Evening star., 1923-09-14

The three men looked out of the
window, where tho light was still
etrcling. Pete knew It woSld, con-
tinue until he answered back and
ruse that would permit his doing so.
But Alguin, unwittingly, or purpose
", did it for him. when he stepped
between the light and the window,
Instantly the signaling on the hill stop
ped.
Butler jerked his head toward the
door. "C'mon." he growled.
The two men. not once glancing at
their prisoner, shut the door and
locked it behind them and almost
side began mailing huge boards across
the window.
Completely bewildered and helpless
at the turn of events, Pete slumped
length, hours afterward, il seemed,
faint streaks OF light stole through
the narrow cracks of the window
boards, telling hHn that IL was again
morning He had no doubt that al
ready men were on the way to Haw-
ability, and that other men were on
the way TO Moapa, sent there to bring
the sheriff and his posse. also mes
sengers of death. if Buffers nefa-
rious scheme worked out.
Horrible as IL was. Pete could not
but feel sense of relief. Something
would happen soon, at any rate, and
ianything was better than sitting
there day after day. Yet his heart
fairly quivered with suppressed
emotion as he pictured Hawkins,
friend of a day, nevertheless man
| he would now face armed guards to
save If he couldi He thought of the
girl, too. and his brows Knitted. He
had come to see more than the signal,
when the light on the mountainside
whirled at midnight. These, too, were
gone now, he unused.
In spite of every effort. all of his
plans harked back to the playing
cards and his note to Judge Stivers.
the thought no sooner entered his
/ mind that he dismissed It as hope
less. New plans! He looked at his
hands and saw them. still soft and
winter than ever. Hes stroked his
face. and he suddenly realized that
| he had a beard, fully half and inch
of it! His hair, too, was long, and
his scalp itched. The entire scheme
of things oppressed him Even the
thought of his father failed to stir
his senses to action. Like a prisoner
sentenced to death, he sat there with
his back to the boarded window and
his eyes on the bolted door. For
hours no one stirred and he had no
idea how much of the day was gone.
Yet, in spite of It all, he felt raven
ously hungry. Hour after hour he
sat there, unable to do more than
look at the door, until at last the
meager light that played through the
chink in the window dwindled to
faint weak streaks. Then some one
fumbled at the door, and a figure.
strange to Pete, entered, left dirty
pan of greasy food, bowl of coffee,
and left the room without a word.
! The food, such as ii was, appeased
| his hunger. and Pete ate ravenously.
They're waiting for Eliot, that must
be it," he told himself aloud between
gulps of coffee. For the hundredth
time since his Imprisonment, he
studied the room for an avenue of
escape. Again his eyes sought the
window, but it was not made to open.
and he feared the noise of breaking
glass. Then, too, the boards were
there now. Yet he might, he thought,
| by placing his eye close to the crack
between them, watch for the signal
once more. A forlorn hope! There
would be no more signals. OF that he
he felt certain. Again his eyes wan
head. An idea struck him and he
/ fumbled in his pocket for the stub
of pencil Susie had given him. He
still had the signal code in his
pocket, and now he wrote hurriedly
on the back OF IL:
Dear Hawkins and Susie:
Somehow 1 know you're to-
Eether DON'T bother about me,
I'll get along-a way will come.
If l never see you again always
| remember I am grateful for your
| kindness. and sorry If ! have
been in any way the cause of
the terrible trouble we are all
in. If you have a chance, and if
you know I am dead, tell my
! father. San Francisco, that his
boy was innocent of everything
! but the desire to be a worthy
! son. Goodbye.
| Peter Alden, Jr.'