The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-03-02

might better ask why you came here"
he retorted Il don't know where
am. Do look as If 1 came here by
choice?" He paused. Listen" he
said, quite master of himself, I'll tell
you why l came. l shall never get
away alive, anyway-you can have the
truth If you want 1t. l got off my
horse in the night to get drink. He
bolted. couldn't walk. climbed up
here to hide till my wounds heal. Now,
I've told you the truth. Where am II"
The grip of her hands on the rifle
might have relaxed somewhat, but she
saw his deadly revolver In it's accus-
toned place and did not mean to sur
render her command of him. Nor
would she tell him where he was. She
parted his questions. He could get no
information of any sort out of her.
Yet he saw that something more than
his mere presence detained and per-
picked her. Her prompt condemna-
ton of him ranked in his mind, and
the strain of facing her suspicion wore
on him. II won't ask you anything
more" he said at length. you think
I've no right to live-that's what you
think, isn't it? Why don't you shoot?"
She only stared at him. "Why don't
you answer" he demanded recklessly
Nan summoned her resolution. 81
know you tried to kill my cousin" she
said holly, after he had tainted her
once more. "And / am going to think
what to do before tell you anything
or do anything"
"You know l tried to kill your cou-
sin! You know nothing of the kind.
Your cousin tried to kill me. He's Il
bully and coward. man that doesn't
know what fair fighting means
'You are safe in abusing him when
he's not here"
"Send him to met" His voice shook
with anger. Tell him I'm wounded;
tell him I've had nothing to eat since
1 fought him before. And if he's still
afraid'-De Spain drew and broke his
revolver almost like a flash. In that
incredibly quick instant she realized
he might have threatened her life be-
fore she could move muscle-"tell
your fine cousin I've got one cartridge
left-just one" SO saying, he held in
one hand the loaded cartridge and in
the other the empty revolver.
"You've asked me to go-T'm going.
How much OF what you tell me is true,
/ don't know. But l can believe my
own eyes, and l believe you are not I'm
condition to do much injury, even if
you came here with that intention. You
will certainly lose your life if you move
from your hiding place"
She started away. He leaned toward
her. STOP" he said peremptorily,
raising himself with a wrenching e.
fort. Something IN the stern eye held
her. His extended hand pointed toward
her as Arbitrarily as If, instead of lying
helpless at her feet, he could command
her to, his bidding. 81 want to ask you
a question. I've told you the truth. l
have just one cartridge. If you are
going to send your cousin and his men
here, it's only fair 1 should know it
now-isn't it?"
my cousin is wounded" she said,
pausing. And then with indecision:
"IfJyou stay here quietly you are not
likely to be molested."
She stepped down from the ledge
as noiselessIy as she had come. Shaken
by the discovery she had so unexpect-
eddy made, Nan retreated almost pre-
cipitately from the spot. And the
question OF what to do worried her as
much as 1t worried De Spain. The
whole range had been shaken by the
Calabasas fight. Even he men in
Morgan's gap, supposed to be past
masters of the game played in the
closed room at Calabasas, had been
stunned by the issue of the few min
utes with Jeffries' new man.
Nan, who had heard but one side of
the story, pictured the aggressor from
the tale of the two who lived to tell
of the horribly sharp action with him.
But Mans common sense whispered to
her, whatever might be said about De
SPANS starting the fight, that one man
locked In room with four enemies, all
dangerous in an ARRAY, was not likely
TO begin q fight unless forced to
none, at least, but a mailman would do
SO.
Unhappy and irresolute, Nan, when
she got home, was glad Of an excuse
to ride to Calabasas for a packet of
dressing coming by stage from Sleepy
Cat for Gale, who lay wounded at Satt
Morgan's; and, eating hasty lunch
con, she ordered her horse and set out.
Should she tell her Uncle Duke of
finding De Spain? Whenever she de-
cided that she must, something In the
recollection of De SPANS condition un-
settled her resolution. Tales eDS1gh
of his bloodthirstlness, his merciless
efficiency, his ever-ready craft and con-
summate dupllcfty were familiar to
her. Yet only few Of these stories
appealed to Mans innate convictions
of truth and Justice. She lived among
men who were, for the most part, not
truthful or dependable even in small