The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-03-20
Stingaree
ny Z. W. HORNUNG.
Copyright by Charles Scribner's Sons.
A DUEL IN the DEsERT.

were led away In unromantic
bonds Their arms were bound
to their bodies, their feet dashed to the
stirrup irons. They sat like packs upon
quiet station horses carefully chosen
for the nonce. They were tethered to
a mounted policeman apiece, each with
leading rein buckled to his left wrist
and government revolver I'm his right
hand. Behind the quartet rode tue Off
Ger I'm command, superbly mounted,
watching ever all four with third re.
volver ready cooked. It seemed n
small and yet an ample escort for the
two bound men.
But Stingaree was by no means In
that state Of NapoleOnic despair which
his bent back and lowering counte.
nance were intended to convey. He
had not uttered word since the ar.
: rival Of the police, whom he had SUI.
fered to lift him on horseback, as he
now sat. without raising his morOse
eyes once. HOWE, on the other hand,
had offered a good deal of futile Opposi
tion, cursing his captors as the At
moved him and once struggling 80 in
sanely In his bonds as to earn tap
from the wrong end Of a revolver and
bloody face for his pains Stingaree
glowered I'm deep delight. His mates
part was as well acted as his own, but
1t was he who had conceived them
both and expounded them in countless
camps against some such extremity as
this The result was in ideal accord
ance with his calculations. The man
who gave the trouble was the man to
watch. And stingaree, chin on chest
was left In peace to evolve a way Of
escape.
The chances were all adverse; he had
never been less sanguine in his life.
Not that Stingaree had much opinion
of the police--he had slipped through
their hands too often--but It was al
unfortunate circumstance that two Of
the present trio were among those
whom he had eluded most recently
and who therefore would he least like
~ to give him another chance. 4
lightning student OF his kind, he based
his only hope upon an accurate esti-
mate of these men and applied his
/ WuOit u Tue lAlplS iuShH fbA "
was q single task almost from the first.
for the policeman In charge OF him was
none other than his credulous old
friend, Sergeant Cameron from Clear
Corner. and Howie's custodian a
young trooper run from the same mold
as Constable Tyler and many hun
dred more, In whom thick skull can
celed stout heart. Both were brave
men; neither was really TO be feared
But the man behind upon the thor
oughbred, the man In front, the man
now on this side and now on that, with
his braying laugh and his vindictive
voice triumphant as though he had
taken the bushrangers himself and a
blatant bully in his triumph-was none
other than the formidable superintend-
ent whose undying anlmoslty the bush
rangers had earned by the two esca.
pades associated with his name.
Yet the outlaw never flattered him
with word or look, never lifted chin
from chest, never raised an eye or
opened his mouth until Howie's knock
on the head caused him to curse his
mate for a fool who deserved all he
got. The thoroughbred was caracoling
on his other side In an Instant
"You amt one, are yOu?" cried the
haunting tongue OF Superintendent
Cairns. mot much fool about Shnga.
reer
The time had come for a reply.
80 thought until yesterday"
sighed the bushranger. But now I'm
not so sure"
"NOt so sure, ell You were sure
enough the last time we met, my
beHutyr'
Yes. | had some conceit OF myself
then" said Stingaree, with another Of
bis convincing signs.
"TO say nothing OF when you guyed
me, blast your added the superintend-
ent below his breath and through his
teeth.
We'll" replied the outlaw. you've
got your revenge. must expect you to
rub it in"
"My fine friend" rejoined Cairns,
} you may expect worse than that, and
stlll you won't be disappointed"
By degrees Shngaree raised his chin
little. but still looked neither right
nor left
Cheer upr' cried the chief. with
soothing irony.
81 feel the heat" said the bound man
uncomplainingly. "And 1t was Just
about here IL happened"
what happenedT"
I'VE overlook the church militant
here upon earth" reJoined the bush
ranger. with rleful irreverenee.
well, you ran against a snag that
line. Mr.. Sanguinary Stingaree"
~ couldn't resist turning HOWE Into
the bishop and making myself his
mOuthpiece. daren't let him open his
lips! It wasn't the otfertory that WAS
worth having; It was the fun OF round
ing up that congregation ON the home
stead veranda and never letting them
spot a thing TIL we showed our guns
There hadn't been a hitch, and there
never would have been n that old bish'
Op hadn't run all those miles barefoot
over hot sand and taken us unAwares."
Made with a wry humor and philo'
sophie candOr, alike germane TO his
predieament these remarks seemed
natural enough 70 one knowing little
OF stingares. They seemed Just the
sort OF things that Sttngaree would
say. The eject. however, was rather
10 glOrify Bishop Methuen at the eX
pense OF Supertntendent Cairns, who