The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-08-11

OPtoU 10 WllllUB W HlNI AP AH0 NV'-
sraId jewel for kynaston's return, but
hssltates TO risk his life by going 10
Ane Mexican camp. At this point Dor
pthy takes a hand In the negotiations.
Dorothy rose, pale-faced her eyes
Alight with blue fire, like two tur'
luoises name.backed.
Indeed, shall take no further risl;
m this matter You will go, father;
you do owe II 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 a long
tnot, Miss Dorothy? Why, it'd be sheer
lnurder-no less! Have you both lost
Four minds?"
The girls lips we're well-nigh color
iess; but Wilkes. who knew men, knew
when he saw the tense lines in her
ACE that she had passed the dividing
line between common sense and i'm.
pulse.
But how?" he asked. How can
you take the bell
so that no one can detect It? Have
40 fear-wait."
She disappeared with the Bell into
Ger own room. A moment later she
returned her face flushed with excite.
ment, her eyes luminous, standing a
veritable picture, in the golden square
Of sunlight that lay upon the floor.
"Come!" she said imperiously 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
mis- gray head
"Ain't you got no sense, Upton?
Don't you know that what you plan is
plumb madness? I've got great mind
to pull a gun on you an not let you
go one step"
For answer Dorothy shook her head.
She would not betray her father be-
fore them all. What she knew must
forever remain hid
No" she said again quickly; "he
went for us and we owe it to him.
Whatever shall be said of US, no man
shall say that we Uptons do not pay
our debts have the Bell where none
can ever find it. 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
besiegers they were greeted with a
yell from the outpost. Twenty men
surged forward to seize them, but were
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 Sanor Upton himself who desires
speech with ell general. Is it not 80 mi
amigo?"
Upton nodded carelessly.
About the couk-hres one or two
women moved lazily. The whole
camp was asleer in the sunlight as
Upton and Dorothy entered the house,
For a second the two stood at gaze,
the glare of the sun still binding
them. But when their eyes had become
accustomed to the cool, darkened in
terror Dorothy gasped and Upton
swore softly There before them, his
arms tied at the elbows behind his
back, stood Kynaston under charge Of
a guard of four men Behind a table
sat the blind priest, smiling quietly,
and the squat-hgured bull-necked gen.
eral. who was in furious rage.
And you dare to tell me that you
DO not know where it is, when the
padre here says that he is sure you
know it's whereabouts"
Just then Upton stepped forward.
81 have the Bell" he said quietly.
IF you let Kynaston go, as you prom
Use, you get it; otherwise not"
"Ha-ha!" The general uttered
nasty laugh, "Ill hold you till get
it, anyway" He waved his hand care.
lessly in the direction of the young
American.
Take him out and shoot him." he
ordered in an offhand way.
You bloody villain You worse
than dog-you wretched, yellow cur! |
You horse thief. robber, villain. ban
dit, murderer! You conscienceless,
perjured blackmailer! You dirty,
double-crossing cheat! Snide! Crook
CRATER! Tin-horn!"
Upton was blazing, raving mad
angry. Despite the blood he had lost
from the gunshot wound, his face was
fiery red. The veins stood out, knot
ted, on his head; his hands were gro
ping furiously about his empty hol-
ster.
"Is your word nOthing?" he raved.
Here you promised to free Kynaston
81 gave you the Emerald Bell; | come
down to arrange the details; you seize
me and execute him, anyway. Have
you no sense of honor-not even a
mestizo's?'
Stunned by the very audacity of the
man, who defied him even when know
ing full well what tortures lay in store
for the presumptuous, General Obispo
stared open-mouthed at Upton, listen
Ing without Offering a word In answer.
But when the miner told him he was
D double-dealer and-what was worse
-prnved n he came TO life