Show A I 1 P 12 IF I 1 IDY by friank RANK H S PEAR A 0 ILL ll L iona 0 BY AND RE E BOWLED COPYRIGHT 1908 BY chaa SYNOPSIS murray sinclair and hla his gang of wreckers were called out to clear the railroad tracks at smoky creek mccloud a I 1 young road superintendent caught sinclair and hla his men in the ilia act of 0 io looting 0 ung the wrecked train sinclair pleaded innocence no cence declaring it only amounted to it a small sum suma guma a treat tor for the men mccloud discharged the whole outfit and ordered th the e wreckage burned mccloud became ac acquainted quain ted with dicksie dunning it a girl of the west who came to look at tile the wreck she gave him a message for or sinclair lai W whispering hi s P ering gordon smith told president riden t I 1 bucks 3 u c k of the railroad elrd ot of me clouda ud brave brava fight against a gang of 0 c crazed abed miners and that was tile reason for the superintendents applin appointment ament to i his hl 1 high office milci Mii Cloud oua arran arranged ged to boa board rd at the he boarding house ot of mrs sinclair the ex foremans deserted bif rickste dunning was the daughter daught tr of the late richard dunning who had died of f a broken heart shortly utter after ills his cifes demise which occurred alter after one year ear ot of married life sinclair visited marion sinclair clairs shop and a tight right between him and mccloud was narrowly averted smoky creek bridge was mysteriously burned mccloud prep prepared red to face ace tile the OF situation tua tion P president res I 1 den t 3 0 ca ks n 0 rifled smith that he lad had wor work k ahead mccloud worked for or days and finally anally sot got the division running in fairly good order ile he overheard dick alck sta ble criticising criticizing critic ising his methods to marion sin sinclair c lair A st stock 0 ck t train rain was wrecked by an open switch later a passenger train was held bold up and tile the express ear car robbed two men of 0 a posse pursuing tile tho bandits were killed mccloud was as notified that whispering smith was to hunt the desperadoes pera does bill dancing a road lineman proposed that sinclair and his rang gang be sell sent t to hunt the bandits A stranger ranger Kl rt apparently par patently antly ly with authority told hi him in to g eo 0 had ahead D dancing in illg was aas told the stra stranger ng e r was wa whispering smith smith approached pro t ached sinclair 11 he e tried triad to buy him on off but failed ile he wr warned mccloud tatt his life was wan in danger mccloud was wag carried forcibly into lance dunn cunnings ings presence dunning refused the r railroad a right of way he had already signed tor for dicksie interfered to prevent a g affray dictate met mccloud on a lonely 10 nei y trail to warn him his life was in danger on his way home a shot paused passed through his hat whispering smith reported that du sang onti of Sin clairs garim gang had been assigned to kill mccloud lie ile A and nd smith aw du salig whispering smith taunted d du sang and told him to ret iret out of medicine R arnd nd or suffer du sang seemed to succumb to the bluff mccloude McClou clouds dg big construction job was vas taken from him because cat so of nf injunction issued to ance dunning by the united stated state court A sudden alae of tho the crawling stone river created consternation on dicksie and marion maon appel pled to mccloud for help whispering smith joined tile tha giOI group UP ite he and gring spent the night in conversation S smith ill ith giving the girl an outline of his H life fe in the morning mccloud took his men to fight tile the river lance dunning welcomed them cordially CHAPTER continued let me talk with them just what I 1 should like come on said Dicks dicksie le leading the way to the chicken yard 1 I want you to see my bantams battams ban tams too I 1 have three of the dearest little things one Is setting they are over the way come see them first and oh ell you must see sec my new game chickens truly you never saw anything as handsome si as caesar hes bes the rooster and I 1 have six Dul pullets lets caesar is perfectly superb when the two reached the chicken boug e dichito examined the nest where she was setting the bantam lien hen this miserable rable hen will not set she exclaimed in despair see here mr air smith she has left her nest again and is scratching around on the ground it a shame ive tied a cord around her leg so c 8 she lie run away and she la is hobbling around like a scrub pony perhaps tho the eggs are tao warm suggested her companion 1 I have had great success in cases like this with powdered lee ice not using too much of course just shave the ice gently and rub it over the eggs one at a 1 time it will often result in refreshing ng the attention v of the lien hen looked grave arent you ashamed to make fun of me whispering smith seemed taken aback it la is really serious business of courso course very good let roe me watch this hen fora for a fe few minutes and diagnose her yo you u go on to your other chickens ill stay tay here and think dicksie went down through i tho the yards when she came back whispering smith was sitting on oil a cracker box watching the bantam the chicken was malting making desperate efforts to get oft off cord and join its ita companions pan toris