The St. Johns herald., 1921-06-30

Ou4y N4AdnNCs
 But could the girl serve him, even if she desired to do sol lie realized the seriousness of his position; his helplessness without some outside aid. He had been a blind fool to venture into this den alone; and even a blind CT fool to claim friendship with Han- ley. The morning would find him con- pletely exposed, and he had little doubt what form vengeance would as- sume at the hands of these men. He was like a condemned man in his cell waiting helplessly for the certain hour of execution. Worse than that, even; for his fate must inevitably seal also the fate of his wife. Her only chance of rescue lay in his efforts, and he was helpless. There was not a thing he could do; yet he tried again and again desperately, testing the punch cons of the floor, block by block, dig ging at the dried mud between the logs of the wall; endeavoring to gain some leverage upon the hinges of the door, and tugging once again furious ly at those wooden stakes protecting the narrow window. His fingers bled from the frantic effort to thus loosen something, to yield him an opportuni- ty to really exert his strength. These efforts were utterly useless; there was not a spot of weakness to be discoY- cred. If the place had been originally constructed as a prison 1t could not have been more securely built. Men, tally and physically exhausted, he flung himself upon the floor, and lay there, Quivering from head to foot, with nerves completely shattered.
 The silence became ghastly; any sound would have been a relief. There was no one moving about even in that other room, and the door between fitted too closely for him to perceive any gleam of light. He listened intently, holding his breath, but his head sank back once more in dejectiOn. Why in Gods name hadn't he fought 1t out like man? Why had he ever permit ted himself to be thus caught like a trapped rat? The frenzy of disgust he felt caused him to sit up and stare once more at the single star shining through the window. What was that? A shadow? Surely something out yon- der mOvedl
 Silently, cautiously, he stepped on the stool, and looked out between the bars, his heart beating ike drum. At first he saw nothing, the blood seem ing to stand still as he gazed-then the fingers of hand grasped one of the wooden bars, and a face rose slowly just in front of his own. A whisper revealed the identity of his visitor.
 "Senor, come quietly to window; do not speak loud"
 "Pancha, youI You would talk with me, then?'
 ''I must know some things, senor; must be sure," she said fiercely. "You tell me tonight the truth, senor; you not lie to me-"
 "Not a single word" he assured her eagerly, his heart beginning to beat with new hope, his face advanced un- til only the bars divided them. q trusted you"
 ''You are Senor Shelby?"
 ''YeS."
 "And she, this woman. is your wifeP'
 ''Yes."
 "She Is pretty woman, verra pretty; you not married long%
 ''No, only a few days; we had just come to the ranch when she was talk en away"
 'But, senor, why she so away if she be just married like you say? Why she leave you, an run off with SenOr AEacklin? She love heem better than you"
 'Love himI She did not run of. He stole her, he and four Indians, after leaving me for dead"
 'rHe not tell cet to me like that; he say she want to marry heem, an not you. That he took her to save her from you; that she would not let heem leave her. Then you fight, an so get keeIed."
 Shelby laughed softly.
 "So that was Macklin's story, was it? We'll, it is not exactly true. l ain't saying she's in love with me, or nothin' like that, but she sure don't banker none after that chap. I'll tell yer why he took her-cause she's got a bunch O money comin' her way down east that Macklin would Ike to get his hands on."
 'fHe marry herP
 "That's his game, no doubt, If 1t works. If not, he'll evolve some other. I don't think he gives a cuss how it's done, so he gets it-he and his pre- cious father"