Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-04-26

on the porch and si1pped over to the
morse barns and found a hackamore,
and went down TO the corral and hunt
ed around till I found this little pinto
she's the best to ride bareback"
i could ride a razorback-why take
all that trouble for me?"
IF you don't start while you have
a chance, you undo everything I have
tried to do to avoid a 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
| tened a moment together in the dark
| ness. De Spain, leaning forward, said
| something in low, laughing voice.
Nan made no answer. Then, bending,
he took her hand and, before she could
| release it, caught it up to his lips
For long time after he had gone
| she stood, listening for a shot-won-
er he could get past the waiting traps.
De Spain, true to all she had ever
heard of his Indianlike stealth, had
left her side unabashed and unafraid-
living, ughing, 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 it. She would have well
| coined, in her keen suspense, a sound
of some kind, some reminder that he
yet lived and could yet laugh; none
came.
Day was breaking when the night
boss, standing in the doorway at the
Calabasas barns, saw a horseman rid
ing at a leisurely pace up the Thief
River road. The barnman scrutinized
| 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 stiffly 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
| All Il,
| bullying with shock. De Spain, sitting
down, forbade the barnman to disturb
| them, op'y asking who they We're
| When be had asked half a dozen
more leisurely questions and avoided
| answering twice as many. the barnman
at De SPANS request helped him up
stairs. Beside himself with excite
| ment, the night boss turned, grinning
as he laid one hand on the doorknoh
and the other on De SPANS shoulder
"You couldn't have come" he whis-
| pered loudly, 'at q better time"
The entryWay was dark, and from
| the silence within the room one might
| nave 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
ana the other on window ledge, four
men sat abouaa rickety table in a life
and-death struggle at cards. No voice
| broke the tense silence, not even when
the door was thrown broadly open.
No One-neither Lefever, Scott,
Frank ElpasO nor McAlpin-lOoked up
| when De Spain walked into the room
and, with the night man tiptOeing be-
| mind, advanced comDOsedly toward the
group. Even ti.en his presence would
have passed tied, but that Bob
SCOTS ear mechanically recorded the
iimping step aid transmitted to his
trained Intelligence merely notice of
something unusual.
Scott, picking up his cards one at q
| time as LefeVpr 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 it. Lefever's own
eyes, at the sight of the thinned, IA
miliar face behind EIpaso's chair,
starting, opened like full moons. The
big fellow spread one hand out, his
cards hidden within it, and with the
other hand prudentIy drew down his
pile Of chips. Gentlemen" he said
lightly, "this game is interned" He
rose and put a silent hand across the
table over ElpasO's shoulder Henry"
he exclaimed impassiveIy, lone ques-
ton, if you please-and only one: How
IN thunder did you do it?'
CHAPTER XIV.
Strategy.
One week went to repairs. To a