New Britain herald., 1923-05-02
NOW co on WITH THE STORY


circle Of men grew quiet, Blaze pn
his ear 10 the boys heart,
Hes not dead" he hreathed hope,
fully, Somebody get my horse
I'm going 10 get him to a doctor
God knows. he may have a chance"
Aeklin said nothing as his mel
helped Kildare,
"where'ye you got Rodine?" h
demanded when Blaze had left
Got him. Cash questioned, II
amt got him nowhere"
WHAT"
mo. ain't seen Bodine. ! was
1ust rnnnin' windy on the kid. !
picked up the fresh trail OF three
horses this evening. They had come
In from Webster Greek. I've been
chasin' back and forth tryin' 10 pick
'em UP In the dark. or I'd "a been
her sooner"
What made YOU think Bodine WAS
among them"
"shucks! Yon don't think there's
anyone else down there with the nerve
or brains TO do this thing. II took an
old hand TO make mine that would
rip out that wall. knew Bodine
was behind the whole thing
who do you think was the third
man."
Cash shook his head.
II amt even got guess"
Acklin contorted his mouth nerv-
ously.
mo matter" he said after an in
terval. We'll make Bodine tell be-
fore we get through. We'll all ride
to the ranch first. I'm going to turn
cut every man we've got, Cash. Well
throw circle over this country that
no one'll crawl through. II we pick
UP Bodine, he'll be among the dear
departed by morning"
Morrow's eyes bulged.
you mean you're goin' to stretch
him ?" he gasped.
That's exactly what mean"
Acklin growled.
CHAPTER XXX.
Among the Ruins
Bodine had relieved Romero of the
responsibility of getting Mercedes and
Basillo out of the path of the food.
Finding Mercedes gone, Buck picked
UP the child and dashed for Webster
Creek The explosion came as he
entered the ranch-house.
Shorty lantern in hand, followed
him inside.
Guess we had company this after
noon.'' he grow1ed. "A lady at that"
Taking Shorty's lantern, the big fell
low followed the trail Esteban and
Romero and he had taken that after
noon. A few minutes search con-
WINGED him that his supposition was
correct; Mercedes had followed them
into the hills! Her only object could
have been to stop them. Well, she
bad been too late, or had missed her
brother altogether.
1t was the work of a minute for
linn to pen a note to her. To prove
his point with the girl, he made the
child scrawl an attempt at his name
across the bottom Of the note. This
accomplished, he sent Shorty to de-
liver 1t.
Gloomy and the others lounged
about the room.
Basilio, in the next room, began
crying.
Somebody shut that kid up" Buck |;
beloved.
Speculation as to Acklin's discom !
future had worn itself out. Gloomy
yawned. One Of the others got up.
Guess I'll turn in. The shows
over"
Buck had done his share of the
talking in the time that had elapsed
since Shorty left, but his nimble brain
had been busy with matters alien to
the conversation. His men were sur
prised, therefore, when he said
Boys, don't think you'd better
roose here tonight"
I'VE might scare the lady, eh?"
Gloomy questioned.
Don't you worry bout the lady,"
Buck said easily. she don't enter
into IL at ALL" AS matter of truth
Mercedes coming was in part re-
sponsible for Bodines desire to get
his men away.
'We'll have visitors before morn
Ing" he went on; "and they won't be
ladies'. Even IL those two boys keep