The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-08-10

there any answer TO the ring. The
house seemed unusually quiet. 1t was
brooding silence, which presently
broke to the sound of footsteps on the
porch. Madeline recognized Stillwelfs
tread, though ii appeared to be light
for him. Then she heard him call
softly in at the open door of her Of
fee. The suggestion of caution In his
voice suited the strangeness of his
walk. With boding sense of trouble
she hurried through the rooms. He
was standing outside her office door.
"Stillwellr she exclaimed.
please come out on the porch"
She complied and, once out, was en-
abled TO see him. His grave face, paler
than she had ever beheld it, caused
her to stretch an appealing hand to-
ward him. Stillwell intercepted 1t and
held it in his own.
Miss Majesty. Pm amazin' sorry to
tell worrisome news. But it can't be
avoided. The fact is we're in bad
fix. If your guests amt scared out
of their skins it'll be OWN to your
nerve an how you carry out Stewards
orders"
You can rely upon me-" replied
Madeline, firmly, though she trembled.
wal. what we're up against is this:
that gang of bandits Pat Have was
chasin'-they're hidin' in the house !"
'In the house?" echoed Madeline,
aghast.
Miss Majesty, it's the amazin' truth,
an shamed indeed am l to admit it.
Stewart-why, he's wild with rage to
think it could hev happened. You see,
it couldn't hev happened If 1 hedn't
sloped the boys off to the gol-lof links,
an if Stewart hednt rid out on the
mesa after us. It's my fault. But now
we've got to face ito figger. Now,
listen. When Stewart left you an hour
or so ago he follered me direct to
where me an the boys was tryin' TO
keep Pat Have from tearin' the ranch
TO pieces. At that we was helpin' Pat
all we could to find them bandits. But
when Stewart got there he made a diff
ference. Pat was nasty before, but
seem Stewart made him wuss.
reckon Gene to Pat Is the same as
red TO a Greaser bull. Anyway, when
the sheriff set fire to an old adobe hut
Stewart called him an called him hard.
Pat Have he'd six fellers with him, an
from all appearances bandit-huntin'
was some fiesta. There was row, an
it looked bad fer little. But Gene
was cool, an he controlled the boys.
Then Pat an his tough de-pOoties went
on huntin'. That huntin', Miss Majesty,
petered out into what was only farce.
Pat Have wasn't lookin' hard fer any
bandits; he wasn't daid set huntin'
anythin, unless it was trouble fer
Stewart. Finally, when Pats men
made fer our storehouse, where we
keep ammunition. grub, liquors, an
SIGH, then Gene called halt. AN he
ordered Pat Have off the ranch. II
was hyar Have an Stewart locked
horns. An hyar the truth come out.
There was gang Of bandits hid some
where's, an at fust Pat Have he'd been
powerful active an earnest in his hunt
in But suddenlike he'd fetched a pc
COOLER change of heart. He had been
some fiustered with Stewards eyes a
pryin' into his moves, an then, mebbe
to hide somethin', mebbe jest nat'rul,
he got mad. He hollered law. He
pulled down off the shelf his old stock
grudge on Stewart, accusin' him over
again of that Greaser murder last fall.
IL
showed him up as bein' scared Of the
bandits or hevin' some reason fer
slopin' off the trail. Anyway, the row