The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1917-05-12

,Dack got up 10 my room WITHOUT Dc
ling seen, and sat at the window long
time. waited till all the men stopped
riding past. Then I climbed through
the window and down the kitchen roof,
land let myself down to the ground.
Some more men came past, and / hid
on the porch and slipped over to the
horse barns and found hackamore,
and went down to the corral and hunt
ed around till / found this little pinto
she's the best to ride bareback"
II could ride a razorback-why take
all that. trouble for me?'
''If you don't start while you have
a chance, you undo everything have
tried to do to avoid fight"
/ The wind, stirring softly, set the
aspen leaves quivering. The stars,
chilled In the thin, clear night air,
hung diamondlike In the heavens and
the eastern sky across the distant des-
,ert paled for the rising moon. The
two, standing at the horses head, lis
Itened a moment together in the dark
ness. De Spain, leaning forward, said
something in a low, laughing voice.
Nan made no answer. Then, bending,
he took her hand and, before she could
release 1t, caught 1t up to his lips.
! For long time after he had gone
she stood, listening for q shot-won-
dering, GREATNESS at moments, wheth-
err he could get past the waiting traps.
DE Spain, true to oil she had ever
heard of his Indianlike stealth, had
left her side unabashed and unafraid-
living, laughing, paying bold court to
her even when she stubbornly refused
! to be courted-and had made himself
in the twinkling Of an eye a part Of
the silence beyond-the silence of the
night the wind, the stars, the waste
of sand, and Of all the mystery that
brooded upon 1t. She would have well
coined, In her keen suspense, sound
of some kind, some reminder that he
yet lived and could yet laugh; more
came.
Day was breaking when the night
boss, standing in the doorway at the
Calabasas barns, saw q horseman rid
ing at a leisurely pace up the Thief
River road. The barnman scrutiniZcd
the approaching stranger closely.
There was something strange and
something familiar in the outlines Of
the figure. But when the night rider
had dismounted in front of the barn.
door, turned his horse loose, and, limp
ing stifily walked forward on foot, the
man rubbed his eyes hard before he
could believe them. Then he uttered
an incredulous greeting and led Henry
de Spain into the barn Office.
There's friends Of yours in your
room upstairs right now" he declared,
bulging with shock. De Spain, sitting
down, forbade the barnman to disturb
them, 'on'y asking who they were.
When DE had asked half dozen
more leisurely questions and avoided
answering twice as many, the barnman
Mt De Spain's request helped him up
stairs. Beside himself with excite
ment, the night boss turned, grinning.
as he laid one hand on the doorknob
and the other on De SPANS shoulder.
"You couldn't have come" he wills
pered loudly, at better time"
The entryway was dark, and from
the silence within the room one might
have thought its occupants, If there
were such, wrapped in slumber. But
at intervals faint clicking sound
could be heard. The night man threw
open the door. By the light of two
stage-lamps, one set on the dresser
and the other on window ledge, four
men sat about a rickety table in life
and-death struggle ut cards. No voice
broke the tense silence, not even when
the door was thrown broadly open.
No one-neither Lefever, Scott,
Frank Elpaso nor McAIpin-looked up
when De Spain walked into the room
and, with the night man tiptoeing be-
hind, advanced composedly toward the
group. Even then his presence would
have passed unnoticed, but that Bob
Scott's ear mechanically recorded the
limping step and transmitted to his
trained intelligence merely notice of
something unusual.
Scott, picking up his cards one ut a
time as Lefever dealt, raised his eyes.
Startling as the sight Of the man
given up for dead must have been, no
muscle of Bob SCOTS body moved.
His expression of surprise slowly dis
solved into grin that mutely invited
The Others, as he had found out for
himself, to find out for themselves,
Lefever finished his deal, threw down
the pack, and picked up his hand. His
suspicious eyes never rose above the
level of the faces at the table; but
when he had thumbed his cards and
looked from one to the other of the
remaining players to read the weather
signals, he perceived on SCOTS face
an unwonted expression, and looked to
where the scouts gaze was turned for
an explanation of 1t. Lefever's own
eyes, at the sight Of the thinned, IA
miliar face behind Elpaso's chair
starting opened like full moons. The
big fellow spread one hand out, his
cards hidden within 1t, and with the
other hand prudently drew down his
pile Of chips. Gentlemen" he said
lightly, 'this game Is interned." He
rose and put silent hand across the
table over Elpaso's shoulder. "Henry,"
he exclaimed impassiyely zone oues-