in the runway smith was eying the bantam critically when A dicksie rejoined him dodou do you usual I lyv Ahe ahe asked looking suddenly up have success in setting roosters now you aro are having fun with me again no by heaven I 1 am not have you diagnosed the case casa 1 I have and I 1 have diagnosed it as case of mistaken identity adaso identity and misapplied energy miss dick ste ate you have tied up the wrong bird this la Is not a bantam hen at all this Is a bantam rooster now that Is my judgment compare him with the others notice how bow much darker his hia plumage is its tho the rooster declared whispering smith wiping the perplexity from hla his brow do dont at feel bad not at all cut him loose miss rickste dont hesitate do it on my responsibility now lets look at the cannibal leghorns leg horns borns and great caesar V ehi r 1 CHAPTER between girlhood and womanhood about nine that night puss PUBS ushered mccloud alciclo ud in from the river dicksie came running downstairs to meet him your cousin insisted I 1 should come up to the house tor for some lupper lupp cr said mccloud dr dryly aly 1 1 I l could have taken camp tare fare witti the men gordon stayed staged there theio with him dicksie held tits his hat in her hand and her eyes were bright in the fire light puss must have thought the two made a handsome couple tor for she lingered as she started tor for the kitchen to look back puss exclaimed her mistress try fry a chicken right away A big one puss mr air mccloud is ve very ry hu hungry agry I 1 krow know and be quick dol do oh how la Is tho ithe river mr air mccloud mccloude V 7 behaving like a lamb it fallen much but the pressure seems to be oft off the bank it if you ou know what that means you must be a magician things changed the minute you came the last doctor usually gets geta credit for or the cure you know oh I 1 know al all about labout that dont don it you want to freshen up upa should you nand n ind coining right to my room marl atari on oil is in fit hers hera explained Dicks dicksie le and I 1 am never sure or of cousin lances lance he has so many boots when she had disposed of mccloud she flew to the kitchen puss was a starting after a chicken take a lantern puss whispered Dicks dicksie le ve hemen tl no indeed dla dis don need no lantern fo chickens miss Dick but got get a good one puss and make haste dol do mr air mccloud must be starved where la Is the baking powder ill get tho the biscuits started puss turned fiercely now look cok a heau healt yo cant make biscuits yo jes go so down bif dat young genan gen mn jes lemme lone of ef yo please dis aint do firs time I 1 killed chickens miss dickele Dicks Dick ste le an made biscuits jes clair out an se down place fr young ladles ladies is in de parlor 01 puss can cook sup ar fr one man yet et ef she has to oh yes puss certainly I 1 k know low I 1 ut bt course only get a nice chicken a air with the parting admonition dockal Dick smoothing her lair hair wildly hayt back to the living r roni om but the tarm was as done puts puss morr excited than her mistress lost her he head when she got to the chicken yard ina and results resul ran out a few gomenis atter alter ward for a glass of water for arr ale to cloud puss pusa was calmly wiping her ber hands bands and in the sink lay jay tile the quivering form of young caesar 1111 Ie caught her favorite up by the ft ind suppressed a cry there could bono bo no mistake she cast a burning took look on puss it would do no good to stor storn atom n now dicksie only wrung her hands and returned to mccloud ho he rose in the happiest mood he could not see what it a torment dicksie was in and took tho the water without asking himself why it trembled in her hand her restrained manner did not worry him for he felt that his fight at the over was won and the prospect of fried chicken composed him even tho the long hour before puss calm and inviting in a white cap and apron appeared to lo announce supper passed like a dream when dicksie rose to lead the way to the dining room me bic cloud walked on air the high color about her eyes intoxicated him not till halt half the triad fried chicken with many compliments from mccloud had disappeared and tile the plate had bad gono gone out for the second dozen biscuits did he notice dickshes Dick abstraction im sure you need worry no longer about the water he be observed reassuringly surin gly 1 I think the worst of tho the danger Is past dicksie looked at tho the tablecloth with wide open eyes 1 I feel sure that it Is I 1 am no longer worrying about that its nothing I 1 can call do or leave undone Is it asked mccloud laughing a little as he be implied in his tone that she must be worrying about something dicksie made a gesture of alarm oil oh no no nothing its a pretty good plan not to worry about anything do you think so why we all thought so BO last night heavens 1 mccloud drew back in his chair 1 I never offered you a piece of chicken what have I 1 been thinking of oh I 1 eat it anyway cried Dicks dicksie le you it la Is delicious do have a plate and a whig at least really I 1 could not bear to think of it she said pathetically lie he spoke lower something la Is troubling you I 1 have ab nb no right to a confidence I 1 know he added taking it a biscuit her eydt eyes tell fell to the floor