Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-04-19

/ TIC oIIdIn oL IdcIllg ner suspicion wore
on him. Il won't ask you ANYTHING
more he said at length. "YOu think
I've no right to Gve-thats what Won
think, isn't it? Why don't you shoetp'
She only stared at him. "Wbv don't
you answer" he demanded recklessIv
Nan summoned her resolution. 81
know you tried to kill my cousin" she
said holly, after he had tainted her
| once more. and I am going TO think
what to do before 1 tell you ANYTHING
or do anything"
"YOu know l tried to kill your cou-
sin You know nothing of the kind.
Your cousin tried to kill me- He's q
bully and a coward, a man that doesn' :
know what fair fighting means"
you are safe ID abusing him waen
| he's not here"
''Sand him to mel" His voice shock
with anger. Tell him I'm wounded {;
tell him I've had nothing to eat since
I fought him before. And if he's still
afraid"-De Spain drew and broke his
revolver almost like a flash. In that
incredibly quick instant she realized
he might have threatened her life be-
fore she could move a muscle-'tell
your fine cousin I've got one cartridge
| left-just One!" So saying, he held in
one hand the loaded cartridge and in
! the other the empty revolver.
you've asked me to go-Tm going.
! How much of what you tell me is true,
don't know. But I can believe my
own eyes, and believe you are not in
condition to do much injury, even if
! you came here with that intention. You
will certainly lose your life if you move
! from your hiding place"
! She started away. He leaned toward
her. STOP" he said peremptorily,
raising himself with a wrenching eff
| fort. Something in the stern eye held
| her. His extended hand pointed toward
| her as arbitrarily as if, instead of living
| helpless at her feet, he could command
! her to his bidding. 81 want to ask you
/ a question. I've told you the truth. l
have just one cartridge. If you are
going to send your cousin and his men
here, it's only fair 1 should know it
now-isn't it?"
MY cousin is wounded" she said,
Dausing. And then win iudecisiO
IF you stay here quietly you ale not
likely to be m0lested."
She stepped down frc.1 the ledge
| as noiselessly as she had come. }laken
by the discovery she haC 80 'In. ,pect-
eddy made, Nan retreated ;....Jst Pre-
cipitately from he sro+. And Il
question Of what 10 70 : ,rried her :;
| much as it WORT n D 59a..,. T :
whole range hat Zen e.I.,.,GI. Hy lie
| CaIabasas fight. Even the men in
Morgan's gap, supposed to be past
masters of the game played in the
closed room at Calabasas, had been
stunned by the issue Of the few min
utes with Jeffries' new man.
Nan, who had heard but one side Of
the story, pictured the aggressor from
the tale of the two who lived to tell
of the horribly sharp action with him.
But Mans common sense whispered to
her, whatever might be said about De
SPANS starting the fight, that one man
locked in a room with four enemies, all
dangerous in an ARRAY, was not likely
to begin a fight unless forced to
none, at least, but a mailman would do
| so.
Unhappy and irresolute, Nan, when
she got home, was glad Of an excuse
to ride TO Calabasas for a packet of
dressing coming by stage from Sleepy
Cat for Gale, who lay wounded at Satt
MOrgan's; and, eating a hasty lunch
con, she ordered her horse and set out.
Should she tell her Uncle Duke of
finding De Spain? Whenever she de-
cided that she must, something in the
| recollection of De SPANS condition I'M
settled her resolution. Tales enough
OF his blOOdthirstiness, his merciless
efficiency, his ever-ready craft and con-
almmate dupicity were familiar to
her. Yet only a few of these stories
| appealed to Mans innate convictions
of truth and justice. She lived among
men who were, for the most part, not
| truthful or dependable even in small
things-hOw could they be relied on to
! tell the truth about De SPANS motives
and conduct? AS to his deadly skill
| with arms, no stories were needed to
confirm this, even though she herself
/ had once overcome him in contest.
| The evidence of his mastery had now
| a fatal pre-eminence among the TRACE
dies of the Spanish sinks. Where he
| lay he could, If he meditated revenge
on her people, murder any of them, al
most at will. To spare his life imper-
| lied to this extent theirs-but surely
| he lay not far from death by exhaus-
! ton. And if he was not helped soon
| he would die
| But who was to help him? Certainly
none of his friends. If she told them
| they would try to reach him. That
would mean an appalling-an unthink-
| able-ight. All came back to one ter
rifying alternative: Should she help
/ this wretched man herself? And if he
lived, would he repay her by shooting
| someone of hcr own Gin?
The Ions eide to C&:slsaSr:s won't rqst
as the debate swept Oh al tl:. ND
shack # ner strange eAp>rie..,l re-
! cI."-'..a - her Imagination
-, rev up before the big harm.
jim McAj0n was coming out To "a to
! 81: "a, r. Nan asked for her packa re
anu wanted to start directly back
aGa.in. AcAIpin refused absolutely to
| hear Of If He looked at her horse md