Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-04-05

ncuIt capture. Bob Scott, who knew
the recess we'll, repeated his explicit
directions as to how De Spain was tc
reach Sassoon's shack. He repeated
his description of its interior, told him
where the bed stood, and even where
Sassoon ordinarily kept his knife and
his revolver.
De Spain gave his horse his head.
it was still too dark to distinguish the
path-and advanced at a snairs pace
until he passed the base of Ell Captain.
when of q sudden, as he rode out from
among high projecting rocks full into
the opening, faint rays of light from
the eastern dawn revealed the narrow,
strangely inclosed and perfectly hid
den valley before him.
De Spain caught his breath. No de-
scription he had ever heard of the
nook that screened the Morgans from
the outside world had prepared him
for what he saw. From side to side
between the frowning cliffs which rose,
at points, half a mile into the sky, it
was several miles, and the gap was
more than as much IN depth, as 1t ran
back to a mere wedge between un-
named Superstition peaks.
every moment that he pushed ahead
warned him that daylight would come
suddenly and his time TO act would be
short. The trail he followed broad
ened into q road, and q turn brought
him up startled and almost face to
face with q long, rambling ranch
house. The gable end Of the two-story
portion of the building was so close
to him that he instantly reined up to
seek hiding from its upper and lower
windows.
From Scott's accurate description he
knew the place. This was Duke Nor
gan's ranch-hOuse, set as a fortress al
most at the mouth of the gap. To pass
it unobseryed was to compass the most
ticklish part of his mission, and with
out changing his slow pace he rode on.
No bullet challenged him and no sound
came from the silent house. He can
tered away from the peril, thinking
with kind of awe of Nan. asleep, so
he had not been seen-though, in mat
ter of .act, he had been.
Other cabins back toward the north
wall could be seen dimly to his right,
but all were we'll removed from his
way. In due time. as Scott had ad-
.. vised, he saw confronting him, not far
ahead, a small. ruinous-loolzing cabin
shack. Dismounting before this, he
threw his lines, shook himself little,
and walked up TO the cabin door. 1t
was open.
De Spain called gIfly to the cabin
Inmate. There wes no. answer. He
hitched his trouser band near TO the
butt his revolver with his right
hand, and laid his left on the tamb of
the door, his eyes meantime boring the
darkness TO the left, where Sassoon's
bed should be. The utmost scrutiny
failed to disclose any sign of it or any
sound Of breathing from that corner.
He took few steps toward where the
man should asleep. and perceived
beyond doubt that there was no bed
in the corner at all. lie turned toward
the other corner, his hand covering
the butt of his gun. "Hello, Shike ~
he called out in a slightly strained tone
Of camaraderie, addressing Sassoon by
q common nickname. Then he lis
tened. A trunpeting snore answered.
No sound was ever sweeter to De
Spain's ear. The rude noise cleared
the air and steadied the intruder as If
Music mountain itself had been lifted
or his nerves.
1To BE Continuedl
1