The Meeker herald., 1921-08-20

NV Dun ~ own paB0O0. oD0 @uDt
have been there when he boosted 10
Laud that he would leave her and mar
~ you. It drove her crazy and she
shot"
~ can understand that-yes." Olga
burst forth, "and later she was sorry.
/ believe II was she who came back
and took the body away"
II hardly see how that theory helps
much. How could she take himr'
"Perhaps she may know some -
cret passage. There might be one Nm.
derneath. do not know. yet In what
other way could the body have been
removedr'
Shelby shook his head GIoomily. his
eyes searching the door for am evi.
dencs and finding none. To oil ap.
pearances 1t appeared smooth and
solid.
II don't know" he said. THAT Idea
may he a. good a. any. You might
fake this broken knife Of mine an
zee II You can start anything. What
was goin' on out therer
Nothing much that I could see.
There are men hiding behind the bank
Of the creek; I think they are Indians,
and there may be others OF to the
right In the weeds."
Just guard left there to sse that
We don't get away. They'll walt until
dark and then try to burn rs out,
] reckon: the bucks don't like my
shooting. That was a rife"
Yes: the bullet struck the log"
He crossed over and looked out nnx.
iously.
n thought II might be signal, but
! guess not. Don't seem to be any.
thing moving"
He straightened up agnin. bis eyes
surveying the room. ''lf we only had
two more in this outfit we might give
those Devils . run for their money.
The trouble 10 We can defend only
two sides. an they know it-anyhow,
l.aud does. I'm goin' to haul this
bench over on that side: then you can
stand up there. and shoot through that
hole in the window while I pepper
them from here 10 front. Well make
1t hot willis II lasts"
She watched him shift the bench,
and then stood upon II to look ont.
The sun had gone down. and the val.
ley swan In q purple haze. II she
would utilize what little light still re-
NAMED. she must search at once.
Nothing out therer"
II can zee nothing moving. II 10
growing dark. Let me take the knife"
He gave II to her. and she got down
upon her knees on the floor. anxiously
testing the openInes between the
blocks with the broken blade. Shelby
turned his head occasionally. barely
able TO distinguish her movements. yet
felt little confidence In the success Of
the effort. Any attempt at escape
through the door would be suicidal: In
all probability. In spite Of the silence,
md seeming loneliness Of the scene
without. 4 dozen rides wero even then
trained 90 the entrance. ready to
shoot them down the instant either
appeared. And there was no other
way out. unless 1t might be through
some secret passage existing under.
ground. Macklin had certainly disap-
peared somewhere; the vanishing Of
his body was no miracle, and this
theory Of how II might have been ac-
cOmplished alone appeared Reasonable.
In spite Of his doubts, the man held
TO a measure Of hope: nothing else
than this remained which he could
cling to; their only chance lay In
some such discovery. Yet the woman.
CROPPING on her knees In the deepen
Ing darkness gave no sign of encour.
agement. Shelby could hear the strain
no longer In silence.
There Is nothing to he foundr' he
asked anxiously. mo appearance Of =
trnpr
She lifted her head. with face
turned toward him.
Nothing that I seem able to move. "
she answered. II have found block
which does not appear to 1T rs tightly
as the others; can get the knife
blade between. and II doesn't seem
to touch any earth below. yet the
slab Il immovablc."
LET me try my strength"
He started back to Join her, but a
that instant there came 4 sudden
burst Of rife ire without, bullets
thudding into the cabin wills. the
sonkd punctuated by savage yells
Shelby whirled about instantly. and
dropped to his knees with eyes peer
ing out through the opening between
the logs. Olga also deserted her
search, and climbed to her post Of de
Tense on the bench. The bullets did
no damage. generally finding billet In
the solid logs, although few crashed
through the plankins Of the door. Te
Shelby the meaning was sufnclsnti,
plain; the real danger lay. a. be a
pected, At the rear; oil this noise wal
heins carried On merely to attract
their attention. He called across IN
able to zee bis companion. but vel
aware where she was.
Don't waste any shot until You ~