The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-05-12

Z rue uoWn the dusty trail t0gethe
I That, take II, is their business. BIZ
her uncle, old Duke, and Gale, and til
whole bunch, / hear, turned dead sor
on 1t, and have fixed it up to beat then
You all know the Morgans. They'r
some bunch-and they stick for on
another like hornets, and all hold to
gether in fight. So don't want an,
man to ride in there with me thinkin,
he's going to wedding He isn't. HI
) may or may not be going to funeral
but he's not going to shivaree.'
Frank Elpaso glanced sourIy at hi.
companions. II guess everybody her,
is wise. John"
Il know You are, Frank" retortef
| Lefever testify; that's all right. I'm
only explaining. And don't want YOU
to get sore on me IL don't show YOU
a fight" Frank Elpaso grunted. 81
am under orders" John waved his
hand. "And / can't do anything"
"But tulk." growled Frank Elpaso
not waving his hand.
Lefever started hotIy forward In his
saddle. "Now look here, Frank" He
pointed his finger at the Directing
ranger. am here for business, not for
pleasure. Any tire I'm free you can
| talk to me"
mot till somebody gags you, John,r
lnterposed Elpaso moodily.
Look here, Elpaso," demanded Lee
fever, squirting his horse smartly to-
ward the Texan, "are you looking for a
fight with me right here and now"
"Yes, here and now" declared Ell
paso t1ercely.
"Or, there and then" interposed
Kennedy, ironically, "some time, some
where, or no time, nowhere. Having
heard all Of which, a hundred and fifty
times from you two fellows, let us have
peace. You've pulled it so often, over
at Sleepy Cat, they've got it in double
faced, red-seal records. Let's get
started"
Right you are, Farrell" assented
Lefever, "but-"
Second verse, John. You're boss
here; what are we going to do2 That's
all we want to know
"Henry's orders Were to wait here
till ten o'clock this morning. There's
been firing inside twice since twelve |
O'Clock last night. He told me to nay |
no attention to that. But If the whole |
place hadn't been under water all |
night, I'd have gone in, anyway. This
last time it was two high-powered |
guns. picking at long range and, If I'm
any Judge of rifles and the men prob |
ably behind them, someone must have |
got hurt. It's all guess-but I'm GO
ing In there. peaeeably If / can. to look
for Henry de Spain; IL we are fred on |
got to fight for 1t. And ie
there's any talking to be DONE
"You can do It," grunted Elpaso.
THANK you, Frank. And will do 1t. |
] need not say that Kennedy will ride
ahead with me, Elnaso and Wlckwire
with Tommie Meggeson."
Leaving Scott In the trees, the little
party trotted snartly up the road,
picking their way through the pools
and across the brawling streams that
tore over the trail toward Duke Nor
CAMS 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 ahead far enough
to embroil them In a quarrel before he
should come up.
Halfway to Dukes house they found
a small bridge had gone out. 1t cut off
the direct road, and, at Elpaso's sug-
gestlon, they crossed over to follow the
ridge up the valley. Swimming their
horses through the backwater that COW
cred the depression to the south, they
gained the elevation aud proceeded,
Hnmolested, on their way. AS they
approached Soss00n's place, Epas0,
riding ahead, drew up his horse and sat
o moment studying the trail and east
ing an occasional glance In the direc-
ZION of the ranch-h0use, which lay I'M
der the brow Of hill ahead.
When Lefever rode up to him, he
saw the story that Elpaso was reading
In the roadway. 1t told of man shot
IN his tracks as he was running toward
the house--and, In the judgment of
these men, fatally shot-for, while his
companions spread like fan In front ,
OF him, Lefever got off his horse and. 6
bending intently over the sudden page
torn out OF a mans life, recast the
scene that had taken place, where he
stood, half an hour earlier. Some little
lime Lefover spent patiently decipher-
ng the story printed in the rutted road,
Ind marked by wide crimson splash
n the middle of 1t, He rose from his Z
'tudy at length and followed back the
rail Of the running feet that had been ,
stricken at the pool. He stopped In r
ront Of fragment of rock Jutting uE t
'eside the road, studied it while and,
ookiag about, picked up number of G
'mpty cartridge-shells, examined them. :
md tossed them away. Then he
up and looked searching
across the gap. Only the great. ;
ilent face of FL Captain confronted /,
lin. 1t told no tales.
IF this was Henry Or Spain" NUT ,
cred Elpaso, when Lefever refojnea {