Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-04-20

eS otoFmeu UP tne Till.
sticky hairs caught up that scrap OF
paper, which, by his distracted wallow-
ing, was worked into his matted coat
until 1t chung with burrlike tenaclty.
Although Black Tony was in ignO-
rance that his discriminating diagram
had been appropriated in this odd
manner, he had an inherent dislike
for all animals, which he now mani
Tested by bestowing a well directed
kick with his heavy boot upon the
struggling Sandy. The injured and
much aggrieved puppy gave one yelp
Of panied surprise and darted out Of
the tent. With dropping tail and
equally dropping spirits, he started as
fast as his short legs could carry him
for the home Of Aunty Kicks, which
was the place of his nativity, and
where no such brutal treatment as
this had ever been melted out to him.
The maltreated Sandy, reaching the
old gray farmhouse which had former
ly been his home, raced through the
open door into the cheerful living
room where a somewhat detected
young man was sitting with an elder
ly, klndly-faced woman
"Sakes alive, If It amt that pup
come back home |" she calculated.
Her younger-eyed companion imme-
dlately saw that something was amiss
with the pet he had bestowed upon
Margery Golden as a parting gift.
Then he saw the scrap Of paper
sticking in the dogs matted hair and
his face grew serious. Perhaps the
one he loved was in danger and In
this strange way had sent a message
asking his help. With swift fingers he
disentangled the paper and, smoothing
out its gummy creases, studied 1t with
frOwning intensity. What he saw was
a rough sketch of a large field tent,
with a tree outlined close beside 1t.
To the p~uzzled-eyed young man
came a sudden and startled cOmpre-
hension Of those apparently meaning
less drawings. Only that afternoon he
had passed the great manor house and
had seen the preparations for the lawn
fete to which he had received no In
vitation. He had noted the striped
marquee put up directly under the
mammoth oak.
That time would undoubtedly be the
supper hour. Davy's face went white
as he hurriedly glanced at the clock
on the mantel. A fearful apprehen-
sion seized him that 1t might already
be too late to prevent the fright
full massacre planned by the one
armed criminal. Paying no heed to
the anxious queries of his wonder
ing companion, he rushed from that
room in a frenzy Of dread forebOd-
ing. AS he flung himself upon his pull
sating motorcycle and shot out into the
darkness. His fear would have been a
hundredfOld intensified could he have
seen the murderous Italian, who at
that moment touched a lighted match
to the end Of the time fuse projecting
from the nearly severed oak.
1t was a race between a spark Of
fire eating Its way up the ever
shortening fuse and a wildly driven
motorcycle lurching through the night.
The stakes Of that desperate race were
precious human lives. Once the race
was nearly lost, as the pounding ma
chine missed by a hairs breadth a
heavy touring car with vision-blindlng
headlights. Then it careened into the
driveway of the brilliantly lighted
grounds, raced madly across the level
|, stretch of lawn and into the very tent
, itself before it's white-lipped rider
leaped from the saddle.
"Run. all Of youl Run for your
lives !" he cried frantically.
AS his meaning dawned upon the
startled guests they stampeded from
that threatened tent like a flock Of
fe%ar-crazed sheep. Even as they
cleared the guy-ropes a dull, muhied
defamation split the air and the strick.
: en- oak swayed u~nsteadily for an IN.
I slant then 1t came topping down on
r those deserted walls Of canvas with a
roar like the mighty crash Of thunder
t clouds.
AS David Manley relinquished his
! hold on the white-faced girl whose life
Q he had saved, Enoch Golden grasped
= him TREMENDOUSLY by the hand in silent
thanks for their %deliverance from dis.
aster. Margery turned to him a little
shyly.
II don't know how to thank you for
what you have done, Davy," she said
r impulslvely.
{ But the deeply hurt young man only
acknowledged her gratitude with 4
Z stihiy formal bow as he turned and
4 strobe awny into the darkness.
ITO BIZ CONTnTUEDA