The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1916-07-27

che Mexican camp. At this point Dor
othy takes a hand in the negotiations.
Dorothy rose, pale-faced, her eyes
nlight with blue fire. like two tur-
quoises amc-backed.
Indeed, shall take no further risk
in this matter. You will go, father;
you do owe it to him. shall go with
you, and we shall take the Bell"
Wilkes stared at her, uncertain
whether he had heard Alright
"You-you-you go? Not by long
shot, Miss Dorothy? Why, it'd be sheer
murder-no less! Have you both lost
your minds?'
The girls lips were well.nigh color
less; but Wilkes, who knew men, knew
when he saw the tease lines in her
face that she had passed the dividing
line between common sense and i'm
pulse.
"But how?" he aaxed. "How can
you take the Bell--"
$50 that no c1e can detect It? Have
no fear-Hait"
She disappeared with tho Bell into
her own room. A moment later she
returned, her face flushed with excite.
ment. her eyes luminous, standing,
veritable picture, in the golden square
Of sunlight that lay upon the floor.
"Come!" she said imperiolsly to
her father. Come! We have no time
to lose. You will keep these two men
In safety till we return"
Wilkes gave up, muttering his dis.
content as he turned away, shaking
his gray head
Amt you got no sense, Upton?
Don't you know that what you plan is
plumb madness? I've got great mind
to pull q gun on you an not let you
go one step"
For answer Dorothy shook her head.
She would not betray her father be-
Sore them all. What she knew must
Forever remain hid
mo-" she said again quickly: "he
went for us and we owe 1t to him.
Whatever shall be said Of US. no man
shall say that we Uptons do not pay
our debts. / have tho Bell where mono
can over find II. Come, father"
Like man in dream, Upton fol.
lowed her out the door. The rest OF
the party morosely eyed the two as
they walked down the hill, the girl
golden-haired, trim-habited; the stur
dy' square-shouldered figure Of the
miner plodding heavily at her side
Silently they passed down the slope;
still speechless they crossed the ariojo |
beyond the alamos-the cottonwoods |
-where Wilkes and Manuel had made |
their capture that morning.
AS they approached the lines Of the
oesiegers they were greeted with a
yell from the outpost. Twenty men
surged forward to seize them, but wero
swept back by an officer, who sprang
Forward, machete in one hand. his
low.swung sombrero in the other.
Back, perros!" they heard him cry.
1T is Senor Upton himself who desires
speech with el general. Is it not so mi
amigo?"
Upton nodded carelessly.
About tho cook-fires one or two
women moved lazily. The whole
camp was asleep in the sunlight as
Upton and Dorothy entered the house.
For second tho two stood at gaze,
inc glare of the sun still binding
them. But when their eyes had become
accustomed to the COOL darkened in
terror Dorothy gasped and Upton
s"ore softly. There before them, his
arms tied at the elbows behind his
oacK' stood Kynaston under charge OF
Q guard Of four men. Behind a table
ga. the oiind priest, smiling quietly,
ana the squat.tigured, bull.necked gen.
eral, who was in furious rage.
And you dare to tell me that Won
40 not know whore it Is, when the
padre here says that ho is sure you
know It's whereabouts"
Just then Upton stepped forward
Il have the Bell" he said quietly
III you let Kynaston go, rs you prom.
SO, you get It; otherwise not"
"Ha-ha!" The general uttered q
TASTY laugh. "I'll hold you TIL I got
t, anyway" He waved his hand care.
essly in the direction Of the young
american.
rake him out and shoot him." he
rdered in an offhand way.
"You bloody villain! You worse
han dog-you wretched, yellow cur,
:ou horse thief, robber, villain, ban.
IT. murderer! You conscienceless,
erjured blackmailer! You dirty.
cheat! Snide! Crook! |
'rafter! Tin.horn!"
Upton was blazing, ravlng mad.
ngry. Despite the blood he had lost
rom tho gunshot wound, his face was
cry red The veins stood out, knot.
ed, on his head; his hands we're gro,
ing fariously about his empty hoi-{
ter. 81 8, Il ,.a5s
"lg your word nothing7a no raved.
Here you ySrordfaed "a frae rr s5s,a M