The Lamar register., 1917-07-04

empty cartridge-shells, examined them
and tossed them away. Then he
Strengthened up and looked searching
ly across the gap. Only the great.
silent face of FL Captain confronted
him 1t told no tales.
III this was Henry de Spain" NUT
tered Elpaso, when Lefever rejoined
his companions, 'he won't care whether
YOU join him now, or at ten o'clock, OF
never"
"'That is not Henry" asserted lie
fever with his usual cheer. Not with
In forty rows of apple trees. It's not
IIrnry's gun, not Henrys heels, not
lIcnry's hair, and thereby, not Henry's
head that was hit that time But ii
was to finish-and blamed if at first
ii didn't scare me. l thought it might
be Henry. Hang IT, get down and see
for yourselves, boys"
Elpaso answered his invitation with
an inquiry. "WhO was this fellow
lighting with?"
THAT, also, is question. Certainly
not with Henry de Spain, because the
other fellow, l think, was using soft
nuscd bullets. No white man does that
much less De Spain"
"Unless he used another rifle" sug
.csted Kennedy.
Tell me how they could get his own
rifle away from him If he could fire =
gun at all. l don't put Henry quite as
high with n rife as with a revolver
if you want to split hairs-mlnd, I say.
II you want to split hairs. But no man
that's ever seen him handle either
would want TO try to take any kind Of
a gun from him. Whoever II was" I.e-
fever got up into his saddle again
threw some ounces of lead into that
piece Of rock back there, though
don't understand how anyone could see
IL man lying behind IT,
Anyway, whoever was hit here has
been curried down the road. Wen
try Sassoon's ranch-house II they don't
fire on us before we get there"
In the sunshine man in shirt
sleeves. leaning against the Iamb. stood
ia the open doorway Of SassOon's
shack, watching the Invaders as they
rode around the hill and glngerly mp
preached. Lefever recognized Satt Nor.
gan. He flung greeting to him from
the saddle.
Satt answered in kind, but he eyed
the horsemcn with reserve when they
drew up, and he seemed 10 Lcfever al.
together less responsive thnn usual,
John SPARED with him for informa-
iion and Satterlee gave back nothing
but words.
Cant tell us anything about De
Spain, ehT" echoed Lefever at length
"All right. Satt, Wen find somebody
that can. Is there a bridge over &c
Dukes ON this trall7''
Salts nose wrinkled into his normal
smile. There's n bridge" The re.
port of three shots fired in the distance
seemingly from the mouth of the gap
interrupted him. He paused In his ut
terunce. There were no further shots
and he resumed: There is "a brldg,
that way. yes, but IT was washed out
last night. They're blockaded. Duke
and Gale are over there. They're pretty
sore on your man De Spain. You'd bet
ter keep away from 'em this morning
unless you're looking for trouble"
Lefeyer, having all needed informa
tion from Scott's signal. raised hii
hand quickly. Not at ALL" he ex
claimed, leaning forward to emphasize
mis- words and adding the full ortlt Of
his eye To- his sincerity Of manner. "NOt
at all. Satt This is all friendly all
friendly. But" he coughed slightly.
as II In apology. "if Henry shouldn't
turn up O. X. well-ahcm- back
None Of his companions needed 10 be
told how 10 get prudently away. Al II
nod from Lcfever Tommie Mcggeson,
Elpaso and Wickwire wheeled their
horses. rode rapidly back TO the turn
near the Hill and. facing about, halted.
with their rifles across their arms. Le-
fever and Kennedy followed leisurely.
and the pnrty Withdrew leaving Sntter-
lee, unmoved, IN the sunny doorway.
Once out Of sight, Lefever led the way
rapidly down the gap to the rem
devious.
OF all the confused impressions that
crowded Mans memory after the wild
night on Music mountain, the most
vivid was that Of a noticeably light
stepping and not ungraceful fat man
advancing, hat In hand, to greet her ns
she stood with De Spain, weary and
bedraggled in the aspen grove.
a smile famed from her eyes when
turning at once. he rebuked De Spain
with dignity for not introducing him