Graham guardian., 1922-02-21

~ ;=i:. .h- 'ran In search of i~sc'@
CHAPTER Xli.--Tney i,,S lsanies
pony. aba ndoned, but no trace OF the giri.
Whsn they get back to the cabin. Buller-
ton is there. apparently awaiting their
return.
CHAPTER XIII.-Believing Jeanie 70
have gone with Bullerton, the sight OF
the nan Is too much for Broughton. and
ne uoes MIN roughly. Bullerton denies
knowing the whereabouts of Jeanie.
Rroughton orders him off his property,
and ne departs vowing vengeance. salts
ned Bullerton means mlsehlei. broughtSn
mine shafthouse and prepare for siege
BuIlsrton comes with crowd OF dcsper-
ADDE'S and on their refusal to vacate, be
gins an attack
CHAPTER XIV During the day ane
night the two successfully defend the
shafthouse against attacks, including an
attempt to drown them out
CHAPTER XV.-Almost ready to give
IN proughton is heartened by iirams
assertion tha, the ToSs .GSnGs and Sn 'se se ,nyss yns
tlsating party will soon appear.
"what difference does that make"
asked.
1T may make a heap o. difference.
Fuller, r Jim Haggerty, the section
boss. r some Of 'em down yonder d
begin a-wOnderin'. after q spell. what
In tarnation all this here blastin' and
rihe-poppin' up on Old Cinnabar Is a
p'intin' at and come and see"
DO you think. the racket will carry
that far?'
ut sure will. One night afOre 'TrO-
pia had gone as dead rs she Is now, Il
bunch o. cowpmch's got into an argy-
ment at Blue-noSe RMS place and we
heard the crackjn' and poppln mp
here--Jennle and me-llke II was just
over yOnder in Grcascr Gulch.'
"Wcll?" said l. "if your nephew or
any OF the others hear IT, what then7"
AS I asked the question one of fhc
low-almed shots tore through the side
of the building. struck the iron frame
OF The hoist. ilatfcncd itself and
dropped Into the old mans lap. Pick
Ing np the hot hi of lead to candle
Il from. hnutl "a hand he went on much
ns II picking up hg,letS that We're fired
ut him had been his daily recreation.
curiosity killed Tie cat. Staninc.
son. You let some one o the folks
down yonder in "rroIIia say. 'By gOl--
wonder what all that shoOlin'S forT
O. Il the next thing YOU know, some
Eody'Il he m0ggin' up here 10 find out"
Along about dusk some member of
ia. beslcging party tried TO make II re-
cOnnalSsancC. happened to be keeping
the lookout on the cabin side uf our
fortress and saw a man dodging among
the pines back of the house. When
reported TO Daddy he took Il snap shot
at the place ! pointed out to him and
there WAS wild yell and u stir in the
young pines as though hog were gall
Looping through them.
"Just to let 'em know that we're
still alive and kickin'," said the old
man, with another of his Quavery
chuckles. IL reckon maybe that's
what they was nimln' to find out"
Possibly II was At all events, the
rifle fire stopped with the coming OF
darkness, and as we faced our second
night of defense we had plenty Of time
TO sit around and think and speculate
upon what the outcome was going to
be.
Taking II all in all, IL was the fan
tastic hunOr of the thing that hit me
hardest Six short weeks earlier peo-
pie at home had been calling me all
the hard names thut full to the lot Of
the Idle ne'er-do-well; young chap
with enough Inheritance money to keep
him In ties and shoes and shirts and
to buy gus for his car---thOugh that
last asked for a good bill on the rising
cost Of gasollne-and not enough to
make life, or anything connected there
with, very much worth while.
Also these same people were saying
behind my back, OF course, but there
were always plenty Of them TO repeat
the saying TO my face-that was
good stock gone to seed, would never
amount to hill of leans In anything
that asked for Initiative or resource
fulnesS. or primitive rough stun of any
sort that | was due 10 20 on dOlling
myself up and playing skl,tles to the
end Of The chuptpr--which would prob.
abby stage itself in I'M asylum for the
feehle-mindcd. Also. again, at that
same time. which was six weeks--Or
six thousand years--ago, was en-.
gaged to Llsette; with mighty little
prospect Of marrying her, TO he sure,
hut with no thought of marrying any.
body else.
And now looked around at
the shadowy walls Of the grim old Gin.
nahar shaft.house, looming darkly and
still dripping. tick, tack. from their
early.nfternoon mud bath; felt my sug.
Ky clothes stared across at Daddy
Hiram sitting backed up against the
hoist with his legs jackknlfed and his
hands locked over his knees; II was a
grotesQue plpe-drcam; there was no
other name for IT, broke out In q
laugh that was below.
"SIlt II up. Stannie," urged the old
man dryly 81 allow you ain't soin'
10 be closc-nsted enough to Keep Il good
Joke all to yourself in no such hoe
down as this"
"Tu lry,' said, and did II the best
knew how. giving him some idea OF
the life ! had lived and its earth