The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-07-25
G NAN Of 9
MUSIC MOUNTAIN
By frank Il. Spedrmdn
Author Of Whispering Smith
Author Of Whispering Smlth

VI ti~t tATA s'N. va
that message mean the way il wa
~worded-Sound like Nan Morgan?'
De Spain could hardly answer 81
Hid. and il didn't" he said finally
But" his companions saw durins
the pause by which his lips expressed
the resolve he had finally reached
that he was not likely 10 be truneC
from it am going 10 act just as
If the word came from Nan and she
does need me"
More than one scheme for getting
quickly into touch with Nan was pro
posed and rejected within the next
ten minutes. And when Lefever, after
conferriEg with Scott, put up 10 De
Spain a proposal that the three should
ride into the gap together and de-
mand Nan At the hands Of Duke Nor
gan, De Spain had reached another
conclusion.
II know you are willing to take
more than your share, John, of any
game / play. In the first place, it
isn't right to take you and Bob In
whore ! am going on my own personal
affair. And | know Nan wouldn't en-
joy the prospect of an all-around fight
on her account. Fighting is ii horror
to that girl. I've got her feelings to
think about as well as my own. I've
decided what to do, John. I'm going
in alone"
you're going in alone"
"TOnight. Now. I'll tell you what
I'd like you to do if you want to: ride
with me and ait till morning, out
side Ell Capit-n. If you don't hear
from me by ten O'Clock, ride back to
Calabasas and notify Jcffries to look
for a new manager"
son the contrary, If we don't hear
from you by ten O'Clock, Henry, we
will blaze our way in and drag out
your body" Lefever put up his hand
to cut off any rejoinder. Don't dis
cuss it. What happens after ten
O'Clock tomorrow morning, If we don't
hear from you before that, can't pos
sibly be Of interest to you or make
any difference" He paused, but De
Spain saw that he was not done.
When he resumed, he spoke in a tone
different from that which De Spain
usually associated with him. "Henry,
you've pulled a good many rough
games In this country. No man knows
better than l that you never pulled
one for the looks Of the thing or to
make people talk-Or that you ever
took a chance you didn't feel you had
TO take. But it isn't humanity pos
sible you can keep this up for all
time! it can't go On forever. The
pitcher goes to the we'll once too
often, Henry; there comes a time
when it doesn't come back.
"Understand-Im not saying this to
attempt to dissuade you from the
worst job you ever started in on. l.
know your mind is made up. You
won't listen to me; you won't listen to
Scott and I'm too good an Indian not
know where I get off, or not to
what I'm told. But this is what
I've been thinking Of a long, long
time; and that Is what / feel / ought |
to say, here and now"
The two men were sitting In De
room. De Spain was staring
through the broad south window at
white-capped peaks of the distant
range. He was silent for q time. II
you're right, john" he said
after q while. 81 know you are. In
his case I am tied up more than I've
been tied before; but I've got to
see 1t through as best l can. and tax.
comes without whining. NY
mind is made up. and, strange as 1t
may sound to you. I feel that l am
back. Not but what know
is due me, John. Not but what !
expect to get 1t sometime. And may
be I'm wrong now; but I don't feel
as It's coming till I've given all the
protection to that girl that a man can
give to a woman"