The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-07-04

was standing outside her once door.
"Stillwell" she exclaimed.
please come out on the porch"
She compiled and, once out, was en-
abled to see him. His grave fnce. paler
than she had ever beheld 1t, caused
her to stretch an appealing hand to-
ward him. Stillwell intercepted 1t and
held 1t in his own.
Miss Majesty, I'm amazin' sorry to
tell worrisome news. But 1t can't be
avoided. The fact is we're in a bad
fix. If your guests amt scared out
Of their skins it'll be OWN to your
nerve IN 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 housed"
In the house?" echoed Madeline,
aghast.
Miss Majesty, it's the amazin' truth,
an shamed indeed am | to admit 1t.
Stewart--why. he's wild with rage to
think 1t could hev happened. You see,
1t couldn't hev happened If 1 hedn't
sloped the boys off to the gol-lof links,
an II Stewart hedn't 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 Pot 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. Pa 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 a row, an
1t looked bad fer a 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 a farce.
Pat Have wasn't lookin' hard fer any
bandits; he wasn't daid set huntin'
anythln', unless 1t was trouble fer
Stewart. Finally, when Pats men
made fer Jul s%torehouse, where we
keep ammunition, grub, liquors, an
SIGH, then Gene called a halt. An he
ordered Pat Have off the ranchs- II
was hyar Have an Stewart locked
horns. An hyar the truth come out.
There was a 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 fustered 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, aecusin' him over
again of that Greaser murder last fall.
Stewart made him look like a fool
showed him up as beln' scared of the
bandits or hevin' some reason fer
slopin' off the trail. Anyway, the row
started ali right, an it might hev
amounted to a fight. In the thick of
it, when Stewart was drivin' Pat an
his crowd off the place, n of them
d~e-pooties lost his head an went fer
his gum. Nels throwed his gun an Grip
pied the feller's arm. Monty jumped
then an throwed two forty-fives, an
fer a second or so it looked ticklish.
But the bandit-hunters crawled. an
then lit out"
Stillwell paused in the rapid deliv-
cry of his narrative; he still retained
Madeline's hand, as if by that he might
comfort her.
after Pat left we put our haids to-
gether." began the old cattleman. with
u long respiration. 1--WE rounded up a
lad who had seen a dozen or so fellers
hi wouldn't say they was Greasers-
breakin' through the shrubbery to the
back Of the house. That was while
Stewart was ridin' out to the mesa.
Then this lad seen your servants all
runnin' down the hill toward the viii
lage. Now, heah's the way Gene fig
gers. There sure was some d~evlltry
down along the railroad, an Pat Have
trailed bandits up to the ranch. He
hunts hard an then all to met he quits.
Stewart says Pat Have wasn't scared,
but he discovered signs of somethin', or
got wind in some strange way that
there was in the gang of bandits some
fellers he didn't want to ketch. Sabe?
Then Gene, quicker'n a flash, springs
his plan on me. He'd go down to
Padre Marcos an hev him help to find
out all possible from your Mexican
servants. I was to hurry up hyar an
tell you-give you orders, Miss Majes-
ty. Amt that amazin' strange? Wal.
you're to assemble all your guests in
the kitchen. Make a grand bluff an
pretend. as your help has left, that it'll
be great fun fer your guests to cook
dinner. The kitchen is the safest room
In h house. While you're joshin' your
party along, maxim a kind of picnic
out of 1t, I'll place cowboys in the long
corridor, an also outside in the corner
where the kitchen joins on to the main
house. It's pretty sure the bandits
think no ones wise to where they're
hid. Stewart says they're in that end
room where the alfalfa is, an they'll
slope in the night. OF course. with me
an the boys watchin', you-all will be
safe to go to ped. An we're to rouse
your guests early before daylight, to
hit the trail up into the mountains.