Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-12-20
Stingaree lay blinking at the sky. do

Stingaree lay blinking at the sky. do
you still refuse TO do your duty:'
"Cruelty to animals is no duty of
mine" declared the sergeant. ''let alone
my fellow men. buslrangers or no
buShrangcrs
And you:" Numbered Cairns at the
mounted constable
I'm with the sergeant said he.
Tiles had cnongh.'
''Right.' cried The superintendent.
producing Il notebook and scribbling
yenomously. You both refuse. You
will hear more of this. Meanwhile,
sergeant, | should like to know what
Your superior wisdom may be pleased
to suggest"
send cart back for him." said
Cameron, Its the only way he's fit
to travel"
Stngaree sought to prop himself
upon the elbow of the splintered wrist
and hand.
There are no more bones broken
that | know Of" said he family. But
I felt bad before, and now feel
worse"
He looks it, too" observed the ser
Geant, as Stingaree, CHASTITY enough
beneath his blood and dust, rolled
over on his back once more and lay
effectively with closed eyes. Even
the superintendent was impressed.
"Then what's to be done with hm?''
hA 1n;
to be dOne?"
IF you ask me-" returned Cameron.
Il should make him comfortable where
he is. After ALL he's q human being
and done no murder that we should
run the risk of numbering him. Leave
him to me while you two push on with
his mate, Then one of You can get
back with the spring cart before sun
down. But trust me to look after him
till you do
Stingaree held his breath where he
lay. His excitement was not to be be-
trayed by the opening of an eye And
yet he knew that the superintendent
was looking the sergeant up and down.
and he guessed what was passing
through that suspicious mind
Trust YOU rasped the dictatoria
voice at last. ''Thats the very thing I'm
not inclined to do, Sergeant Cameron
"Sir!'
Keep your temper, sergeant. don't
say you'd let him go. But I've got to
remember that this man has twisted
you round his finger before today, led
you by the hand like blessed old
child and passed himself off for me-
Look at the fellow-look at ME and ask
yourself canddIy if you're the man
for the job. But don't ask me unless
You want my opinion of you a bit
palmer still. No, you go on with the
others. The two Of you can manage
HOWE. If YOU can't you put q bullet
through him This is my man. and
I'm his, by the hockey. as he'll know if
he tries any of his tricks while you're
gone"
StinGaree did not move muscle. He
might have been dead. and in his dis
appointment it was the easier to lie as
though he were. Really bruised, really
battered, really faint and stiff and sore,
TO say nothing of his bonds. be felt
himself physically no match for so
young man. with the extra breadth
of shoulder and the extra length of
arm which were part and parcel of his
defOrmity. With the elderly sergeant
he might have had a chance, man to
man, one arm to two, but with Super
intendent Cairns his only weapons were
his wits. He lay quite still and re-
viewed the situation. as it was and rs
it had been. In the Very moment Of
his downfall by instructive presence of
mind he had preserved the use of his
right hand, and that was still unSus-
pected asset Of incalculable worth. 1t
had been the nucleus of all his plans:
without a hand he must have resigned
himself to the inevitable from the first.
Then he had split up the party. He
heard the sergeant and the constable
ride off with HOWE, exactly as he had
intended two of the three captors to
do. His fall alone introduced the ele-
ment of luck. 1t might have killed or
MANNED him, but the risk had been run
with open eyes. Being alive and whole,
he had reduced the odds from three
against two to man and man, and the
difference was enormous, even though
one man held all the cards. Against
HOWE the odds We're heavier than ever,