Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-10-11


turned. Then Stewart appeared,
clambering down the break between
| the cliffs.
| His next move was to order all the
baggage belonging to Madeline and
| her guests taken up the cliff. This
| was strenuous toll, requiring the need
Of lassoes to haul up the effects.
"Get ready to climb" said Stewart,
turning to Madeline's party.
"Where?" asked Helen.
/ He waved his hand at the ascent to
be made Explanations of dismay fol-
lowed his gesture.
"Mr Stewart, Is there dangerw
asked Dorothy; and her voice trem-
bled
This was the question Madeline had
upon her lips to ask Stewart, but she
could not speak it.
NO there's nc danger" replied
Stewart, but we're taking precautions
we all agreed on as best"
Dorothy whispered that she believed
Stewart lied. Castleton asked another
| question, and then Harvey followed
suit. Mrs. Beck made timid query.
| please keep quiet and do as you're
told" said Stewart, bluntly.
! At this juncture, when the last of
the baggage was being hauled up the
| cliff, Monty approached Madeline and
removed his sombrero. His black face
seemed the same, yet this was vastly
changed Monty.
Miss Hammond, I'm givin notice ]
resign my job" he said.
Monty! What do yeu mean? What
does Nels mean now, when danger
| threatens?"
1--WE jest quit. That's ALL" replied
| Monty tersely. He was stern and
somber; he could not stand still; his
eyes roved everywhere.
Castleton jumped up from the log
| where he had been sitting, and his
face was very red.
"Mr. Price, does all this blooming
| fuss mean we are to be robbed or at
| tackled or abducted by lot of raga-
muffin guerrillas?'
you've called the bet.'''
Dorothy turned a very pale face
toward Monty.
"Mr. Price, you wouldn't-you
couldn't desert us now? You and Mr..
Nels-"
Desert you?" asked Monty, blankly.
eyes, desert us. Leave us when we
may need you so much, with some
thing dreadful coming"
| Monty uttered short, hard laugh
as he bent a strange look upon the
| girl.
ME an Nels is purity much scared,
an we're goin' to slope. l'tss Dor
othy, bein' as we've rustled round so
much, 1t sorta hurts us to see nice
young girls dragged off by the hair"
4 Dorothy uttered a little cry and then
became hysterical. Castleton for once
was fully aroused.
by Cad! You and your partner
are couple of blooming towards.
Where now is that courage you boosted
OFF,
| Monty's dark face expressed extreme
sarcasm.
"Dook,. in my time I've seen some
bright fellers, but you take the cake.
It's most marvellous how bright you
4 are. Figger'n' me an Nels SO correct.
Say, Dock, If you don't git rustled off
to Mexico an roped to a cactus bush
you'll hev a swell story fer your Eng
lish chums. Bah Jove! You'll tell 'em
how you seen two old-time gun-men
run like scared jack-rabbits from a
lot of Greasers. Like hi you will T.
Monty, shut up!" yelled Stewart
as he came hurriedly up. Then Monty
slouched away, cursing to himself.
Madeline and Helen, assisted by
Castleton, worked over Dorothy, and
with some difficulty quoted her
Stewart passed several times without
. noticing them, and Monty, who had
/ been so ridiculously eager to pay every
i little attention to Dorothy, did not see
} her at all. Rude it seemed; in Monty's
case more than that. Madeline hardly
! knew what to make of it.
Stewart directed cowboys to 60 tt
t the head Of the open place in the elf
. | and let down lassoes. Then, with lit
} lie waste of words, he urged the womer
/ toward this rough ladder of stones.
: 1--WE want to hide you," he said
, when they demurred. IF the guer
/. riIlas come well tell them you've al
D gone down to the ranch. If we hav,
: to fight you'll be safe up there"
el Helen stepped boldly forward ant
/ let Stewart put the loop of lass,
! round her and tighten It. He waves
e his hand to the cowboys above.
e Just walk up, now" he directe,
+ Helen.
D It proved to the watchers to be al
S easy. safe and rapid means of scaling
!. the steep passage. The men climbe,
d up without assistance. Edith Wayn
e and Madeline climbed last. and, ono
t up, Madeline saw a narrow bench
v thick with shrubs and overshadowe
O by huge, leaning crags. There wer
i holes in the rock, and dark assure
Y leading back. 1t was a rough, will