The Washington herald., 1911-08-20
CHAPTER XVIII.
On Parole,

In this strange house party a truce
was tacitly agreed. It seemed sufficient
that the future for the time should take
care of itself. Dunwody's injury left
Clayton practically leader of the Mis-
sourians. His party gravitated toward
him. while opposite sat the two prisoners.
Carlisle and Kammerer, composed and
silent, now and then exchanging a glance
with each other, but making no spoken
comment.
Dunwody. in his own room, was looking
into the seriousness of his injury, with
the old trapper. Eleazar. once more sum-
moned as readiest physician Eleazar
shook his head when he had stripped off
the first bloody bandages from the limb
She'll been broke" was his dictum.
She'll been bad broke. We mus have
docteur soon" For half an hour the old
man did the best he could, cleansing and
rebandaging.
I'VE mus have docteur,'' complained
he, mindful of Jameson, far away, busy
with cases as bad as this.
For half an hour or so Josephine re-
manned in her own room above, having
done all she could to establish some sort
of order. All at once to her strained
senses there seemed to flash some appre-
hension of a coming danger. She. rose,
tiptoed to her door, looked down. A
moment later she turned and caught up
an old pistol which hung on the wall near
the door in the narrow hallway. Silently
and swiftly she stepped forward to the
head of the stair.
What she saw now was this: Carlisle
and, Kammerer, themselves now armed
with weapons carelessly left in the lower
hall, had passed unnoticed from the din
ing-room, and now were tiptoeing down
the hall toward the door Of Dunwody's
apartment. Clayton and his men, dulied
with loss of sleep, had allowed them to
leave the main room, and these two, SOL
diers by training, had resolved to turn
the tables and take possession of the
place. Their plans were at the point of
success. They had almost reached the
door Of Dunwody's room, weapons in
hand, when from above they heard a
sharp command.
Halt, there" a woman cried to them.
They turned and looked up. arrested by
the unmistakable quality of the tone.
They saw her leaning against the balus-
ter of the stair, one arm bound tightly
to her side, the other resting a revolver
barrel along the baluster and glancing
down it with a fearless eye She took
step or two lower down the stair, slId-
ing the weapon with her. What are
you doing there?" she demanded.
A half-humorous twist came to the
mouth of Carlisle He answered quietly.
as he raised hand for silence:
Just about what you might expect us
TO do. We're trying to take care of our
selves. But how about yourself?
thought you were with US. madam. had
heard that you"
Come" she answered lowering the
weapon and stepping swiftly down the
stairs. Come outside. where we can
talk"
The three now passed out the open
front door TO the wide gallery, which
lay In the dim twilight untenanted. Kam-
merer kept his eyes still on the muzzle of
the revolver Carlisle laughed. THAT'S
right, Kammerer,' said he. BE care
full when woman gets the drop on you.
She'll shoot quicker than man. because
she doesn't know any better / don't
doubt you had reason for stopping us.
madam said he; ''but whats That puz.
zies me-"
How came you here?'. she demanded.
you left me. I don't know anything
about what's going on. I'm all at sea c
$50 are we all. madam. But ril tell
you ail I know, ! left you for severai
reasons. ] knew my main errand with
YOU was done. Ny post Is out beyond.
,,t, the Missouri. was on my way there
when got orders TO take you with me.
AZ You know. ! concluded TO drop on
ma send 9 telesraphic report 70 Wash-'