Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-09-29
CHAPTER X.-(continued.)

''The action has only really begun,
he assured her, still retaining his hold
upon her hand. This was merely a
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"
"Oh. what would have done If you
lad not been here?"
Let US not think about that; we
were here, and now have a busy night
before us if 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
MacIaire."
Please do not call me that"
But you said it didn't make any
difference what | called you"
L thought it didn't then, but it does
now"
.Oh, see; we are already on new
footing. Yet | must call you some
thing"
She hesitated just long enough for
him to notice 1t. Either she had no
substitute ready at hand, or else doubt
ed the advisability of confding her
real name under present circumstances
to 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 it. He will rest
all the easier in that position until his
gang arrives
He thrust his head out of the door,
Deerfng cautiously forth into the night,
and listening. A single horse, prob
ably the one Hawley had been riding,
was tied to a dwarfed cottonwood near
the corner of the cabin. Nothing else
diving was visible.
Il am going to round up our horses,
and learn the condition Of Hawley's
outfit" he announced In low voice
4 may be gone for fifteen or twenty
minutes. and, meanwhile, Miss Hope,
get ready for a long ride. Neb, stand
here close beside the door. and Ii any
one tries to come In brain him with
your gun-stock. I'll rap three times
when | ,-sturn."
He slipped out into the silent night.
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 well OF her. to-
gether with the providential opportu-
nifty for escape. had left him full of
confidence. The gambler had played
biindly into their hands, and Keith
was quick enough to accept the ad-
vantage. 1t was risk to himself, to
De sure. thus turning again to the
northward. yet the clear duty he owed
the girl left such choice almost Inn
perative. He certainly could not drag
her along with him on his flight into
the wild Comanche country extend
ang beyond the Canadian. She must,
at he very least, be first returned to
the protection of the standardization
along the Arkansas. After that had
been accomplished, he would consider
Gis own safety. He wondered If Hone
really was her aame, and whether it
was Tue family cognomen, ST her given
name. Inat she was Christie MacIaire
he had no question, yet that arSistrc
empeinshment was probably merely
assumed Tor the work of the concert
hall Both he and HawIey cau1d
scarcely be mistaken as to her identi-
~ In this respect, and, indeed. she had
never openly denied the fact Yet che
did not at all seem to be that Kind
and Keith mentally contrasted her
with numerous others whom ha had
somewhat intimately known along tina
border circuit. Il was dthcult to as
socfate her with That class; she must
have come originally from some excel
aent family East. and been driven to
the LIE by necessity; she was more to
oe pitied than blamed. Keith held no
puritanical views Of life-hts own ex-
periencos' had been too rough and
aamocratic for that-JeE ha chung To-
Mactousay to an ideal Of womanhood
which could not be lowered. However
interested he might otAerWf9e feel,
no Christie Macl2ire could evse find
eafrance into the desps of Ah heart
Where dwelt alone the memory Of his
mother.
he found the other horses turned
INTO the corral. and was able. from
mer restless movements, to decide
they numbered eight A fire. nearly
extinguished. gsowed duly at the
farther corner Of the enclosure. and
ne crawfed close e0ough 10 distinguish
no recumheRt forms OF mea aleeping
eeauE It On the srounA AQpansat3y