The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-03-17

Henry de Spain can hide out like an
Indian, and doctor himself. Then,
again, I know something about the
way he fights; up here they don't. If
those four fellows had ever seen him
In action, they never would have ex.
pected to get out of i room alive, after
a showdown with Henry de Spain. AS
near as l can make out from all the
talk that's floating around, what fooled
them was seeing him shoot at mark
here one day in Sleepy Cat"
Jeffries didn't interrupt, but he
slapped his knee sharply.
you might just as we'll try to stand
on box Of dynamite, and shoot into
1t, and expect to live to tell it," con-
tlnued Scott mildly, "as to shoot into
that fellow in a room with closed doors
and expect to get away with it. The
only way the bunch can ever kill that
man, without getting killed themselves,
Is to get him from behind; and at that.
John, the man that fires the gum" MUIR
INJURED the scout, sought to be behind q
tree.
"You say he is hit. I grant it," he
concluded. "But I knew him once,
when he was hit, to lie out in the bush
for a week. He got cut off once from
Whispering Smith and Kennedy after
a scrimmage outside Williams Cache
two years ago."
"You don't believe, then, he's dead,
Bob| demanded Jeffries impatiently.
"Not till I see him Dead" persisted
Scott unmoved.
=
De Spain, when he climbed into Sas.
sooh's saddle, was losing sight and
consciousness. He knew he could no
longer defend himself, and was 50
faint that only the determination of
putting distance between him and any
pursuers held him to the horse after
he spurred away. With the instinct of
the hunted, he fumbled with his right
hand for his means Of defense, and
was relieved to find his revolver, after
his panicky dash for safety, safe in its
place. He put his hand to his belt for
fresh cartridges. The belt was gone.
The discovery sent shock through
his failing faculties. He could moi
recollect why he had no belt. Believ.
ing his senses tricked him, he fell
again and again for it before he would
believe It was not buck}ed somewhere
about him. But it was gone, and he
stuck back in his waistband his useless
revolver. One hope remained-flight,
and he spurred his horse cruelty.
Blood running continually into his
eyes from the wound in his head made
him think his eyes were gone, and di.
rection was thing quite beyond his
power Of compass. He made little eff.
fort to guide, and his Infatuated horse
Jew along as If winged.
A warm, sticky feeling in his right
boot warned him, when he tried to
make some mental inventory Of his
condition, of at least one other wound.
He could not see twenty feet ahead or
behind. Even when he hurrieily wiped
the cloud from his eyes his vision
seemed to have failed, and he could
only cling to his horse to put the miles
as fast as possible between himself
and more of the Morgans.
A perceptible weakness presently
forced him to realize he must look to
his wounded foot. Before he slackened
speed he tried to look behind to recon.
hotter. With relief he perceived his
sight to be trifle better, and in scam
ming the horizon he could discover no
pursuers. Choosing secluded spot,
he dismounted, cut open his boot, and
found that a bullet, passing down.
ward, had torn an artery under the
arch Of the foot. Making a rude tour
niquet, he succeeded in checking pretty
we'll the squirting flow that was sap.
ping his strength. After he had adj
justed the bandage he stood up and
looked at it.
Then he drew his revolver again and
broke it. He found five empty shells
In the chambers and threw them away,
The last cartridge had not been fired.
He could not even figure out how he
had happened to have six cartridges in
the cylinder, for he rarely loaded more
than five. Indeed, it was his fixed
habit-to avoid accidents-never to
carry q cartridge under the hammer
Of his gun-yet now there had been
one. Without trying to explain the
circumstance, he took fresh stock of
his chances and began to wonder
whether he might yet escape and live.
He climbed again into the saddle,
and, riding to ridge, looked carefully
over the desert. 1t was with an effort
that he could steady himself, and the
extent of his weakness, surprised him.
What further perplexed him as he
crossed long divide, got another good
view and saw no pursuit threatening
In any direction, was to identify the
country he was in. The only landmark
anywhere in sight that he. could recog.
nize was Music mountain. This now
lay to the northwest, and he knew he
must be long way from any country
kNN &c.