The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-05-01

r,strhan ArrRzcadA IL severely
rsed noanc. IN love with HaIchan's
= Mercedes. holds her little hliad
Aer Dasllio as hostage and forces the
a. can al bis ranch. tluck sends a
80 10 Mercedes signed ~ naaiiia.
NOW TO ON WITH STORY
|srceAos did not know how long
had been asleep when she was
.kened by tho sound OF some one
ping stcalthily up the stairs
was shorty. He had called SOW
times and. getting no answer.
begun searching the house. bent
picking up whatever trisies he
d find and. az the same time, In
aing 10 make certain that he had
len himself open 20 Bodine's dis
lsurc.
Ihen Mercedes threw open her
! aud faced him. he was the more
,htened OF the two, But shorty
truly an evil-lcoking figure as
saw him standing in tho light
STRAINED on him
What you want here she de-
pded.
You the senorltay' shorty 0ucs-
led in turn.
am. What Is your business
got a letter Tor you He brought
birth from a coat-pocket. Il been
In for 10 minutes didn't
TX they was any one home,
lerecdcs read the note hastily,
heart beat faster as she recos-
u BaSilio's strange letters lie
alive then,
You arc ono % Bodine's men.
90 she asked,
hes. ma'am. We bin together a
& time"
Sou have seen my brother then :
Is not hurt
No. Hes all right. unless he's
"a hisscll 70 death"
oh, wish you had brought him
s." Mercedes gaspcd.
|lHeu. lady. Buck was afraid they
nldn't be anythin' len or this
ee. bin hours Eittin' here. ]
a RIG 20 take you In Wen have
10 round by the Winnemucea
a 10 make IL"
'he girl weighed what she was
*. for all OF her excitement ~
followed shorty downstairs 70
lteam. she bad good reason 70
Bodine: but she had 70 20 70
kHo. AZ least. II would be dawn
tn she arrived there.
b answer 70 n sudden impulse she
|tchcd a pin from her dress. and
shc stepped upon the veranda she
tened Bodine's note 20 the door
bout attracting shorty's atten-
b. Melody would be sure 70 find
khere.
NTH a distinct sense OF fear she
n her seat beside Bodine's man
Ing alone with him IN the haeien-
with its old associations and IA
Oar objects 20 give her courage
been terrible enough: being 10
open with him in the dead OF
kht was infinitely more terrifying.
IS they went on and the wagon
Etinued TO rock hack and forth
girl became drowsy. Her strug.
TO keep to her end Of the scat be.
! TO cease The man beside hcr
) no longer the eyti-iookinx thlns
had been. Mercedes felt her heat
tirg on his'shoulder. II was sofi
\ wonderfully comfortable. Shs
|hed con,entedly.
By the time they came 10 the main
u she slept. Shorty's arm wa,
bund her TO keep her from falling,
expression on his face as emo.
rless as erer. In this fashion they
yelled 20 Webster creek.
they had not yet arrived there
en- the note Mercedes had pinned
|the door OF the hacienda caugh,
|nt's attention. His place had es-
Esd. and his first thought had been
|she girl and Basilio.
The destruction OF the dam caused
E1t no regret For all OF his talk.
|scarora was a lawiess old soul.
|namite had accomplished more in
second than all Of his weeks OF pa
M work. Acklin had got what he
My deserved. He might rant. and
, legal henchmen tear their hair,
Z the dam was gone.
Some one would pay dearly for de-
royiug 1t. II he were caught. Catch
; him was something else again.
ms In spirit quite accepting the ac-