Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-04-10
CHAPTER I.

;~@& staring mournfuhy lnto
Iesa summer night such as only
~ the far southwestern coun-
kSS~S try knows. And as the four
inclined their bodies, they
Inclined also their ears, after the
ptrained manner OF listeners who
feel anguish at Whist they hear. A
voice. shriD and human, pierced the
night like a needle, then, with
vet Of tortured soul, died away
amid discordapt raspings: the voice
OF a phcnograph. II was their own,
or had been until one overconfident
dag. whea the Flying Heart Ranch
had stsked II as wager IN root
race with the neighboring Cent?.
yede. ard their own man had been too
slow. AS It had bsen their pride, it
remsSned their Disgrace. Dearly had
they loved, and dearly lost it. 1t
zneent something that looked like
honor, and though there we're ten
thousand thousand monographs. In all
the world there was not one that could
take it's place.
The sound ceased, there was an ap'
proving distant murmur Of mems
voices, and then the song began:
Jerusalem, Jerusalem.
Lift up your voice and sing"
Higher and higher the voice mount.
ed until 1t reached again it's first thin,
earsplitting pitch.
Still Bill" Slower stirred uneasily
In the darkness.
''Why'n'ell don't they keep her
wound up?" he complained. Gala
gher's got the soul Of wart-hog. It's
criminal the way he massacres that
hymn"
From a rod farther down the wire
fence Willie answered him. in boys
falsetto:
Il wonder II he does It to spite me?"
He don't know you're here" said
Slower
The other came out OF the gloom,
little stoop-shouldered man with
epectacles.
~ amt noways sure" he piped,
peering up at his lanky foreman
why do you reckon he allus leti
Mrs. Melby peter out on my favorite
record? He done the same thing last
night. 1t looks like an insult"
Its nothing but his ignorance,
Slower replied. "He don't want nc
trouble with you. None of 'em do"
I'D like to know for certain" The
small man seemed torn by doubt. 81
I only knew he done it a-purpose, II
git him. l bet l could do it from
here"
Stover's voice was gruff as he com
manded:
Forget it! Amt it bad enough fol
Us fellers to hang around like this
every night without advertising oul
idiocy by a gun-play?"
They amt got no right to tina
monograph" Willie averred darkly.
"Oh yes, they have; they won II
fair and square,"
Fair and square! Do you mean tc
say Hump Joe run that foot.race or
the square?"
Il never said nothin' like that what
ever. l mean we bet IT, and we lost
It. Listen! There goes Carara's
piece!"
Out past the corral foated the an
nouncement In a mans metallic syi
lables
THE Baggage Coach Ahead as
sung by Helena Mora for the Echo
Photograph, Of New York and Pa.a-a
ris!"
From the dusk to the right Of the
TWO listeners now issued soft Spanish
phrases.
"Madrs De Dtoc! The Baggage Ca
In 'FRONT.' Tadora MorsI God bles
'er!"
During the rendition O. this affect
ing ballad tho two cow-men remaine
A-sped intentionally over the barbed
wire barrier, lost in rapturous enjoy
mont When the last note had die
away. Slower reused himselt r2luc
family.
It's time we wss cufnin' in Fl
called softly. Hoy. Meal"
"si. Senor!"
Come on, you and Cloudy. vamos
Ii'a ten o'clock"
10 turned his back on the Cent
pe6e Ranch that housed the treasure
and In company with Willie, made hi
way to tho ponies. Two other figure
Joined them, one humming In a mus
sal baritone the strains Of the son
fust ended.
Cut that out, Mex! They'll hea
a." 6tuver cautioned.
-Ca1ambaI This ting is brek m
earl" said the Mexican. sadly. %
sesm lfks mo 6enorits Mora is Sin
that song to me. Mebbe she know
I'm set out ERE ON cactus an liste
TO her. All, love that Senorita We
much"
The fittie man with the glasses b.
San 70 swear in his high falsetto. HI
car hna caught the monograph oper
tor In another musical mistake.
THAT horn-toau -. MIE. Melby di
ngain tonight" said he. les sur
comm to hunnacaboo between bill
and me. II somebody don't kill biz
pretty soon. he'll wear out that mi
chine before we git It back"
"Humphi 1t don't look like we
0ver get 1t back" said Slower.
One Of the four sighed audibly, the
vaul.tng into his saddle, went lopin
away without waiting for his compal
iona.
~Cloudy's sore because they didn
play Navajo" said Willie. We'll.
don't blame EN- none for omittin' tn;