it la Is pray dont mind me may I 1 fill your cup 9 she asked looking up 1 I am afraid I 1 worry too much over what has happened and cant be helped do you never do that mccloud laughing wretchedly tore caesare caesars Ca Cae caara sars last leg leff from his bis body no indeed I 1 never worry over what cant he helped they left the dining room marlon marion came down but they had hardly seated themselves before the living room ore fire when a messenger arrived with word that mccloud was wanted at the river ills hla chagrin at being dragged away waa so apparent tuat V 97 C A ito 4 r iii ep yonder they cornell marion and dicksie sympathized with him and laughed at him 1 11 1 I ne neer yer worry about what cant be helped dickele murmured ile he looked at Al marion arlon Tha ft a shot at me you don dont it want to 0 go dowil down do you he asked ironically looking from one to the other why of course ill go down ra spondee dickele Dicks le promptly clarl marina baug caught ht cold last night I 1 guess so will excuse her I 1 know I 1 will be y T j in an hour marlon marion and you can t i your cold while im gone but you go alone 11 afo po tested mccloud dicksion lifted her chin the least bit 1 I shall be going with you shall I 1 not and if the messenger has gone back I 1 shall have hae to guide you you never could find your way alone dut but I 1 can go interposed marlon marion rising not at all you can not got go announced n bunc e d dicksie DIcks le 1 I can protect both mr air mccloud and myself it if he should arrive down there under the wing ot of two women he would never hear the last of it I 1 am mistress here bere still I 1 think and I 1 shant be leaving act hirae e you know to mako make the Alc mccloud Cloud looked at marlon marion 1 I never worry over what cant bo be helped though it Is dollars to cents that those follows fellows dont need me down there any more than it a cat needs two tails I 1 and nd how will you get back ho he asod asked turning to dick ste 1 I will ride back returned Dicks le loftily but you may it you like help me get my horse up tip arc you sure you can fir fand A your way back persisted mccloud DI 0 k at e looked at him in surprise find my way back she echoed f softly 1 I could not lose it I 1 can call ride over any part of this country at noon or at midnight asleep or awake with a saddle or without with a bridle or without with a trail or without ive ridden every horse that has ever come on the crawling stone ranch I 1 could ride when I 1 was three years old find my way back tho the messenger had gono gone when the two rode from the house the rho sky was heavily overcast and the wind blow such a gale from the south and west that one cou could id hardly hear bear what the other said could not have ridden from the house to the barn in the utter darkness but his horse followed Dich stes she halted frequently frequent li on the trail for him to come up tip with her and after they had crossed tho the alfalfa fields mccloud did not care whether they ever found the path again or not its great it ho he exclaimed coming up tip to her after opening a gate in the dark where are you this way laughed dicksie Dicks le look out tor for the trail here give me ing your hand and let your horse have his head if ho he slips drop off on quick on this side aide mccloud caught her hand they rode tor for a moment in silence tho the horses stepping cautiously all right now said Dicks lej you may lot go but mccloud kept his i horse borse up close and clung to io the warm warm hand band the camp Is just around the hill murmured dicksie Dicks le trying to ii pull il ciway away but of course it if you would 1 tee ke to ride in holding my hand band you cayll no said bald mccland Mc Clond ot of course not not for worlds but miss Dicks dicksie le wu we ride back to th the ne h house lua and ride around the other way into tn camp I 1 think the other way into the J camp say around by the railroad bridge would be prettier dont you for answer sho she touched jim lightly with her lines and his spring released her liand hand very effectively As she did so the trail turned and the campfire camp fire firo whipped in tho the high wind blazed before them spering sperl ng smith and lance dun are re sitting together as the two il up smith helped dicksie to she was conscious of her color yes es were now unduly bright whispering smiths glance calmly on both mcclouds her own that dicksie felt as J J t vv quite through her and knew i ev ry ding ig that had happened since hey left the house bouse lance was talking to mccloud dont abuse the wind mccloud was 8 saying a Y ing its our best friend tonight to night mr dunning it Is blowing the wa ter offshore off shore whore where Is tile the trouble for answer dunning led mccloud off toward tile bend and was left alone with whispering smith lie ho made a seat for her on the windward side of the big fire when she had seated herself she looked up in great contentment to ask it ho he was not going to sit down beside her the brown coat the high black hat anti and the big eyes eads of whispering smith had already become a part of oc tier her mental menial storo she sha saw that he seemed pro Occupied and sought to draw him out of his abstraction 1 I am BO an glad you and mr air Alc mccloud Cloud are getting acquainted |