The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1917-04-21


am. Do look as II came here by
choicey" He paused. Listen he
said. quite master OF himself. TN tell
You why I came. I shall never get
away alive, anyway-you can have the
truth II you want It I Got on my
horse In the night TO get q drink. He
bolted couldn't walk. l climbed rp
here to hide Till my wounds heal. Now.
I've told you the truth. Where am ~"
The grip OF her hands on the rife
might have RELAXED somewhat but she
saw his deadly revolver In Its 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 be saw that something more than
his mere presence detained and per-
picked her. Her prompt condemna-
rion Of him ranked In his mind. and
the strain Of facing her suspicion wore
On him Il won't ask you anything
mu-s," be said at length. You think
I've pe right 20 live-thats what you
rtitnk. iMr III Why don't you shooty'
Sine unty stared at him. -why don't
ypu Enswery he demanded reeklessly.
4 NEr summoned her resolution. Il
f-nDv yor tried 10 kill my cousin" she
HEie h,stsy. after be had tainted her
0pce ugre- And am going TO think
rhEt 20 DO before ! tell you anything
CO DO anytaine.-
.You know / tried to kill your ccu-
stnl Ycu know nothing Of the kind.
ycrr cousin tried TO kin me. He's a
bully and q coward q man that doesn't
know what fair fighting means
"Tou are safe In abusing him when
he's not here"
-SeDd him to meI- His voice shook
with anger. Tell him I'm wounded ;
tel him I've had nothing to eat since
/ fought him before. And II he's still
sfraid~-De Spain drew and broke his
revolver amidst like a fash. In that
incredibly quick instant she realized
he might have threatened her life be-
fore she could move a muscle-@tell
your fine cousin I've got one cartridge
left-just oneI" So saying. he held In
one hand the loaded cartridge and In
the other the empty revolver.
You've asked me to go-rm going.
H,w much of what you tell me Is true.
I don't know. But I can believe my
own eyes, and believe you are not In
condition to do much injury, even II
you came here with that Intention. You
will certainly lose your life II you move
from your hiding place"
She started away. He leaned toward
her. stop" he said peremptorily,
raising himself with a wrenching ef-
fort. Something In the stern eye held
her. His extended hand pointed toward
her as arbitrarily as II, instead Of lying
helpless at her feet, he could command
her to his bidding. Il want to ask you
a question. I've told you the truth.
have just one cartridge. II you are
going to send your cousin and his men
here. it's only fair / should know II
now-isn't itf"
my cousin Is wounded" she said
pausing. And then with indecision
IF you stay here quietly you are not
likely to be molested."
She stepped down from the ledge
as noiselessly as she had come. Shaken
by the discovery she had so unexpect.
edly 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 the men In
Morgan's gap. supposed to be past
masters Of the game played In the
closed room Mt 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 tc
her. whatever might be said about De
Spain's starting the fight, that one man
dangerous In an affray. was not likely
to begin a fight unless forced to-
none. at least, but mailman would dc
SO.
Unhappy and irresolute. Nan. when
she got home, was glad Of an excuse
to ride to Calabasas for a packet oil
dressing coming by stage from Sleepy
Cat for Gale. who lay wounded ut SAT-
Morgan's: and, eating q hasty lunch
con, she ordered her horse and set out
Should she tell her Uncle Duke d
finding De Spainf Whenever she de
cided that she must, something In the
recollection Of De Spaln's condition I'M
settled her resolution. Tales enough
Of his bloodthirstiness, his merciless
efficiency, his ever-ready craft and con
summate duplicity were familiar Il
her. Yet only a few of these stories
appealed to Mans innate conviction,
Of truth and justice. She lived amont
men who were. for the most part, no
truthful or dependable even In small
things-how could they be relied on Il
tell the truth about De SPANS motive,
and conductf Az to his deadly skill
with arms. no stories were needed Il
confirm this, even though she herself
had once overcome him In q contest
The evidence of his mastery had nov
Q fatal preeminsncs among the trags