Arizona republican., 1915-08-15


 was haranguing them to some evil pur- pose of his own.
 Esther and Quabba ran down the noun tain. arriving breathlessly at the camp just in time to find Luke Lowell leading the gypsies to Hagars to despoil it of Hagar's supposed wealth and divide 1t. For this Luke was to be made chief of the gypsies, king where Hagar had been queen and Esther princess.
 When Esther and Quabba pushed them selves through the circle of gypsies. Luke had brought out the supposed treasure chest from the without protest from the crazed Hagar. It was a brass bound box of which Esther had lately carried the key Esther had seen the box open and had noted it contained only some papers, yellow with age These she had not deemed it her province to examine until Arthur returned
 But now she stepped forward. backed by the active and determined Quabba. and de- fled Lowell to open the box. I have tho keyi" she cried, producing it from her bosom. And youi" and she turned an in dignant glance upon the gypsies. If you have no respect for your queen or for me. and listen to the words of Luke Lowell, I will open the box!"
 She did so. and as she did Luke thrust his knotted hand in among the documents as if searching for coins gems. He brought out a bulky. time stained document. the seals broken. It was superscribed ITO be opened at my death. in case my son, Arthur Stanley IT.. should prove unworthy Of the Stanley name"
 Esther snatched at thc paper but it was open in Luke Lovells hand. and at glance Esther and the sinister gypsy both knew the Stanley secret!
 Quabba struck with his dagger menac- ingly and Luke surrendered the paper to Esther's eager grasp. But he grinned, se- cure in a knowledge that was power and he 10 nicl wealth to him it had been to his long dead chief. the greedy Matt Harding.
 Esther covered her eyes with her hands. clutching the document all the tighter she did so. Arthur was her bother-he was not the heir of Stanley. She tottered and would have fallen.
 hoarse murmur of rage rose from the emotional gypsies. They loved Esther and they loved the crazed Hagar. who now came feebly from the and asked in weak voice, What is it. my children"
 Led by the enraged Quabba, the uowdRn- furiated gypsies stoned Luke Lowell from the camp, and by this act oanished him from the tribe forever.
 On the far western plains the young aor- tune seeker who called himself John Powei. but who had been known in proud FeirfaX as the heir of Stanley, found fortune hard to find. The hard and lonely work of as herder his On the very day that She Stanley secret was revealed to Esther ana Luke Lowell, Arthur. as he is now known, John Powell, tastes new adventure. camp fires smoke behind a great rock on his desert range has lured him near. Four plotting ." long riders" are behind t;lo rock. and he hears them plan the robbery of the Overland Limited. He mounts his horse and rides away. The maraCders rouse up and fire after him. but they deem him to be a passing inquisi i've herder, who has not been near enough overhear them, and they depart upon their way to cOnsum- mate their robbery.
 It Is a congress of tramps, in far away Virginia. that plays part in the next phase of our strange story. Luke Lowell the ban ished gypsy. has fallen in with this con- vention of seasoned ne'er-do-wslls. He arouses their criminal cupidity with his tale of gypsy wealth easy to secure If they let him lead them in raid a Eearty gypsy camp. defended only by dozen tinid gypsy men.
 After the incident of Luke's perfdy Esther resolved never to leave EaEar or the documents again unsuardeG- Esther had not nerved herself to delve fu-tnsr into Hagar's secrets. She waited fer &rthu-'5 return with impatient lorgiGg. 1TafI day she sent Quabba to the moUntaia tor by the great rocking stone to watch Ter Ar thurs coming.
 It was sentinel duty here that Quabba saw the desperate tramps. ragged and brutal horde. fired by Luke Lovalis tat tes or treasure, raid the gypsy camp Quaoba eew through the glasses the outnumbsTeG Syooy men fight valiantly only to be overcome. Through the field glasses he could descry the bulky form of Luke Lowell drag Eather from the van. with HsSar cltn Ging eSso4y to her.
 Quabba resolved upon a desperate thing. Better death to Esther, he thought then she should be in the power of LoFeE e1o n-s brute horde even for hour
 Seizing a heavy pine branch lying near by and applying it as a lever. the half deli rious Quabba pries at the rocking stone. It poses a moment on its pivot, then slowly sways and falls roaring down the mountainside Gathering impetus with every foot of fall. it starts an avalanche of rocks and dirt and stumps. Mghtier, greater, vaster, heavier grows the landslide started by the ponderous rocking stone. now whirl- ing down the mountainsde in great 'nass of dirt and rubble, until it seems the V%y mountain is fallngi
 A roar from the valley below. and then a cloud of dust that rises like fog shroI3- ina the scene. The gypsy camp~is w4o-d out. overwhelmed and annihileted!
 In the far west. the Overland Limited gasps up a steep grade in the desert. Be- side it gaIlops a wild horsenan. He grssps the platform rails of a that 1umbe7s by him. and his horse gallops on, passed and distanced by the train. while the daring rider clings and pants in his perilous place The door of the vestibule opens and the trainmen refuse to heed the warning of the spent hystericaI man clinging perilously to the handrail
 It is Arthur. and he is desperate that he is doubted, believed to be outlaw train robber such as he warns them of Unheed- ing of his protests. scorning his warning, they thrust him from the platform and he falls insensible by the track and the train pants on.
 Among the passengers to whom 1t Is