Mexico Missouri message., 1917-06-07

| they knew might burst into uncon-
trollable anger at any moment.
A report reached McAlpin that Gale
Morgan was making ready to return to
Music mountain with the remnant OF
Sanduskys gang, to make q demand
on Duke for certain property and
partnership adjustments. This rumor
he telephoned to Jeffries. Before talk
ing with De Spain, Jeffries went over
the information with Lefever. The two
agreed it was right, in the circum-
stances, that De Spain should be near
er than Sleepy Cat to Nan. Moreover,
the period of waiting she had enjoined
on him was almost complete.
Without giving De Spain the story
fully, the two men talking before him
let the discussion drift toward a pro-
posal on his part togo down to Gala
basas, where he could more easily keep
track Of any movement to or from the
gap, and this they approved. De Spain,
already chatting under a hardly en-
dured restraint, lost no time In start
ing for Calabasas, directing Lefever to
follow next day.
1t added nothing to his peace Of
mind in the morning to learn definitely
from McAlpin that Gale Morgan, with
in twenty-four hours, had really disap-
peared from Calabasas, No word of
any kind had come from Music noun
tain for days. No one at Calabasas
was aware even that Nan had gone
into the gap again. Bob Scott was at
Thief River. De Spain telephoned to
him to come up on the early stage, and
turned his attention toward getting in
formation from Music mountain with
out violating Mans injunction not to
Illustrate her most delicate effort with
her uncle.
AS q possible scout to look into her
present situation and report on it, Nc
Alpin could point only to Bull Page.
Bull was n ready instrument, but his
present value as an assistant had be-
tically every man in the gap had
threatened within the week to blow his
head off-though Bull himself felt no
scruples against making an attempt to
reach Music mountain and get back
again. 1t was proposed by the canny
McAlpin to send him In with q team
, and light wagon, ostenslbly to bring
, out his trunk, which, If it had not been
fed to the horses, was still in Dukes
barn. AS soon as a rig could be got up
Page started out.
1t was late November. A far, clear
air drew the snow-capped ranges
: sharply down to the eye of the desert
as If the speckless sky, lighted by the
| radiant sun, were but a monster glass
rigged to trick the credulous retina. De
J Spain, in the saddle in front of the
barn, his broad hat brim set on the
: impassive level Of the western horse
man, his lips seeming to compress his
thoughts, his lines over his forearm
) and his hands half-slipped into the
/, pockets of his snug leather coat
= watched Page with his light wagon ant
, horses drive away.
t Idllng around the nelghborhood O.
the barns In the saddle, De Spain saw
1 him gradually recede into the lon!
desert perspective, the perspectiv,
|
:. er to realize as he curtained his eye
s behind their long, steady lashes iron
D the blazing sun, that 1t was a good bi
t of a way to the foot of the great out
= post of the Superstition range.
D De Spain's restlessness prevented hi
remaining quietly anywhere for long
e AS the morning advanced he cantere,
N ! n1VF thN nkof In, hf,,I-
Y ing of and wishing for sight of Nan
T The deadly shock of Pardaloe's stor,
a had been dulled by days and nights o
o pain. His deep-roOted love and hi
d loneliness had quIeted his impulse 70
t vengeance and overborne him with
8 profound sadness. He realized HOY
II different his feelings were now fror
e what they had been when she knelt be
r fore him in the darkened room and, nc
o daring to plead for mercy for her uncle
had asked him only for the pity fo
l. herself that he had seemed so slo,
n to give. Something reproached hiI
now for his coldness at the momer
! that he should have thought of he
suffering before his own.
IL was WlHle rlulnS III ILllS way Int
: his eyes, reading mechanically tn
~ - wagon trail he was aimlessly fOllowin
- for no reason other than that
- brought him, though forbidden, lIttl
~ = closer to her-arrested his attention
. He checked his horse. Something, tt
;, trail told him, had happened. Pag
; had stopped his horses. Page had m,
is two men on horseback coming from I'll
II gap. After a parley--for the horse
~ had tramped around long enough fl
- - one-the wagon had turned completes
II from the trail and struck across IL
l desert, north; the two horsemen,
In one with led horse, had started baS
for the gap.
rn All Of this De Spain gathered wit
lg out moving his horse outside circle
rs thirty feet. What did it mean? Pal
1g might have fallen in with cronies fro
OF the gap, abandoned his job, and star
ny ed for Sieepy Cat, but this was milk
| Iwy n .s.vHA