The Mena weekly star., 1917-05-31
CHAPTER xxIlI.
A Surprising Slip.


 Scott was called by Lefeyer to con clude in secret the final arrangements. The ground about the quaking asp grove, and nearest Fl Capitan, afford ed the best concealment close to the gap. And to this point Scott was di- rected to bring what men he could be- fore daybreak the following morning.
 "Its a short notice to get many men together-of the kind we want" admitted Lefever. "You'u have to skirmish some between now and mid night. What do you think you can do?
 Scott had already made up a tenta- tive list. He named four-first Far rell Kennedy, who was in town, and said nobody should go if he didn't; Frank Elpaso, the Texan; the English man, Tommy Meggeson; and Wick wire, if he could be located-any one of them, Lefever knew, could give an account of himself under all circum-' stances.
 While Scott was getting his men to- gether, De Spain, accompanied by Le- fever, was riding toward Music noun tain. Scott had urged on them but one parting caution-not to leave the aspens until rain began falling. When he spoke there was not 8 cloud in the sky. Its going to rain tonight, just the same" predicted Scott. Don't leave the trees till it gets going. Those gap scouts will get under cover and be hunting for a drink the minute 1t gets cold-I know them. You can ride right over their toes, if you'll be pa tient."
 The sun set across the range in a drift of grayish-back, low-lying clouds, which seemed only to await its disappearance to envelop the noun tains and empty their moisture on the desert. By the time De Spain and Le- fever reached the end of their long ride a misty rain was drifting down from the west. The two men had just ridden into the quaking asps when a man coming out Of tine gap almost rode into them. The intruders had halted and were sufficiently hidden to escape notice, had not Lefever's horse indiscreetly coughed. The man from the gap refined up and called out. Le- fever answered.
 "It's Bull Page" declared De Spain, after the exchange of a few words. calling to Bull at the same time to come over to the shelter of the trees.
 "What's going on in there, Bull?" asked De Spain after Bull had told him that Gale had driven him out, and he was heading for Calabasas.
 'You tell" retorted Page. Looks to me like old Duke's getting ready to die. Gale says he's going to draw his will tonight, and don't want no- body around-got old Judge Druel in there"
 De Spain prlcked up his ears. "Whats that, Druel?" he demanded. Bull repeated his declaration. Lefe- yer broke into violent language at the Sleepy Cat jurist's expense, and ended by declaring that no will should be drawn in the gap that night by Duke Morgan or anybody else, unless he and Bull were made legatees.
 Beyond this nothing could be learned from Bull, who was persuad. ed without difficulty by Lefever to abandon the idea of riding to Calaba- sas through the rain, and to spend the night with him in the neighbor- hood. wherever fancy, the rain, and the wind-which was rising should dictate.
 While the two were talking. De Spain tried to slip away, unobserved by Lefever, on his errand. He failed. as he expected to. and after some fa- miliar abuse, rode ofr alone, fortified by every possible suggestion at the hands of man to whom the slightest precaution was usually a joke.
 De Spain reached Dukes ranch un-
 A-rI- @-sa~u-