The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-12-26

~
.foolishness," he told them stiffiy, "you
can either apologize or call for your
time"
Neither answered Carson little by
little had come to share Lees uncer-
tainty and anxiety; and now, like
Lee, sought eagerly to find sign
something to tell that Judith had been
lured away by Trevors or Quinnion !;
or that she had been overpowered
here and taken out. perhaps through
a window.
But Judith had gone Saturday
night and Mrs. Simpson had done her
work thoroughly. 1t might be well
to call the housekeeper and question
her. Had she found chair over
turned, a rug rumpled. table showed
a little from its accustomed place?
But, again, 1t would be as well not
to start suspicion and surmise in other
minds If, after all, there were no true
cause for it. Judith might be in San
Francisco; she might have sent the
order to SELL
Chances is we're smelling powder
where there wasn't no shot," said
Carson hesitatingly.
Bright boy'' Knocked Hampton.
you'll make great little gumshoe
artist one of these days.
Had Bud Lee not loved Judith as
he did, with his whole heart and soul,
it well might have been that he and
Carson and Hampton would have gone
out of the room knowing no more
than when they had come in. But
it seemed to Lee that the room which
knew Judith so Intimately, was seek
ing to open it's dumb lips to whisper
to him of danger to her. He had come
here troubled for her; he stood, look
ing about him frowningly, his heart
heavy, fear mounting within him. And
! at length he found sign.
At the far end of the room, in a
corner, was Judith's writing-table, on
which were several opened letters, pen
and ink, pad of paper. Lee stepped
to it. If she had been lured away
after nightfall, then some message
| had come to her. If that message had
come by word of mouth, there was
no need seeking it; if it had been
note, fate might have kept it here.
Impaled on sharp file was sheet
of notepaper. The notes was brief,
| typewriter, even to the signature
that of Doc Trip. 1t ran:
Dear Judith:
81 am afraid of new trouble. Have
spotted another one of Us gang work
ing for us. Also have got bullet
hole in my right hand. Nothing ser
| ious so far. Come down right away.
to spring a surprise on them. Am
not even using the telephone, as I've
| a notion they are watching me. Hurry.
"Trip"
"Come back to the Office" said Lee
| bluntly. And well in front of Car
son and Hampton, who stared Won
deringly at the paper in his hand he
went to the office telephone and called
for Trip.
"How's your hand?' he asked when
Trip answered.
"All right" replied Trip. "Why?"
Get it hurt?"
mo-
did you write Miss Sanford a
hurry-up note within the last few
| days?"
mo- .
"sure of that, Doc? Typewriter
note?"
"Of course I'm sure" snapped
Trip. whats wrong?"
God knows" answered Lee short
| ly. "But you'd better come up here
and come on the jump. Also, keep
your mouth shut until you get a
chance to talk with me or Carson"
He clicked up the receiver and
| turned terrible eyes on the two men
| watching him.
They've got her. he said slowly.
They've got her, Carson. They've had
her since Saturday night"
Carson read the note. Only then
did it pass into Hamptons hands. The
boy, angered at the way in which he
had been ignored, insulted in his sense
of dignity by those words of Lees to
Trip, Talk with me or Carson" see
| ing the reins of power being snatched
from his hands, was speechless with
wrath.
"You fellows have butted in all I'll
stand for!'' he cried at them, his shut
fists shaking Il tell you I'm running
this outfit and what say goes
don't believe that Trevors or any man
living would do trick like that.
tell you it's ridiculous. And, no mat
ter where Judith is, when she is not
here l run the ranch. / need money
she needs money; we've got fair
chance to sell; I've passed my word
we are going to sell; and by Cd, we
are going to SELL
In another mood, Hampton would
not have spoken this way. In another
mood and with time for argument,
Bud Lee would have expostulated with
him. Now, however, Lee said tersely /:
| Carson, it's up TO you and me. Get
| the boys out, to the last man of them.
Turn every hoof of cattle and horses
back into the Upper End. We've got
to do it tonight Get them into the
little valley above the plateau. We
can hold them there, even If they try
to force our hands, which will be like