The Delta independent., 1914-11-06

Qeeu, 10 WOTh dlOue 10 Lne desired con-
summation; for Trine had secret rea-
son to fear lest Marrophat might,
given opportunity, connive at Alan's
escape in order that he might marry
Rose and SO throw Judith back into
his, Marrophat's, arms.
Poor. deluded fool!
Such was the private comment of
Marrophat's master.
For all that, 1t was the man and not
his daughter, whom Trine designated
to lead the expedition, cunningly
counting on Judith's chagrin to work
upon her passions and excite her to
one last. mad. blind attempt that
should prove successful.
Smiling his secret smile, Trine an
nounced his decision at the last mo-
ment, while Hopi Jim waited with his
horses and an assistant-one Texas
for whose utter innocence of scruples
Mr.. Slade unhesitatingly vouched.
Sullenly submissive, at least in out
ward seeming, Judith bowed to this de-
cision, marched out of the car, and
suffered Marrophat to help her mount
her horse.
Now, deliberately. as the little caval-
cade rode through the moonlit desert
night, the girl maneuvered her horse
10 the side of Hopi Jim, and then
| dropped back. permitting Marrophat
to lead the way with Texas
As deliberately she set herself to
work upon the bandits susceptibility
to her charms.
Within an hour she had him ready
I.
In that first rush of golden day a.
thwart the land. the party came quietly
into the town of Mesa, riding slowly in
order that the noise of their approach
might not warn the fugitives, who
Hopi asserted confidently would still
be sound asleep in the accommoda-
tione offered by the towns one hotel.
1t was to be termed a town only in
courtesy, this Mesa: struggling
street of shacks, ramshackle relics of
what had once been a promising COM
munity, the halfway station between
the railroad and the mining camps
secreted in the Businesses of the Paint
ed hills-camps now abandoned, their
very names almost faded out of the
memory of mankind.
Midway in this string of edifices the
hotel stood-a rough, unpainted, wood
| en- edifice, mainly veranda and bar
room as to its lower floor.
jealousy Judith watched the win
dows of the second floor: and she
alone of the four detected the face that
showed for one brief instant well back
| in the shadows beyond one of the bed
room windows-a face that glimmered
momentarily with the pallor OF a
ghosts against the background OF that
obscurity, and then was gone.
Her eyes alone. indeed, could have
recognized the features Of Alan Law
in that fugitive glimpse.
Two sentences exchanged between
| Hopi Jim and blear-eyed fellow
/, whom he reused from sodden slumbers
behind the bar sealed their confidence
with conviction: the three fugitives
were in fact guests of the house. oc-
cupying two of the three rooms that
composed it's upper story.
In the rush that followed up the
narrow stairway, Judith led with such
spirit that not even Marrophat sus-
pected her revolver was poised solely
with intent to shoot from his hand his
| own revolver the instant he leveled
1t at a human target.
Closed and locked doors confronted
them; and their summons educed no
response; while the first door. when
broken in by whole-souled kick. dis
| covered nothing more satisfactory
than an empty room, its bed bearing
the imprint of a woman's body. but
| that woman gone
From the one window, looking down
the side of the house. Texas announced
that the woman had not escaped by
| jumping out.
So it seemed that the three must
have had warning of their arrival.
after all; and presumably were now
herded together in the adjoining room.
which looked out over the veranda
roof, waiting In fear and trembling
for the assault that must soon come
and In fact Immediately did.
But 1t met with more stubborn re-
eistance than had been anticipated
The door had been barricaded from
within = REINFORCED by furniture
placed against 1t. Four minutes and
the united efforts OF four men Qnclud-
ing the bleary loafer OF the barroom)
were required to overcome its inert re-
.sistance. But even when 1t was down.
the room was found to be as empty as
the first.
Only the fingers Of two hands grip
ping the edge of tho veranda roof
| showed the way the fugitives had
flown; and these vanished instantly as
the room was invaded.
Followed swift rush Of hoofs down
the dusty street, and chorus of BIAS
.phemy in the hotel hallway: for Ju-
.dith had headed the concerted rush