The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1917-04-19
CHAPTER K.
After the Storm.

After the Storm.
For week the search continued day
and night, but each day, even each
| succeeding hour, reduced the expec,
tation Of ever seeing De Spain alive.
Spies working at Calabasas, others
sent in by Jeffries to Music noun
tain among the Morgans, and men
from Medicine Bend haunting Sleepy
Cat could get no word of De Spain.
Deaf Sandusky and Logan had been
found dead at the Inn by Lefever on
the night after the fight. Fairly accu-
rate reports accounted for Gale Nor
gan, nursing a wound at home, and
for SassOOn, badly wounded and under
cover somewhere in the gap. Beyond
this, information halted.
Toward the end of the week a Next
can sheepherder brought word in to
Lefever that he had seen in Duke
Morgan's stable Sasseon's horse-the
one on which De Spain had escaped.
He averred he had seen the blood
stained Santa Fe saddle that had been
taken off the horse when the horse was
found at daybreak of the day follow
ing the fight, waiting at SassOon's cor
raj to be cared for. There could he.
it was fairly well ascertained, no mis-
take about the horse-the man knew
the animal; but his information threw
no light on the fate of it's missing
rider.
Though Scott had known first of
De SPANS helpless condition in his
desperate flight, as regarded self-de-
Tense, the Indian was the last to aban-
don hope of seeing him alive again.
One night, in the midst of a gloomy
council at Jeffries' office, he was
pressed for an explanation of his con-
tidence. 1t was always difficult for
Scott to explain his reasons for think
ing anything. Men with the surest in
stinct are usually poorest at reason
ing a conviction out. But Bob, cross
examined and harried, managed to give
some explanation of the faith that was
in him. I'm the first place." he said.
"I've ridden a good deal with that
man-pretty much all over the coun-
try north of Medicine Bend. He is as
full of tricks as a nuts full of meat.
Henry de Spain can hide out like an
Indian, and doctor himself. Then.
again, 1 know something about the
way he fights; up here they don't. If
those four fellows had ever seen him
in action, they never would have ex-
pected to get out of a room alive, after
a showdown with Henry de Spain. As
near as 1 can make out from all the
talk that's floating around, what fooled
them was seeing him shoot at mark
here one day in Sleepy Cat"
Jeffries didn't interrupt, but he
slapped his knee sharply.
"You might just as well try to stand
on a box of dynamite, and shoot into
it, and expect to live to tell it." con-
tinued Scott mildly, "as to shoot into
that fellow in a room with closed doors
and expect to get away with it. The
only way the bunch can ever kill that
man, without getting killed themselves,
is to get him from behind; and at that.
John, the man that fires the gum" muir
INJURED the scout, fought to be behind a
tree.
you say he is hit. l grant it." he
concluded. But 1 knew him once,
when he was hit, to lie out in the bush
for a week. He got cut off once from
Smith and Kennedy after
a scrimmage outside Williams Cache
two years ago."
You don't believe. then, he's dead !
Bob?' demanded Jeffries impatiently.
mot till 1 see him dead" persisted !
Scott unmoved.
De Spain, when he climbed into Sas- |
soon's saddle, was losing sight and |
He knew he could no |
longer defend himself, and was so
faint that only the determination of |
putting distance between him and any
Dursuers held him to the horse after
ne spurred away. With the instinct of
he hunted. he fumkled with his right
hand for his means of defense, and
vas relieved to find his revolver, after
IFS panicky dash for safety, safe in it's
place. He put his hand to his belt for
'resh cartridges. The belt was gone.
The discovery sent a shock through
his failing faculties. He could not
'ecollect why he had no belt. Believ-
ng his senses tricked him, he felt
gain and again for it before he would
,elieve it was not buckled somewhere
bout him. But it was gone, and he
tuck back in his waistband his useless
evolver. One hope rcmained-flight,
nd ne spurred his horse cruelty.
Blood running continually into his
yes from the wound in his head made
i'm think his eyes were gone, and di-
ection was a thing quite beyond his
over of compass. He made little eff
ort to guide, and his Infatuated horse
ew along as if winged. 4