Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-06-21

Your cousin tried to kill me. He's a
bully and a coward. a man that doesn't
know what fair fighting means"
"You are safe In abusing him when
he's not here"
"send him to me !" His voice shook
with anger. "Tell him I'm wounded;
tell him I've had nothing to eat since
l fought him before. And II he's still
afraid"-De Spain drew and broke his
revolver almost like a flash. 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 one" So saying. he held in
m hand the loaded cartridge and In
the other the empty revolver.
you've asked me to go-Im going.
How much of what you tell me is true,
l don't know. But l believe my
W eyes, and l believe you are not in
condition to do much injury, even If
you came here with that intention. You
will certainly lose your life If you move
from your hiding place."
She started away. He leaned toward
her. STOP" he said peremptorily,
raising himself with Il wrenchins eff
fort. Something in the stern eye held
her. His extended hand pointed toward
her as arbitrarily as If. instead Of lying
helpless ut her feet, he could command
her to his bidding. II want to ask you
Il question. I've told you the truth. l
have just n cartridge. If you are
going to send your cousin and his men
here, it's only fair / should know it
now-isn't it,"
"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 noisclessly as she had come. Shaken
by the discovery she had ST %unexpect-
eddy made, Nan retreated almost pre-
c%ipitately 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 Caiabasas, 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 to
her, whatever might be said about De
Spain's starting the fight, that one man
locked In q room with four enemies, all
dangerous in an ARRAY, was not likely
to begin a fight unless forced to-
none, at least, but a mailman would do
so.
Unhappy and %irresolute, Nan, when
she got home, was glad Of an excuse
to ride to Calabasas for a packet Of
dressing coming by stage from Sleepy
Cat for Gale, who lay wounded ut Satt
Morgan's; and, enting a hasty lunch.
con, she ordered her horse and set out.
Should she tell her Uncle Duke of
finding De Spain? Whenever she de-
cided that she must, something in the
recollection Of De SPANS condition un-
settled her resolution. Tales enough
| Of his bloOdthirstiness, his merclless
efficiency, his ever-ready craft and con.
summate dupliclty were familiar to
her. Yet only a few of these stories
appealed to Mans innate convictions
Of truth and justice. She lived among
men who were, for the most part, not
truthful or dependable ever In small
thlngs-how could they be relied on to
tell the truth about De Spain's motives
and conduct? AS to his deadly skill
with arms, no stories were needed to
confirm this, ven though she herself
had once overcome him In a contest.
The evidence Of his mastery had now
a fatal pre-eminence among the trage-
dies Of the Spanish sinks. Where he
lay he could, II he medltated revenge
on her people. murder any of them, al.
most Mt will. TO spare his life imper.
lied to this extent thclrs--but surely
he lay not far from death by exhaus.
ton. And II he was not helped soon
he would die.
But who was to help him? Certainly
none Of his friends. II she told them
they would try to reach him. That
would mean an appalling--an unthink'
able-nght. Az came back to one ter
rifying alternative: Should she help
this wretched man herself7 And II he
Lived, would he repay her by shooting
someone Of her own kim
The long ride to Calabasas went fast
as the debate swept on, and the vivid
shock Of her strange experience 70
Cured to her Imagination.
She drew up before the big barn
Jim McAlpin was coming out to 70 Il
supper. Nan asked for her package
and wanted to start directly bach
again. McAlpin refused absolutely Il
hear Of II. He looked at her horse ant
protested to be shocked. He told bel
she had ridden hard, urged her to dis
mount, and sent her pony In to b,
rubbed. While DR. horse was caret
for. McAlpin asked. In his harmless
Scotch way, about Gale.