Williams news., 1916-09-14
Copyright. 1916. by Frank A Mul
 CHAPTER VIII.
The Jewel.

There had been little rest for any of the inmates of the Upton house dur ing the night Though they knew right well that the Villistas regarded a night attack with all the dislike of an Apache, so that little was to be feared from that source, no one could sleep. To begin with, old Upton and John Wilkes sat deep in consultation over their rifie-butts in corner and would not be disturbed. The other men sat silent except for an occasional nut tered remark. Mrs. Fane was openly fearful; Dorothy alone was collected and reserved. unbending and unswerv- ing in her ciean-cut resolution that something must be done.
 That's all right, daughter, to say Something must be done.' The ques- tion is: What? Aye, that's the ques tion! Isn't It, Wilkes?"
 Wilkes nodded solemnly over a quid of plug tobacco that he was just ab sorDing.
 At eleven o'clock the first note came. When the man came up the slope car. rying lantern on the end of stick MT. Upton was about to go forward to talk with him when he was stopped by the cautious old ex-deputy sheriff.
 NO, you don't, sir. They'll git you put there. an when the man carryin' the lantern has got you in the circle of light somebody back in the shadder Il shoot you down. Then when a com plaint is made they'll say it was done by accident, but that won't help you none. You'll be deader. Tell him to come up to the doorway so he'll be in the light an not you"
 MT. Upton did so. The man came forward unhesitatingly and delivered his message.
 Ask him who he is," prompted the old man.
 The soldier came forward, explain ing haltingly in Spanish that he was the bearer of a note. MT. Wilkes bent forward excitedly.
 Give 'em dose of their own medi- cine!" he said bitingly. "Ey'ry miD ute that you can delay their proceedin's is so much gain. Ask him what he come fer, but don't take his note seer"
 Mir Upton did not "see," but he did as he was bid. Presently the man with some difficulty explained that he had come as bearer of note to open nego- tiations the nature of which he did not understand. He held out the note MT. Upton was about to take it when a word dropped by Dorothy made Wilkes jump as if a line of biting white ants had crawled up his leg.
 Wouldn't it. be fine,' said the girl, eff we could only make couple of their officers prisoners and then ex- change them for MT. Kynaston!"
 Wilkes patted her shoulder.
 And they tell me that woman ain't fit to vote," he said scathingly. Don't take his note, Upton! Not onEno con- sideration. What excuse Oh, don't know, Upton. Yes, do, too.
 '"Tel1 'em that you are a caballero ot blood and that it stands not with yer honor to receive messages at the hand of a common soldier. He must have come on an important message. Tell him that you will not receive the note except at the hand of aR officer seer"
 Yes, see And then what?"
 Why, then he'll go on down the hill. They'll let him come because they've just passed him out through their lines An when he goes down I'll follow him with Manuel here, an when we reach the line of rottonwoods we can hide in 'em till daylight. When they send am officer up to see you at daylight we can grab 'em as they come back.
 "Of course they'll holler about betn' under Q white flag, but they won't be no such thing, cause they'll drop their white flag as soon as they are out of range cU1nin' back-ses?"
 Taken aback at the refusal to re- ceive the note, the soidado stumbled off down tine hill, his lantern bobbinG along among the mesquit- it-brush like a lightning bug in summer. No sooner had his shadow melted away in the dusk than MT. Wilkes and Manuel, the Mexican aorse-wrangler," left the house. They followed the soldier stealthily down the slope to the line of cottonwoods, which stood out, a low. lying blot, against the dusk of the val ley.
 Wen wait here, Manuel" said the old ex-deputy sheriff tersely. We'll wait here till the next outfit sees fit to ask Upton to pow WOW: it ought tc be just about daylight Wake me TIT when the light first shows"
 The hours of the night passed with leaden feet. The eyes of the watchers were strained with looking for the dawn to break over the eastern ranges After putting his papers in order all night long, Upton found relief-or al least surcease from worry-by work ing over his machine, tinkering here and there till he had built up a species of iron-clad automobile that would have sickened the soul of the maker.
 He was called from his work by the