Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-06-22

dressing the others. you, all of yo
know, or ought to know-everybod
wixt here and the railroad knows
thnt De Spain and Nan Morgan hav
fastened UP to each other for the Ion
ride down the dusty trail together
That, | take 1t, Is their business. Blu
her uncle, old Duke, and Gale, and tn
whole bunch. hear, turned dead sOr,
ON it, aud have fixed II up TO beat them
You all know the Morgnns. Theyr,
some bunch-and they stick for ont
another like hornets, and all hold to
gether in fight. So | don't want an.
man to ride In there with me thinking
he's going TO wedding. He isn't. liz
may or may not be going TO funeral
but he's not going to Il shivaree."
Frank Elpaso glanced sourly at his
compositions. 81 guess everybody here
is WISE John"
II know you are, Frank" retorted
Lefeyer testify; that's all right. I'm
only explaining. And don't want you
to get sore on me If | don't show you
II fight" Frank Elpaso grunted. 81
nm under orders" John waved his
hand. And | can't do anything"
But talk" growled Frank Elpaso,
not waving his hand.
Lefever started hotly forward In his
saddle. "Now look here, Frank" He
pointed his finger at the objectlng
ranger. I'm here for business, not for
pleasure. Any time I'm free you can
talk TO me"
Not till somebody gags you, john"
interposcd Elpaso moodlly.
Look here, Elpaso." demanded Le-
fever, squirting his horse smartly to-
ward the Texan, ARE you looking for
fight with me right here and now?'
Yes, here and now,' declared FL
paso iiercely.
or there and Them interposed
Kennedy, ironically, "some time, some
where, or no time, nowhere. Having
heard all of which, a hundred and fifty
times from you two fellows, let us have
peace. You've pulled 1t so often, over
at sleepy Cat, they've got 1t In double
faced. red-seal records. Let's get
started"
"Right you are, Farrell assented
Lcfryer, but"
"Second verse, John. You're boss
here: what are we going to do? That's
al We went TO know"
Ilenrys orders were TO wait here
dll ten o'clock this morning. There's
been firing inside twice since twelve
o'clock last night. He told me to pay
no attention to that. But II the whole
place hadn't been under water all
might I'D have gone in, anyway. This
last time II was two high-powered
guns, picking ut long range and II 1'm
any Judge of rifles and the men prob.
pbly behind them, someone must have
got i IT. It's all guess-but I'm go
ug In there, peaceably If can, TO look
for Henry de Spain; II we are fired on
we've got to fight for 1t. And II
there's any talking to be done"
you can do ii" grunted Elpaso.
THANK you, Frank. And will do It.
need not say that Kennedy will ride
ahead with me, Elpaso and Wickwire
With Tommie Meggeson.'
Leaving Scott In the trees, the little
party trotted smartly up the road,
picking their way through the pools
md across the brawllng streams that
tore over the trail toward Duke Nor
CAMS place. The condition of the trail
broke their formation continually and
.efever, in the circumstances, was not
sorry His only anxiety was to keep
Elpaso from riding ahead far enough
70 enbroll them in quarrel before he
himself should come up.
Halfway to Dukes house they found
/ small bridge had gone out. 1t cut off
he direct road and, at Elpaso's sug-
,estion, they crossed over to follow the
'idge up the valley. Swimming their
lorseS through the backwater that GOV.
red the depression to the south, they
gained the elevation and proceeded,
on their way. As the,
Sassoon's place, Elpaso
'idins ahead, drew up his horse and sat
! moment studying the trail and cast
ne an occasional glance in the direc-
ion of the ranch-house, which lay I'M
Ter the brow Of hill ahead.
When Lefever rode up to him, he
'aw the story that Elpaso was reading
n the roadway. 1t told Of man shot
n his tracks as he was running toward
he house-and, In the judgment OF
hese men, fatally shot-for, while his
spread like a fan In front
If him, Lefever got off his horse and,
bending intently over the sudden page
orn out of a mans life, recast the
scene that had taken place, where he
stood, half an hour earlier. Some little
line Lefever spent patiently decipher-
ng the story printed in the rutted road,
md marked by a wide crimson splash
n the middle Of 1t. He rose from his
study at length and followed back the
rail Of the running feet that had been
stricken at the pool. He stopped In
ront of a fragment of rock jutting up
beside the road, studied 1t while and,
ooking about, picked up number Of
'mpty cartridge-shells, examined them.
md tossed them away. Then he
up and looked searching
y across the gap. Only the great.
silent face of Eel Captain confronted
lin. 1t told no tales.
IF this was Henry de Spain," NUT
cred Elpaso, when Lefever rejoined
lis companions, she won't care whether
'ou join him now, or at ten o'clock, or
lever"
Urhnf 10 not uanrvv aaaartnd To- |