Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-02-12

core over the trail toward Duke Nor
san's 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 nheil far enough
to embroil them in quarrel before he
himself should come up.
HALFWAY to Dukes house they found
o ANAL bridge had gone out. 1t cut OF
the direct road, and, at Elpaso's sug.
gestion, 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,
lnm0Iestel. on their way. Az they
approached Sassoon's place, Elpaso,
riding ahead, drew up his horse and sat
n 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 a hill ahead.
When Lerever rode up to him, ne
saw the story that Elpaso was reading
In the roadway. 1t told Of man shot
In his tracks Ms he was running toward
the hOuse--and. In the judgment Of
these men, fatally shOt--f0r, while his
companions spread like a fan In front
Of hIm.-I.e fever got off his horse and.
bending in.ently over the sudden page
torn out Of n mans life, recast the
scene that had taken place. where he
stood, half an hour earlier. Some little
time Leftover spent patiently decipller-
ing the story printed 10 the rutted rond,
aud marked by aswide crimson splash
In the middle Of IL. He rose from his
study at length and followed back the
trail Vt the running feet that hud been
stricken ut the pool. He stopped In
| fropt' Of a fragment Of rock jutting up
beside the rohd, studied It q while and.
looking about, picked UP q number of
empty cartradee-shells examined them,
and TOSSED them. away. Then he
Strengthened up and looked searching
u across me gap Only the great,
silent face Or FL Captain confronted
him, It;told no tales. n. I II
| ri this wps Henry de SPAIN" mutt
tered Elpas6, when Lefeyer rejolned
his companions. ''he won't care whether
you Join him now, or at ten o'clock, or
never" S
"That Ia not Henry" asserted LIE
fever with his usual cheer. mot with
ID forty rows Of apple trees. It's not
Henry's gun, not Henry's heels, not
Henry's hair. and thereby, not Henry's
head that was hit that time. Mut it
was to n finish--and blamed II at first
1t didn't scare me. thought 1t might
be Henry. Hang it, get down and see
for yourselves, boys
ElpasO answered his invitation with
an inquiry. "Who was this fellow
fighting with?"
THAT, also, is n question. Certainly
not with Henry de Spain, because the
other fellow, think, was using soft
noscd bullets. No white man does that,
much less De Spnin."
"Unless he used another rifle" slug
gested Kennedy.
TEL me how they could get his owl,
rifle away from him II he could Are a
yin at DIT. I don't put Henry quite as
high With d rife as With n revolver
II you wunt to split hairs--nlind, I say.
n Sdu want to split hairs. But no MIN
limits ever, seen him handle either
would want to try to take any kind of
d gun from him. Whoever 1t WIS.," L,,-
Fever got up 5lpto his saddle again,
threw SOME oi,nccs Of lead into that
piece dt rock back there, though
don't understand Now anyone could see
d man lying behind 1t.
! "AnywdW xhdever was hit here hus
been carried do~n the road. Well
tty Sassoon's rnncl,.housc II they don't
fire on MS before we get there
j IN the sunshine man IN shirt
sleeves, leaning against the Jamb. stood
ID the open doorway NJ sSassdon's
shack, wntchlng The invalHts INA they
rode around the hill and kingc,'ly up.
4 hrbAchs,l. Ilefeyer fecoanlzea1sdtt Nor.
gan. Hr fling greeting td him from
lhe saddle. INV F'l'' n Il
/ VI Sntt answered la, klnd, but he eyed
lhs horsenlen with reserve Whom they