Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1917-05-31


that De Spain and Nan Morgan have
fastened up 20 each other for the long
ride down the dusty trail together.
That, take It, is their business But
her uncle, old Duke, aud Gale, and the
whole bunch, hear, turned dead sore
on 1t, 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 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 shivarec."
Frank Elpaso glanced sourly at his
companions. 81 guess everybody here
is wise, John"
81 know you are, Frank" retorted
Lefever testify; that's all right. I'm
only explaining. And don't want you
to get sore on me IL l don't show you
fight" Frank Elpaso grunted. 81
am under orders" John waved his
hand. "And l can't do anything"
"But talk" growled Frank Elpaso
not waving his hand.
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"
mot till somebody gags you, john"
interposed ElpasO modify.
Look here, Elpaso," demanded Lee
fever, squirting his horse smartly to-
ward the Texan, "are you looking for
fight with me right here and now?"
"Yes, here and now" declared FL
paso tlercely.
"Or, there and then" interposed
Kennedy, ironically, "some time, some
where, or no time, nowhere. Having
heard all of which, hundred and fifty
times from you two fellows, let us have
peace. You've pulled 1t so often, over
ut Sleepy Cat, they've got it in double
faced, red-seal records. Let's get
started"
Fright you are, Farrell" assented
Lefever, "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 gone in, anyway. This
last time 1t was two high-powered
guns, picking at long range and, If I'm
any judge of rifles and the men prob
ably behind them, someone must have
got hurt. It's all guess-but I'm 60
ing in there, peaceably if can. to look
for Henry de Spain; If we are fired on
we've got to fight for it. And if
there's any talking to be done"
"YOu can do it," grunted Elpaso.
"Thank you, Frank. And 1 will do 1t.
I need not say that Kennedy will ride
ahead with me, Elpaso and Wickwire
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
CAMS place. The condition of the 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 q quarrel before he
himself should come up.
Halfway to Dukes house they found
a small bridge had gone out. 1t cut Off
the direct road, and, at Elpaso's sug-
gestion, they crossed over to follow the
ridge up the valley. Swimming their
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
a moment studying the trail and cast
ing an occasional glance In the direc-
ton Of the ranch-house, which lay I'M
der the brow of hill ahead.
When Lefever rode up to him, he
saw the story that Elpaso was reading
in the roadway. 1t told Of 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 over 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 q wide crimson splash
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 fragment of rock jutting up
beside the road, studied it while and,
looking about, picked up a number of
empty cartridge-shells, examined them,
Il mn