The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1917-06-14

sic mountain"
"GO ahead"
"The message is like this: Take me
away from here as soon as you can -
'Whom is that message from?"
81 can't call any names"
'Who are your
81 can't tell you that. Goodby."
Hold on. If you're treating me
fair-and I believe you mean to
come over to my room a minute"
"No."
Let me come to- where you are?"
mo"
LET me wait for you-anywhere?"
mo"
"Do you think that message means
what it says?"
81 know it does
do you know what it means for me
to undertake."
81 have a pretty, stiff idea"
did you get it direct from the
party who sent it?"
81 can't talk all night. Take it or
leave it just where it is"
De Spain heard him close. He
closed his own instrument and began
feverishly signaling central. "This is
101 Henry de Spain talking" he said
briskly. you just called me. Ten
dollars for you, operator if you can
locate that call, quick %
There was a moment of delay at the
central office, then the answer: ut
came from 234-Tenison's saloon"
"Give me your name, operator.
Good. Now give me %, and ring the
neck off the bell"
Leftover answered the call on No.
%. The talk was quick and sharp.
Messengers were instantly pressed
into service from the dispatcher's of
flee. Telephone wires hummed, and
every man available on the special
agents force was brought into action.
Livery stables were covered, the pub
lie resorts were put under observation,
hOrsemen clattered up and down the
street. Within an incredibly short
time the town was rounded up, every
outgoing trail watched, and search
was underway for anyone from Nor
CAMS gap, and especially for the send
er of the telephone message.
De Spain, after instructinG Lefever
FASTENED to Tensions. His rapid
questioning of the few habitues of the
place and the bartender elected only
the information that a man had used
the telephone booth within a few min
utes. Nobody knew him. or, if they
h +A Il ho
him in any but vague terms.
Outside, Bob Scott in the saddle
waited with a led horse. The two men
rode straight and hard out on the
sinks. The sky was overcast, and
speed was their only resource. After
two miles of riding, they refined up on
a ridge, and Scott, springing from the |
saddle, listened for sounds. He rose |
from the ground, declaring he could |
hear the strides of a running horse. |
Again the two dashed ahead. The |
chase was bootless. Whoever rode |
before them easily eluded pursuit.
Undeterred by his failure to over
take the fugitive, De Spain rode rap
idly back to town to look for other
clews. Nothing further was found to
throw light on the message or mes
senger. No one had been found any
where in town from Morgan's gap;
whoever had taken a chance in de-
livering the message had escaped I'M
detected.
Even after the search had been
abandoned the significance of the in
cident remained to be weighed. De
Spain was much upset. A conference
with Scott. whose judgment in any
affair was marked by good sense, and
with Lefever, who, like a woman,
reached by intuition a conclusion at
which Scott or De Spain arrived by
process of thought, only revealed the
fact that all three, as Lefever CON
fessed, were nOnplused.
Its one of two things" declared
Lefever, whose eyes were never duIled
by late hours. EITHER they've sent
this to lure you into the gap and get
you, or else-and that's great big
or else'-she needs you. Henry, did
hat message-I mean the way it was
like Nan Morgan?"
De Spain could hardly answer. 1T
lid, and it didn't" he said finally. I
But" his companions saw during
he pause by which his lips expressed
the resolve he had finally reached
hat he was not likely to be- truned ,
rom TT am going to act just as +
f the word came from Nan and she
loes need me-"
More than one scheme for getting T
quickly into touch with Nan was pro-
Dosed and rejected within the next +
en- minutes. And when Lefever, after
onferring with Scott, put up to De r
spain a proposal that the three shouId b
'lde into the gap together and de- G
nand Nan ut the hands of Duke Nor i
AN. De Spain had reached another t
onclusiOn. f
81 know you are willing to take
acre than your share, John, of any a
anne l play. In the first place, it C
sn't right to take you and Bob in c
here / am going on my own personal
fair. And l know Nan wouldn't en- a
o. the prospect of an all-arOund fight h
n her account. Fighting is a horror h
D that girl. I've got her feelings to
mink about as well as my own. I've t
ecided what to do, John. I'm going t.
! alone" h
you're going in alone " b.
"Tonight. Now, I'll tell you what Il
d like you to do if you want to: ride
18th me and wait till morning. out 90