The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-10-23

enough to kill their victim, hoping thus
to destroy absolutely the evidence OF
their crime2 VIII their vengeance al
so include Miss Donovan2"
"Not unless they can get you out Of
the way first" decided the marshal
grimly. THAT Is Lacys most impor
tant job--you are more dangerous to
them now than the girl. That meet
ing today was prearranged, and Bea-
ton was expected to land you. That
was why he hid behind the curtain,
but something caused him to make
false move; they never expected you
to put up that sort O. fight, Jim, for
nobody knew yer In this camp fer
fightin' man. But what's yer theory
bout Cavendish? Let's leave the dead
man In New York go, an get down
ter cases."
Il figure it out like this, Dan. /
believe Fred got my telegram, and de-
cided to come out here at once with
out telling anybody what his plans
were All he did was to make a will,
so as to dispose of his property in
case anything happened. His employ
ing Enright for that job unfortunately
put the whole thing In the hands of
this crowd They were ready to act,
and they acted. Beaton must have
taken the same train, and the two men
got friendly; probably they never knew
each other In New York, but being
enough to strike up an acquaintance.
What occurred on board is all guess
work, but a sudden blow at night, on
| an observation platform, at some
desert station, is not impossible; or it
might be sickness, and the two men
left behind to seek physician. Here
was where Lacy must have come in.
He goes east occasionally doesn't he"
"Sure; come to think of 1t he was
| in New York bout three months ago
on some cattle deal AN heard he had
an agent there sellin' wildcat mimi
stock. There amt no doubt in my
mind but he knew some o these fell
| lers They wouldn't "a planned this
unless they had some cache fixed out
yere in this country-that's plain as
| wart on the nose. But whar is 1t?
| I'll bet yer that If we ever find Caven-
dish, we'll find the girl along with
him; an what's more. that spot amt
liable ter be more'n fifty miles from
Haskell"
"What makes you think that?'
To I onr,sc hoi lob NJ
thar amt no man knows this country
better'n he does. Then, why should
Enright an his crowd come yere, I'M
less that was fact? They must have
come for something that lawyer amt
yere on no mimi deal; an no more
has Beaten been layin' round town fer
month DOM nuthin' but drinkin'
whisky. The whole blame outfit is
right here in Haskell, and they
wouldn't be If this wasn't headquar-
| tiers, That's good common sense, amt
| it? What made yer ask me bout Pas
cual Mendez this mornin'? You don't
hook the Mexican up with this affair,
| do yeri"
"Sadie told me she heard Enright
speak of him at breakfast; that was
all she heard, just the name"
sadie? Oh, the red-headed wait
ress at Timmons', you mean? Big
Tins girl?"
Eyes she was the one who saw Miss
| Donovan forced into the wagon, and
| driven off"
"And they took the old Shoshone
trail; out past Hennessey's ranch?"
$50 she described 1t. Does that
mean anything?"
Brennan did not answer at once, sit
ting silent, his brows wrinkled. staring
| through crevasse of the rock up the
stream. Finally he grinned into the
anxious face Of the other.
DANCED If I know" he said drawl-
ingly. Maybe 1t does, and maybe
again it don't / was sorter putin
this an that together. never got hold
ov any proof. but Lacy has shipped
pile o. cattle out O. Villa Real, al
though why he should ever drive his
cows there across the desert instead
| o. shippin' them here in Haskell or
Taylorville, never could understand.
That's the principal reason I've got for
| thinkin' he an Mendez are In caho0ts,
| an il they be, then the Mexican must
| have some kind O. camp out there
In the sand whar he bides between
| raids: though damn If know whar 1t
can be-" He paused reflectively. "Itll
be like hunting needle in the haystack,
Jim, but I reckon you an I'll have to
get out that way, an we might have
luck enough to stumble onto the old
| devil"
Westcott changed his position, In
advertently bringing his head above
| the protection of the rock. Instantly
there was sharp report, and speed
ing bullet grazed his hair, flattening
out against the stone. The rapidity
with which he ducked caused the mar
shall to laugh.
mot hurt, are you? No. That was
a rifle; Mike isn't such bad shot with
that weapon. He's over there behind
that tree-see the smoke? If the cuss
pokes his head out, I'll try the virtue
of this As; 1t ought to carry that far.
Hah! there he is; made the bark fly,
anyway"
| The afternoon wore away slowly,
the two men realizing more and more