Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1919-09-11

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SYNOPSIS. I
CHAPTER I-senor don Antonio de la
Guerra, wealthy Spanish, ranch owner on
as informed by his American. attorney
his viii; The senior signs a new docu-
CHAPTER II-.Teresa, only. grandchild
Of the senior, finds evidence Of q struggle
ing. The belief is that the senior has been
carried acress the border by Mexican reb-
e fatea Bully cayr ssa1dw q IT Ter s;t1at, e%we eth IT.
ders the servants and VaquerOs to arm
themselves.
CHAPTER ~1I1-stanway. with twenty
men, starts in pursuit of the ebels. They
meet Eduardo Ramon Tore, kinsman of
Teresa, who has been wounded, he
CHAPTER .Iv--stanway loses the reb-
els. trail and returns, to the hacienda.
will which she has found n which
leaves all the property to Tore.
CHAPTER Van emissary from the
senior is well and Is being held for 10000
~ AOAAo SAA0o ~ oSouIA0 uI1lOI1
Of the situation.
CHAPTER vI-Dempton, the senor's
lawyer, is brought to the hacienda at
Stanway's order and is accused Of having
received pay from Tore for altering the,
senor's will.
CHAPTER vII-Torre, who has been
detained under guard by Stairway, adj
mits that he is responsible for the senor's
disappearance. He demands 10000 to re-
nounce all claim to the estate and to re;
mean the senor's death within "a hours.
CHAPTER vIII-The hacienda is at,
Tore from within. He is foiled in his
attempt to escape.
Stairway looked at the man with
swift suspicion. Pedro seemed ex-
cited yer the key; a look of great
shrewdness was in his eyes, and the
key unlocked a door in Spain! If he
was becoming delirious-
II am not in a fever, senor," said
Pedro quickly, seeing the thought in
the Americans eyes,. But that key
tells me something. Every night be-
fore going to my bed I go to the mas.
ter's room to see if he wishes any
thing, to take any commands for the
next day. I went last night after 1t
was late, just before I went to the
senomta's door. 1t was habit, senior.
I could not have gone to sleep unless
I went there"
"Well?" sharply.
"I heard a little sound. 1t wax the
scratching of q window shade. I
went, closed the window, and locked
it tightly. And while looking for the
sound I saw the key in it's place. 1t
was there at eleven o'clock last night,
senior"
"You are sure, Pedro? You are
very certain that this key was in the
masters room at eleven o'clock?"
"Very certain, senior"
"Then- But it is impossible, Pc
dro! You say that you locked the
windows? All Of them?'
"All, senor."
"And the door as you came Out?"
81 locked, senior. The key was I'M
der my bed. I gave it to you just
now. And there is only n key upon
tuC IduSllO -OAAy OAlC LII liz "O1Au
which will unlock it! J"
'But then it is impossible ~
Stairway, restless, upon his feet,
strobe back and forth, frowning. If
the key had been there last night, If
door and windows had been locked,
IL they had been locked when he went
to the room-then how could n Of
the men who attacked Pedro have
had it in his hand at three o'clock
in the morning?
sYou mean" he said slowly, COM
ing back to the bedside, shat the at
tack upon you and CelestinO was
made by men who are among the
house servants or the De la Guerra
vaqueros?"
mo, senor.'' There was no hesi-
tation-the voice was confident. 1.-THE
men wore handkerchiefs about their
faces, but I know that they were not
of our men. They were strangers to
me-"
'But," cried Stairway, chow could
such a thing be? How could they
have gotten into the masters room?
Then how could they have gotten to
the senerita's room without some one
OF our men seeing themI And why
should they have brought the key?"
"The key is heavy, good to strike q
hard blow" replied Pedro. IF a
man had lost his knife and needed a
weapon he might take 1t. No. senior"
"But how"
Stairway broke off. his eyes ran