The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-11-25

ground lifted itself partly. and the
fellow must have called to the others,
although no sound OF a voice attained
the summit of the cliff. for the whole
gang rnshed In that direction. and
clustered about, gesticulating excit-
edly.
An occasional Spanish oath exploded
from the mass with sufficient vehe-
mence to reach the strained ears
| above. and the watchers were able TO
perceive the fellows lift the fallen man
to his feet, and unite his hands, which
were apparently secured behind his
back. lie must have been wounded
also, for one sleeve was hastily rolled
up, and water brought from the stream,
In which II was bathed. Moore's hand
closed convulslvely on the marshars
arm.
"Its OIL Mendez, az I'm livin' sin.
ner." he announced hoarsely. "An'
somebody's plunked him. Whatd yer
make o. that?'
Brennan never removed his gaze
from the scene below, but his face was
tense with interest.
Blamed IL know might be a mere
row-hold on, there Whoever did II
is In that cabin; watch what they're
up to. now"
More guns were brought forth from
the bunkhouse, and distributed; the
single horseman rode swiftly up the
valley, and half-dozen of the fell
lows lugged a heavy timber up from
the corral, and dropped II on the
ground In front of the smaller cabin.
4 Mendez, his arm In sling passed
from group to group, profanely busy,
swapping out orders.
"They are going TO break in the door
with that logl' muttered Westcott be-
tween his clenched teeth. "That white
head down there is boiling with rage,
and whoever the poor devil. or devils,
may be, they'll have to fight"
"Yes but who are they?" and Bren-
nan sat up. "The whole gang must be
outside there; ! cou ted fourteen.
Then, did you notice? Mendez had his
hands bound behind his back. He
couldn't even get up until those fel-
lows united him. That's what puzzles
me-"
ut would take more than one to do
that job. Maybe well find out now
he's pounding with a revolver butt on
the front door,"
They listened breathlessly, hanging
recklessly oyer the rim of the chasm,
and staring at that strange scene be
low, but the mans words only reached
them broken and detached. They got
enough, however, to realize that he de-
manded the unbarring of the door. and
that he both threatened and promised
protection to whoever was within. II
was the language he employed that
aroused Westcotts
"Dld you hear that?" he asked short
ly. ''The man spoke English. Who
evers in there doesn't understand
Spanish. Were any Americans down
there when you left. Moore?"
"Joe Skies, and fellow they call
Shorty but they're both outside; that
was Joe who bound up OIL Mendez'
arm, an Shorty was helpin' bring up
!, the log"
The eyes Of Brennan and westcott
met understandingly. 6.
"Yer don't suppose that girl"
"Aye, but l do" and Westcott's
: voice proved his conviction. "There's
> nothing too nervy for her to tackle II It
needed to be done. But she never
could have corralled Mendez alone"
"Then there must be another along
with her-that fellow yer told me
about likely"
Erred Cavendish! BY Jove. It would
be like him. Say, boys, I'm going down
and take hand In this game"
The marshall gripped him.
mot yet, JIM 1t amt dark enough
Wait bit more an I'm with yer. old
man. It'll be blacker than HI
down there In fifteen minutes. an then
we'll have some chance. They'd poi
US now sure afore we got as far as
that cedar. What is the gang up to
now. MattT
"There a goin' ter bust in the door.
and Moore craned his head farther out
over the edge in eagerness to see. 81
reckon they didn't git no answer that
pleased 'em. See oil Mendez hoppin
about Lord he's mad 'nough to eaI
nsils. Thar comes the log-say. they
hlt that some thump; thar amt ne
wood that's goin' ter stand agin them
blows long. Do yer hearT'
They did; the dull reverberation as
the log butt crashed against the closed
door was plainly audible. Once. twice
three times it struck, giving forth al
last the sharper cracking of splinteret
wood.
The door crashed in; there was Q
fuslllade of shots, the spits Of fire
cleavlng the dusk. and throwing thu
figures of the men into sudden bolt
relief. The log wielders sprang aside
and the others leaped forward, yelling
wildly and plunging I'm through the
broken doorway. An instant later thret
muffied reports rang out from the In