Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-02-15


partnership adjustments This rumor
he telephOned TO Jeffries. Before Talk
ing with De Spain, Jeffries went over
the information with Lefever, The two
agreed 1t was right, In the circnm-
stances, that De Spain should be near
or than Sleepy Cat to Nan. Moreover,
the period Of waiting she had enjVined
on him was almost complete.
Without giving De Spain the story
fully, the two men talking before him
let the discussion drift toward a pro-
posal on his part to go down to Gala
hasas, where he could more easily keep
track of any movement to or from the
gap, and this they approved. De Spain,
already chatting under hardly Ell.
dured restraint, lost no time In start
ing for Caabasas directing Lefever to
follow next day
1t added nothing to his peace OF
mind In the morning to learn definitely
from McAlpin that Gale Morgan, with
in twenty-f0ur hours, had really disap-
peared from Calabasas. No word of
any kind had come from Music noun
tain for days. No one at Calabasas
was aware even that Nan had gone
into the gap again. Bob Scott was at
Thief River. De Spain telephoned to
him to come up on the early stage, and
turned his attention toward getting in
formation from Music mountain with
out violating Mans injunction not to
Illustrate her most delicate effort with
her Uncle.
As Il possible scout to look into her
present situation and report on 1t, Nc
Alpin could point only to Bull Page.
Bull was ready instrument, but his
/ present value as nm assistant had be-
come matter Of doubt, since prac-
tically every man in the gap had
threatened within the week to blow his
head off-though Bull himself felt no
scruples against making an attempt TO
reach Music mountain and get back
again. II was proposed by the canny
McAlpiN to send him in with a team
and light wagon, ostensibly to bsing
out his trunk, which. il 1t had not been
fed to the horses, was still in Dukes
barn. As soon as Il rig could be got up
Page started out.
1t was late November. A far, clear
air drew the snow.capped ranges
sharply down to the eye of the desert
as If the speckless sky, lighted by the
radiant sun, were but monster glass
rugged to trick the credulous retina. De
Spain, in the saddle IN from, of the
barn. his broad hat brim set on the
impassive level of the western horse
man, his lips seeming to compress his
thoughts, his lines over his forearm.
and his hands hnlf-slipped into the
pockets Of his snug leather coat,
watched Page with his light wagon and
horses drive away.
Idling around the neighborhood Of
the barns in the saddle, De Spain saw
him gradually recede into the long
4 desert perspective, the perspective
which almost alone enabled the watch
er to realize as he curtnined his eyes
behind their long, steady lnshes from
/ the blazing sun, that It was a good bit
Of way to the foot of the great out
post of the Superstition range.
De SPANS restlessness prevented his
remaining quietly anywhere for long.
As the morning advanced he cantered
out on the Music mountain trail think.
Ing of and wishing for n sight of Nan.
The deadly shock Of Pardaloe's story
had been dulled by days and nights Of
pain His dcep-rooted love and his
loneliness had quoted his impulse for
vengeance and Overborne him with II
profound sadness. He realized how
different his feelings were now from
what they had been when she llnalt be-
fore him in the darkenetl room and. not
daring to plead for mercy for her uncle,
had asked him only for the pity for
herself that he had seemed so slow
to give. Something rcpronchct him
now for his coldness at the moment
that he should hive thought of her
suffering before his own.
It was while riding in this way that
his eyes, reading mechanically the
wagon trail he was almlessy following
;. for no reason other than that II
brought him, though forbidden. little
closer to her---arrested his attention.
He checked Ills horse. Something, the
trail told him, had happened Page
had stopped his horses. Page had met
two men on horseback coming from the
\ gap. After a parley-for the horses
had tnmped around long enough for
one-the wagon had turned completely
from thc trail and struck across the
desert, north; the two hOrsemen, or
one with a led horse. had started back
for the gnp.
All Of this De Spain gathered with.
out moving his horse outside circle VI
thirty feet What did II mean? Page
might have fallen in with cronies from
the CUP, abandoned his job, and start.
cd for Sleepy Cat but this was unlike
~ He might have encountered enc
mics, been pointedly advised to keep
AWAY from the gap, and pretended to
start for Sleepy cnt, to avoid trouble
with them. Decming the second the