Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-08-09

again OF that Greaser murder last fall
Stewart made him look like a fooa-
showed him up as bein' scared OF ths
bandits or hevin' some reason fei
slopin. of the trail. Anyway, the row
started all right, an 1t might hey
amounted to a fight. In the thick OF
IL, when Stewart was driyin' Pat an
his crowd OF the place, n Of them
de-pooties lost his head an vent fer
his gun. Nels throwed his CUR an Grip
pied the feller's ARM. Monty jumped
then an throwed two f~orty-fves, an
fer a second or so It looked tickIish.
But the bandit-hunters crawied, an
then lit out"
StiilwelI paused in the rapid delIv-
cry OF his narrative; he still retained
Madeline's hand, as II by that he might
comfort her.
"After Pat left we put our haids to-
gether," began the old cattieman. with
a long respiration. 1--WE rounded up a
lad who had seen a dozen or so fellers
he 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
runpin' down the hill toward the vii
lage. Now. heah's the way Gene fig
gers. There sure was some deviltry
down along the railroad, an Pat Have
trailed bandits up TO the ranch. He
hunts hard an then all TO onct 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
felIers he didn't want to ketch. Sabe7
Then Gene. quicker'n a fash. 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. was to hurry up hyar an
tell you-give you orders, Miss Males
~. Amt that amazin' stranger Wal.
you're TO assemble all your guests In
the kitchen. Make a grand blum 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 the house. While you're joshin' your
party along. maxim a kind OF picnic
out OF IT, 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. or course, with M
an tile boys watchin', yOu-all will be
safe to go to bed. An we're TO rouse
your guests early before daylight. to
hit the trail up into the mountains.
to bed. Say as your servants hey
sloped, you might as well go campin'
with the cowboys. That's all. If we
hev any luck your friendsIl never
know they've been sittln' on a powder
mine. Now, Miss Majesty. I've used up
a lot OF time ex%plainin. You'll sure
keep your nerve?"
"Yes," Madeline replied. and was
surprised at herself.
Better tell Florence. She'll be a
power OF comfort to you. I'm goin'
now to fetch up the boys"
Instead OF returning 10 her room
Madeline went through the office into
the long corridor. 1t was almost as
dark MS night. She fancied she saw a
Storytelling figure darker than the sur
rounding gloom and she entered upon
the fulhllment OF her part OF the plan
In something like %trepidation. Her
footsteps were noiseless. Finding the
door'to- the kitchen, and going In, she
struck lights. Upon passing out again
she made certain she dlscerned a dark
shape, now m~otionless, crouching along
the wall. But she m~lstrusted her vivid
Ina gination. Ii tool all her holiness
to enable her unconcernedly and natur-
ally to strike the corridor light. Then
she went on through her own rooms
and thence into the patio.
Her guests laughingly and gladly en-
tered into the spirit of the occasion.
They trooped merrily into the kitchen.
Madeline, delaying at the door. took a
sharp but unobtrusive glance down the
great. barnlike hall. She saw nothing
but blank dark space. Suddenly from
one side, not a rod distant, p%rotruded
a pale. cleaning face breaking the
ever b~lackness. Instantly II flashed
back out OF sight. Yet that time wa
long enough for Madeline TO see a pair
OF glittering eyes, and TO recognize
them as Don Carlos.
Without ~~betraying either hurry or
alarm. she closed the door. 1t had a
heavy bolt which she slowly, noiseless-
ly shot. Then the cold amaze that had
all but stunned her into i%naction
throbbed into wrath. How dared that
Mexican steal into her home What
did he meanY Was he one of the ban
dts supposed to be hidden In her
She was thinking herself into
greater ange and excitement. aud
probably would have betrayed herself
had not Florence, who had evidently
seen her bolt the door and now read
her thoughts, come toward her with a
bright. intent. questioning look. Made
line caught herself In time.