The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-02-22
Rising to His Knees, he Saw Man
Already Half Across the Stream.

Rising to His Knees, he Saw a Man
Already Half Across the Stream.
to reply just about as straight as you
know how. I am in no mood tonight
for any foolishness. Where is Black
Bart Hawley?"
"How in hell should 1 know?"
"You do know, just the same. Per.
you know near enough where he is,
and where he has been since you left
Sheridan"
IF do, I'm damned If I'll tell you. "
"No? Well now, Hatchett, listen to
me-" and Keith's voice had in it the
click of steel trap. You'll either
answer, and answer straight, or we'll
hang you to that cottonwood in about
five minutes. If you want chance
for your miserable life you answer
me. We have our way of treating your
kind out in this country. Sit up, you
brute! Now where did Hawley go aft
er he left you?"
"To Fort Larned."
after those fresh horses?"
EYES,"
"He didn't bring them to you; l
know that. Where has he been SINGER
"Topeky and Leavenworth,"
How do you know?"
"He writ me note the boss herder
brought"
Hand it over"
Keith took the dirty slip of paper
the man reluctantly extracted from
his belt, and Fairbain lit matches
while he ran his eyes hastily over the
lines. AS he ended he crushed the
paper between his fingers. and walked
away to the end of the corral. He
wanted to be alone, to think, to decide
definitely upon what he ought to do.
Hawley, according to the schedule
just read, must have left Larned alone
early the day before; this night he
would be camped at the water-hole;
with daybreak he expected to resume
his lonely journey across the desert
to the Salt Fork. For years Keith had
lived primitive life, and in some
ways his thought had grown primi
tive His code of honor was that OF
the border, tinged by that of the South
before the war; The antagonism exist
ing between him and this gambler was
personal, private, deadly-not an at
fair for any others-outsidersJto med
die with. He could wait here, and
To IN hn pooAn Nonfivo
could watch him ride unexpectedly
into the power of these armed men
and then turn him over to the law to b
dealt with. The very thought nause
ated him. That would be . towards
act, leaving q stain never to be eradi
Gated. No, he must meet this al
became q man. and now. now before
Hope SO much as dreamed Of his pur
pose-aye, and before he spoke an
| other word of love to Hope. He
wheeled about fully decided on his
course, his duty. and met Fairbair
| face to face.
Jack" the latter said earnestly
II read the note over your shoulder
and of course l know what you NEAR
| to do. A Southern gentleman could
not choose otherwise. But I've come
here to beg you to let me have the
| chance"
| "You?" surprised and curious
What greater claim on that fellows
life have you than II"
The pudgy hands of the doctor
grasped the plainsman's shoulders.
sTt,s for Christie" he explained
brokenly. "She was the one he tried
to run away with. You-you know
how I feel"
"sure, know" shaking the Other
of. yet not roughly. "But 1t happen
| ed to be Miss Waite he took, and &c
this is my Job. Fairbain. Besides, I'vs
~ot another score to settle with him.
He wasted little time upon prepare
tions-a few brief words of instruc
ton to Bristoe; a request to the doc
tor not to leave Hope alone; the ex
tracing Of promise from the two
,.Bar x" men to return to Larnet
with the prisoners. Then he ropet
the best horse in the corral, saddlet
and br1dled him, and went into thu
cabin. She had light burning, and
met him at the door,
II thought you would never come
but they told me you were unhurt"
Not = scratch. little GIRL; VIC. hay'