The Benson signal., 1917-10-13

AFFAIR was marked Dy good sense, and
with Lefever. who, like a woman,
reached by intuition a conclusion at
which Scott or De Spain arrived by
process Of thought, only revealed the
fact that all three, as Lefever con-
fessed, were nonplused.
"It's one of two things" declared
Lefever, whose eyes were never dulled
by late hours. "Either they've sent
this to lure you into the gap and get
you, or else-and that's a great big
'or else'-she needs you. Henry, did
that message-I mean the way it was
worded-sound like Nan Morgan?"
De Spain could hardly answer. SIT
did, and it didn't" he said finally.
"But-" his companions saw during
the pause by which his lips expressed
the resolve he had finally reached
that he was not likely to be truned
from TT am going to act just as
If the word came from Nan and she
does need me-"
More than one scheme for getting
| quickly into touch with Nan was pro-
posed and rejected within the next
| ten minutes. And when Lefever, after
comforting with Scott, put up to De
| Spain q proposal that the three should
ride into the gap together and de-
mand Nan at the hands Of Duke Nor
gan, De Spain had reached another
conclusion.
II know you are willing to take
more than your share, John, of any
game I play. In the first place, it
| isn't right to take you and Bob in
where am going on my own personal
affair. And know Nan wouldn't en-
| JOY the prospect Of an all-around fight
on her account. Fighting is horror
to that girl. I've got her feelings to
think about as we'll as my own. I've
decided what to do, John. I'm going
in alone"
"YOu're going in alone"
"Tonight. Now, I'll tell you what
I'd like you to do if you want to: ride
with me and wait till morning, out
side Ell Captain. If you don't hear
from me by ten o'clock, ride back to
Calabasas and notify Jeffries to look
for new manager"
con the contrary, if we don't hear
from you by ten o'clock, Henry, we
will blaze our way in and drag out
your body" Lefever put up his hand
to cut off any rejoinder. "Don't dis
cuss it. What happens after ten
o'clock tomorrow morning, if we don't
hear from you before that, can't pos
sibly be of interest to you or make
any difference" He paused, but De
Spain saw that he was not done.
| When he resumed, he spoke in a tone
different from that which De Spain
usually associated with him. "Henry,
you've pulled a good many rough
| games in this country. No man knows
better than I that you never pulled
one for the looks of the thing or to
make people talk-or that you ever
took a chance you didn't feel you had
to take. But it isn't humanity pos
sible you can keep this up for all
time! it can't go on forever. The
pitcher goes to the we'll once too
often, Henry; there comes a time
when it doesn't come back.
! Understandable not saying this to
attempt to dissuade you from the
worst job you ever started in on. I
know your mind is made up. You
won't listen to me; you won't listen to
Scott; and I'm too good an Indian not
to know where l get off, or not to
do what I'm told. But this is what
I've been thinking of a long, long
time; and that is what feel I ought
to say, here and now."
The two men were sitting in De
Spain's room. De Spain was staring
through the broad south window at
the white-capped peaks Of the distant
range. He was silent for a time. II
believe you're right, John," he said
after while. 81 know you are. In
this case am tied up more than I've
ever been tied before; but I've got to
see it through as best 1 can, and take
what comes without whining. My
mind is made up, and, strange as it
may sound to you, I feel that I am
coming back. Not but what I know
it's due me, John. Not but what I
expect to get it sometime. And may
be I'm wrong now; but I don't feel
as it's coming till I've given all the
protection to that girl that a man can
give to woman"
CHAPTER XIII.