The Benson signal., 1917-07-28

friendlineSS for either of the two she
had intercepted
De Spain had recovered his wits.
you're right" he interposed without
an instant's hesitation. "It isn't true.
But that's not his fault; he is under
arrest, and is telling you what I told
him to tell you. I came in here this
morning to take Sassoon to Sleepy Cat.
He is prisoner, wanted for cutting up
one of our Safeguards"
Nan, cOldly skeptical, eyed De Spain.
"And do you try to tell me"-she
pointed to Sassoon's unbound hands
'that he is riding out of here, a free
man, to go to jail?"
81 do tell you exactly that. He is
my prisoner"
II don't believe either of you," de-
clared Nan scornfully. "You are plan
ming something underhand together"
De Spain laughed cool1y. "We've
planned that much together, but not, I
assure you, with his consent"
Il don't believe your stories at ALL"
she declared firmly.
De Spain flushed. The irritation and
| the serious danger bore in on him. eff
you don't believe me it's not my fault"
he retorted. "Ive told you the truth.
Ride on, Sassoon."
He spoke angrily, but this in no
wise daunted Nan. She wheeled her
horse directly in front of them. ''Don't
you stir, Sassoon," she commanded,
until call Uncle Duke"
| De Spain spurred straight at her !;
their horses collided and his knee
touched hers in the saddle. 'I'm go
ing to take this man out of here" he
announced in a tone she never had
heard before from a man. "Ive no
time to talk. Go call your uncle if you
like. We must pass"
"You shan't pass a step!"
With the quick words of defiance the
two glared at each other. De Spain
was taken aback. He had expected no
more than a war Of words-a few
screams at the most. Mans face
turned white, but there was no symp-
tom even of whimper. He noticed
her quick breathing, and felt, instinc-
lively, the restrained gesture of her
right hand as it started back to her
side. The move steadied him. zone
| question:" he said bluntly, 'are you
armed?"
She hated even to answer, and met
his searching gaze resentfully, but
something in his tone and manner
wrung reply. 81 can defend myself"
she exclaimed angrily.
De Spain raised his right hand from
his thigh to the pommel of his saddle.
The slight gesture was eloquent of his
surrender of the issue of force. II
can't so into a shooting-match with
you about this cur. If you call your
uncle there will be bloodshed-unlesS
you drop me off my horse right here
and now before he appears. ALI ask
you is this: Is this kind of a cut
throat worth that? If you shoot me,
my whole posse from Sleepy Cat is
right below us in the aspens. Some
of your own people will be killed in a
general fight. If you want to shoot me,
shoot-you can have the match all to
yourself. If you don't, let us go by.
And if I've told you one word that isn't
true, call me back to this spot any time
you like, and I'll come at your call, and
answer for it,
| His words and his manner confound-
| ed her for a moment. She could not at
| once make an answer, for she could not
decide what to say. Then, of g sud-
den, she was robbed Of her chance to
answer. From down the trail came a
| yell like q shot. The clatter of hoofs
| rang out, and men on horses dashed
from the entrance Of the gap toward
them. De Spain could not make out
| distinctly, but he knew Lefever's yell,
and pointed. "There they are" he
exclaimed hurriedly. "There is the
whole posse. They are coming!" A
shot, followed closely by a second rang
out from below. &C.," he cried to
Nan. ''There'll be shooting here that
I can't stop!" He slapped Sassoon's
pony viciously with his hand, spurred
past her himself, and was away. White
with CONSERVATION and anger, she
steadied herself and looked after the
fleeing pair. Then whirling in her sad
die, she ran her pony back to the
ranch-hOuse to give the alarm.
Yelling like half a dozen men, Le-
fever and Scott, as De Spain and his
prisoner dashed toward them, sep
arated, let the pair pass, and spurred
in behind to cover the flight and con-
front any pursuers. None at the mo-
ment threatened, but no words were
exchanged until the whole party, riding
fast, were well past Ell Captain and
out of the gap. For some unex-
pressed reason-so strong is the influ-
ence Of tradition and reputation-no
one of the three coveted a close en-
counter with the Morgans within its
walls.
'Its the long heels for it now, boys"
cried De Spain. His companions closed