The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-25


back In surprise. The next second he
was fairly fawning before the table.
For this jewel" he cried, eel gen.
eral will make any concessions-do
anything! 1t will bring the last large
sum of money our forces will require
! before our arms establish q govern
ment Of true patriots and we are able
to issue loans as recognized nation"
! "Oh, get down to cases!" snorted
old Wilkes.
This, then. We have the men, but
no arms-no money to get arms.
Men? Pah! We are gathering men
on all sides. Our forces are daily in
creasing. Only last night we had q
party of seventy volunteers sent in by
Captain ColQuez. He sent them in
with a request that we send back the
ropes at once 30 that he could forward
q fresh detachment"
And you call them volunteers?"
asked Dorothy.
"Si, senorita! They, too, are vol
unteers-unwilling volunteers-never
theless, volunteers"
Wilkes grunted.
"Nemmind all that chatter" he said.
What you want is that Emerald Bell.
amt 1T"
Isl, 81! For that we will let go
our prisoner; we will allow you to de-
part in peace-anything. everything!
speak for the general-I-"
shut up!" interrupted Upton.
The old miner turned to Wilkes.
I'm going down to their camp my
SELF" he said shortly. you hold these
] hostages for my safe return. I'll dicker
with this old highlander personally;
give him the Bell If have to. but, any.
way, bring Kynaston back with me-"
He hesitated.
II really owe 1t to the boy" he con-
cluded. What are you shaking your
head at. Wilkes?"
Bray fool in a mortar, yet shall
his folly depart not from him., quoted
Mr.. Wilkes. 81 member hearin' that
at Sunday school II you 60 down
there an promise him the Bell for
Kynaston he'll grab you an shoot you
II you don't come across with the Bell
IF you take it with you he'll take
1t, shoot you, an then shoot Kynas.
ton.
mo, stree! TIL only thing to do
Sis to send this here colonel what has
seen the Bell back to General Obispo
an tell him that you'll swap it for Key.
naston."
Dorothy rose, pale-faced, her eyes
alight with blue fire, like two tur-
quoises flame-backed.
Indeed. shall take no further risk
in this matter. You will go. father;
you do owe 1t 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 tense lines in her
face that she had passed the dividing
line between common sense and i'm
pulse.
But how?" he asked. How can
you take the Bell"
| $50 that no one can detect it, Have
no fear-wait."
She disappeared with the Bell into
her 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.
"Coms!" she, said imperiously to
her father. "Comel, Wehaye no time
to lose, You will keep these two men
/, In safety TIL, we return.,;a.4f
Wilkes gave W. muttsFing his dis
content - he turned away. shaking
his gray head. T. tnsa sui
Amt you got no sense, Upton?
Don't you know that what you plan Ia
plumb madnessi I'VE got great mind
to pull q gun on you an not let yeu
80 one STEP" rs
For answer Dorothy shook her head.
9AO WYNN hON 0CtA9y AOA A1S1SA w.
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 q 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-hsbited; the stur-
dy, square-shouldered figure of the
miner plodding heavily at her side.
Silently they passed down the slope;
still speeehless they crossed the ariojo
beyond the alamos-the cottonwoods
where Wilkes and Manuel had made
i their capture that morning.
As they approached the lines OF the