. to.
gether with the proyidential opportu-
nifty for escape. had left him full OF
confidence The gambler had played
blindly into their hands. and Keith
was quick enough to accept the ad.
vantage. 1t was risk to himself. to
be sure. thus turning again to the
northward, yet the clear duty he owed
the girl left such choice almost i'm.
perative. He certainly could not drag
the wild Comanche country extend
ing beyond the Canadian. She must,
ut the very least. be first returned to
the protection of the standardization
along the Arkansas. After that had
been accomplished. he would consider
his own safety. He wondered II Hope
really was her name. and whether it
was the family cognomen. or her given
name. That she was Christie Maclaire
he had no question, yet that artistic
establishment was probably merely
assumed for the work OF the concert
hall. Both he and Hawley could
scarcely be mistaken as to her identi-
ty in this respect, and. indeed. she had
s.never openly denied the fact. Yet she
s-did not at all seem to be that kind.
and Keith mentally contrasted her
with numerous others whom he had
somewhat intimately known along the
border circuit 1t was difficult to as.
sociate her with that class: she must
have come originally from some excel
lent family East. and been driven to
the life by necessity; she was more to
be pitied than blamed. Keith held no
puritanical views Of life-his own ex-
periences had been too rough and
democratic for that-yet he chung to-
naciously to an Ideal Of womanhood
which could not be lowered. However
interested he might otherwise feel.
no Christie Maclaire could ever find
entrance into the deeps Of his heart.
where dwelt alone the memory Of his
mother.
He found the other horses turned
Into the corral. and was able. from
their restless movements. to decide
they numbered eight. A fire. nearly
AxfinpriShed pIoved dully at the
farther corner Of the enclosure. and
he crawled close enough to distinguish
the recunbent forms OF men sleeping
about IT on the ground. Apparently