, 1917-12-13

'twixt here ana the railroad knows
that De Spain and Nan Morgan have
fastener up TO each other for the long
ride down the dusty trail together.
That, l take 1t, is their business. But
her uncle, old Duke, and Gale, and the
whole bunch, 1 hear, turned dead sore
on it, and have fixed it up to beat them.
You all know the Morgans. They're
some bunch-and they stick for one
another like hornets, and all hold to-
gether in n fight. So I don't want any
man to ride in there with me thinking
he's going to a wedding. He isn't. He
may or may not be going to a funeral,
but he's not going to a shivaree."
Frank Elpaso glanced sourly at his
companions. 81 guess everybody here
is wise, John"
81 know you are, Frank" retorted
Lefever testify; chats all right. I'm
only explaining. And 1 don't want you
to get sore on mi If I don't show you
a fight" Frank Elpaso grunted. 81
am under ORDERS" John waved his
hand. "And I can't do anything"
"But talk" growled Frank Elpaso,
not waving MS manu-.
Lefever started holly forward in his
saddle. "Now look here, Frank" He
pointed his finger at the objecting
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"
i%nterposed Elpaso moodily.
Look here, Elpaso," demanded Lee
fever, squirting his horse smartly to-
ward the Texan, are you looking for a
fight with me right here and now"
"Yes, here and now" declared Ell
paso fiercely.
"Or, there and them i%nterposed
Kennedy, ironically, 'some time, some
where, or no time, nowhere. Having
heard all of which, q hundred and fifty
times from you two fellows, let us have
peace. You've pulled it so often, over
at Sleepy Cat, they've got 1t in double
faced, red-seal records. Let's get
started"
Fright you are, Farrell" assented
Leftover, but"
Second verse, John. You're boss
here; what are we going to do? That's
all we want to know"
"Henry's orders were to wait here
till 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 If the whole
place hadn't been under water all
night, I'd have zone in, anyway. This
last time it was two high-powered
guns, picking at long range and, IL I'm
any Judge of rifles and the men prob
ably behind them, someone must have
got hurt. It's all a guess-but I'm go
ing in there. peaceably If I can. to look
for Henry de Spain ; II we are fired on
we've got to fight for 1t. And If
there's any talking to be lone"
you can do It," grunted ElpasO.
"Thank you'll Frank. And 1 will do 1t.
1 need not say that Kennedy will ride
ahead with me, Elpaso and Wtckwire
with Tommie Meggeson."
Leaving Scott in the trees, the little
party trotted smartly up the road,
picking their way through the pools
and across the brawling streams that
tore over the trail toward Duke Nor
gan's place. The condition of h trail
broke their formation continually and
Lefever, in the circumstances, was not
sorry. His only anxiety was to keep
Elpaso from riding ahead far enough
to embroil them in a quarrel before he
himself should come up.
Halfway to Dukes house they found
n small bridge had gone out. 1t cut off
the direct road, and, at Elpaso's sug-
g%estiOn, they crossed over to follow the
ridge up the valley. Swimming their
horses through the backwater that Gov
cred the depression to the south, they
gained the elevation and proceeded,
unmolested, on their way. AS they
approached Sassoon's place, Elpaso,
riding ahead, drew up his horse and sat
n moment studying the trail and cast
ing IN occasional glance in the direc-
ton of the ranch-house, which lay un-
der the brow of a hill ahead.
When Lefever rode up to him, he
saw the story that Elpaso was reading
in the roadway. 1t told of n man shot
in his tracks as he was running toward
the house-and, in the judgment Of
these men, fatally shot-for, while his
companions spread like a fan in front
of him, Lefever got off his horse and,
bending intently yer the sudden page
torn out of a mans life, recast the
scene that had taken place, where he
stood, half an hour earlier. Some little
time Lefever spent patiently decipher-
ing the story printed in the rutted road,
and marked by n wide crimson splnsh
in the middle of it. He rose from his
study at length and followed back the
trail of the running feet that had been
stricken at the pool. He stopped in
front of n fragment of rock jutting up
beside the road, studied it q while and.