The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-05-12
CHAPTER XIII.
A Surprisinu SIip.

Scott was called by Lefever to con
clude in secret the final arrangements
The ground about the quaking asp
grove, and nearest Ell Captain, afford.
ed the best concealnnent close to the
gap. And to this point Scott was di.
rected to bring what men he could be-
fore daybrcak the following morning
cts a short notice to get many
men together-of the kind we want"
admitted Lefever. "You'll have to
skirmish some between now and mid.
night. What do you think you can
do?"
Scott had already made up tenta.
tive list. He named four-frst Far
rell Kennedy, who was in town, and
said nobody should go If he didn't;
Frank Elpaso, the Texan; the English
man, Tommy Meggeson; and Wick.
wire, if he could be located-any one
Of them, Lefever knew, could give an
account Of himself under all circum-
stances.
While Scott was getting his men to.
gether, De Spain, accompanied by Le-
fever, was riding toward Music noun
tain. Scott had urged on them but
one parting caution-nOt to leave the
aspens until rain began falling. When
he spoke there was not cloud in the
sky. cts going to rain tonight, Just
the same" predicted Scott. "Don't
leave the trees till it gets going. Those
gap scouts will get under cover and
be huntingdon drink the minute it
gets cold-I know them. You can ride
right over their toes, if you'll be pa
tient.'
The sun set across the range in a
drift of grayish-black, low-lying
clouds, which seemed only to await its
disappearance to envelop the noun
tains and empty their moisture on the
desert. BY the time De Spain and Le-
fever reached the end Of their long
ride misty rain was drifting down
from the west. The two men had just
ridden into the quaking asps when a
man coming out Of the gap almost
rode into them. The intrudcrs had
halted and were sufficiently hidden to
escape notice, had not Lefever's horse
indiscreetly coughed. The man from
the gap reined up and called out. LIE.
fever answered.
cts Bull Page" declared De Spain,
after the exchange of a few words,
calling to Bull at the same time to
"What's going on in there, Bull?"
asked De Spain after Bull had told
him that Gale had driven him out, and
he was heading for Calabasas.
"You TELL" retorted Page. "Looks
to me like old Dukes getting ready
to die. Gale says he's going to draw
his will tonight, and don't want no.
body around-got old Judge Druel in
there.'
De Spain pricked up his ears.
"What's that, Druel2" he demanded.
Bull repeated his declaration. Lefe-
yer broke into violent language at the
Sleepy Cat jurist's expense, and ended
by declaring that no will should be
drawn in the gap that night by Duke
Morgan or anybody else, unless he
and Bull were made legatees.
Beyond this nothing could be
learned from Bull, who was persuade
ed without difficulty by Lefever to
abandon the idea Of riding to Calaba-
sas through the rain, and to spend
the night with him in the neighbor-
hood, wherever fancy, the rain, and
the wind-which was rising-should
dictate.
While the two were talking, De
Spain tried to slip away, unobserved
by Lefever, on his errand. He failed.
as he expected to, and after some O.
mliar abuse, rode off Alone fortified
by every possible suggestion at the
hands Of man to whom the slightest
precaution was usually a joke.
De Spain reached Dukes ranch I'M
challenged. Night had fallen every
where, and the increasing rain OBJ
scured even the outline Of the house.
But a light shone through one uncur-
tanned window. He waited some time
for sound Of life, for door to open
or close, or for the dog to bark-he
heard nothing. Slipping out Of the
wet saddle, he led his horse, In the
darkness under the shelter of the lone
pine tree and, securing him, walked
slowly toward the house.
Mindful of the admonitions he had
been loaded with, he tramped around
the house in narrowing circles, paus-
ing at times to look and listen. In
like manner he circled the barn and
stables, until he had made sure there
was no ambush and that he was alone
outside. After q time he stepped
around to the front Of the house,
where, screened by bit of shrubbery,
he could peer at close range into the
living room.
Standing before the fire burning in
the open hearth, and with his back
to 1t, he now saw Gale Morgan. Sit
ting bolt upright beside the table,
square-jawed and obdurate, his stubby
brier pipe supported by his hand and
gripped in his great teeth, Duke Nor