New Britain herald., 1923-04-13
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY


 Well when the night comes want you to have your men ride your line Don't let any one through. Keep your boys there for few days. Pass the word that some one's runnin an iron on your stuff. Thatll be excuse enough. We'll be safe then"
 Acklyn had not even reached home before Bodine had started Shorty on lis way to Malheur Lakes, to find Gloomy and his other men. And once Acklin had reached the Bulls Head. he immediately sent for Morrow, his foreman
 Cash, he said, we've been thick beaded. This fellow Bodine has put his finger on the thing we should have seen first shot"
 He repeated their conversation to him.
 Well, I'm tempted to risk, Cash Suppose we string along for a while. Let him and his men do the actual work. You just drop around about the time they are there-you know, casual-like--if you ever have to swear to it. In the meantime send some of the boys down to the Benoist waterhole. We are having trouble enough with the calves. Don't tell them anything alse is in the wind. Give them the word not to let any one through. Make Skip the straw-boss doWn there. l rather fancy him, We can go that far without a hitch. . If Bodine turns the water, you run drift fence along our Vne across the valley. Straight east and west with those dead trees is near enough. We've got the wire and posts. Most of the boys will be back from the north tomorrow You can get that fence up in hurry if you have to-
 CHAPTER ".
 Blaze Kildare Arrives
 Ten days later a stranger crossed the desert from Golconda. He headed due north for the Benoist water hole He knew he was entering Paradise Valley by forbidden ways. The hint that he take the south road had reached him day back.
 The stranger sent his horse ahead at hard gallop. He found that the spring had made small pool in the willows. He swung to the ground and loosened the cinches, but almost instantly the animal lifted his drip ping muzzle and turned an inquiring eye behind him. The stranger fol- lowed suit In the shadow of the trees two men sat
 The older of the two. a black wis., aged fellow, spoke: "Howdy, strang- er."
 "Howdy!" Kildare responded in the same fiat tell-nothing tone in which he had been accosted His keen eyes took in the rifles reposing so con- yeniently in their laps, the soiled | cards and the interrupted game of monte.
 N The man who had addressed him got to his feet. A Whats your name stranger?" x Kildare! Blaze Kildare" "Yuh ain't aimin' to finger around | here. be yuh?" Blaze eyed him thoughtfully as he drawled his reply: Why, that all de- bends, don't it?" He turned and startetd to lift the | saddle off his horse.
 NO use takin that down, mister; nary nit!'
 For answer, Kildare pulled it to the ground.
 Now listen to me, Muchacho,," he purred I'm going to breathe my horse and we're going to drink our bellies full Of water before we light out of here. Whats all the big ex- cite anyways. I got a permit to cross this country
 Lets see it." Skip and the other, | Chet Devine, demanded. Now what did do with that per- mit?"
 He took his hat off, and peered into it.
 "Oh, yes" he laughed. Here if is!'
 And in his hand Kildare held a derringer that had been strapped in his sombrero.
 stick 'em up!' he said in velvety tones.
 Well, I'll be damned" Skip began. He stopped short, and instinctively Blaze sensed that some one was back ,f him; but he dared not turn around. Before Skip could recover his tongue, a voice droned in sweet and dreadful tones in Kildare's ear: That's good. That's awfully good! It's your turn to elevate, stranger.' i