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Show 1J! ilTheLastChance;! ,"."" :: It Led. (o Preef at Tree I V '.I Frlcwtehip 4 T i fV T T t i ; I By SARAH MARIA GRANT 1 .v J, . ',. CopjTlght by American Press Aeuo- , S ' elation. 1911. f A dirty looking Mexican bad brought tho roughly scrawled noto to tho Lono Bull ranch. It was at tho edgo of tho vj1 , evening, nnd the extended nbaenco of A Ugljt uearted Harry Barry had been a ' matter of comment among IiIb com- .: rade's. Ills two weeks' lcavo of ab- sence bad been Btretched to three, and, although work was dull at this season. 3 - . hla silence caused a vague disquietude J "p among the older men. I ' Thb note was addressed to Gabriel, j .nr -it and he unfolded It with the careful "" deliberation of one who seldom re-' cclves an epistle. ITe held the torn sheet of paper close to the lamp ami j t scanned the words with sharp eye that narrowed to mere pin points of j " light when he had concluded. - "It's from him," he said, with a curt -4L'- nod toward Harry Barry's empty chair. .' They scented trouble in the tone of J I his voice. Gabriel was not given to i k-j? emotion, but bo had grown attached I' ' to Harry Barry and loved him as a y4 Bon, w: "What's htppened?" demanded Jim "S l Lewis. ' .. For answer Gabriel tossed the note across the ruble, and Jim seized it , . - eagerly and read aloud: I-" Coipe to th three cottonwoods nnd bring tho boyu to celebrate. It's tho last chance. H. D. Hurdeued though they were, the faces of the four blanched as tho moaning moan-ing of the words Bmote tbem strongly. Tho thro tnll cottonwoods that stood near Satan's Gulch marked n Bpot that was recognized throughout tho ndjn- Icent cattle country us a place where tho swift Justice of the plains was meted out to offenders. Without a word the four arose and reached for their hatB. In tho same grim silence they strode out of the I bunk house, forgetful of the Blcxlcnn who croucbod In the veranda as they passed. VJ - They wero three miles on their way f - I M'am Miiifi Qu'wii wlim-ibe Grime broke tho silence. "What becamo of tho greaser?" he asked suddenly. "I forgot him," admitted Gabriel "Did anybody pay him for tho letter?" "You paid him yourself. Gabe. I saw you flip blm four bits," remarked Jim Lewis. V They all grow Bllent once more. f.-" thinking perhaps of the merry evcu 5 lngs spent under tho star dusted sky or In the shelter of the bunk house with narry Barry, the pivotal confer (about which good humor swung.-"Thcre'a swung.-"Thcre'a only one thing Harry might do," growled Gabriel from the depth of n troubled heart. 4 "And he wouldn't do that unless he was pushed to wrangle. Harry, he 1. wasn't one to force gun play," added 8 Jim Lewis seriously. I "If narry did drop his man It would !be In a fair fight, and thero wouldn't "bo no cause to" Tho Crane's pause "Was Blgniflcant. They rode on across the shriveled grasses nnd down dry water courses, heading always for the southeast and yet ever dreading to glimpse the gaunt outline of the cottonwoods against the .. . -.. sky. A young moon slipped down the western spaces, and after awhile there was no light savo that of the stars. I and iu the soft radiaucc they moved on their way to take advantage of their last chnnce to Bay farewell to Hurry Barry. It was Gubrlel's eyes that first saw gp' the black cottonwoods, and he halted JHtr n8 horse with a sudden Jerk and fj'', stopped tho progress ot the other men. " "I got something to say." he raut-! raut-! tered hoarsel. "Wo all know that what's going to happen lu the morning can't be stopped Just because Hurry j , Is our friend. Them of us that breaks J the law. whether Intentional or other-if other-if ' wise, has to pay the price, and Ilnrry'H (got to take his medicine. But we'll all ! ' stand by him till"- They nodded silently, but there was not one of them. Gabriel Included, who Aid not register a mental vow to attempt at-tempt to free Harry Barry before the dawn broke. Almost within the shadow of the trees the four halted their horses and . ' peered into the gloom. Jim Lewis Jty slipped from tiU saddle and cautious- 'Vj ". ly recounoltcred. Presently he came W&'"' back and Bpoke brenthlesly. shi "nc''s yonder-alone. White Star is W; near at band." ',r Lending his own horse and followed by the others. Jim Lewis cautiously ' led the way into the deeper shadows C where Harry Barry was sleeping. t " They were somewhat puzzled ot the $T? ,. absence of his captors, but Satan's ,' . Gulch presented many rocks and cran nies that might be preferred to the utar canopied sky as sleeping quarters, and probably tho condemned man was oouna nna neipiesi. Presently they discerned tho outline of n picketed horse and not far away a dark bundle on tho ground that breathed heavily. "The young devil." groaned Gnbriel to hlmself-"sleeplng like that tonight l" In spite of tho silent vow that bad bevn registered n half hour before Hnrry Barry's friends moved as by one accord to accomplish a set purpose. Quietly enough ouo unplckoted the horse Whlto Ftnr nnd, mounting his own beast, led tho other. Another pulled n blanket from his saddle, nnd the other two assisted In tossing It over Harry Barry's head nnd bodily carrying that bundle of mutlled threats ami wriggling muscles to Gabriel's mount, where he was laid across the saddle In front of tho lean ranebmau, and in less time than it takes to relate tho Incident they were away, riding like a streak for tho state line. The animated form of their captive only added speed to the flight of Gabriel's Ga-briel's horse. Familiar expressions, some of them profanely strong, as-Hired as-Hired them that they had made no mls-tnko mls-tnko In capturing the right man. It required re-quired all of Gabriel's Iron strength to hold tho ougry captive in place. Tho mysterious change- that heralds the dawn found. Gabriel, Jim Lewis, the Crane nnd Tim Lewis riding through n narrow dcfllo whose farther end marked tho lino of another state. Hnrry Barry, shaken Into n more com fortnble posture, but his head and shoulders still enveloped In the blanket, blan-ket, was permitted to ride White Star, while his friends with voices lowered during their InfrcQuent couverso managed man-aged to conceal their Identity from him. When they wero safely on another territory they paused and gathered Into n semicircle about tho prlsouer. The blanket was withdrawn from Harry Har-ry Barry's lndlgnnnt countenance, nnd he split the morning air with a whoop of disgust when ho viewed tho faces of his friends In tho wan daylight. day-light. Worn nnd haggard they were, but each pair tf faithful eyes viewed him with brotherly love. "What In tho blankety-blank-blunk Is the matter with you gazaboes?" ho bellowed wrathfully. "Ib this what you call a Joke to carry a feller thirty thir-ty miles away from the first Btreak of luck he's ever had? I wish I'd kept it to myself 1" He looked around at their crestfallen faces, his own anger abating abat-ing In the light of concern he read In tho eyes fixed on him. "Wo'ro your friends, Hnrry," boomed boom-ed Gabriel solemnly. "What we've Gqiio this nliibUiMMBiaatoiVirGia as wo all know it, but I don't bollevc ono mother's son of us would have dono it for anybody but you. Seems llko I couldn't bear not to hear you laugh no more." The rough fellow drew his sleeve across his brow, and for an instant his troubled nnd betraying betray-ing eyes wero hidden. , Tho others nodded assent. "Not for nobody but you, Harry," added the Crane crustily. Harry Barry stared at their woebe-gouo woebe-gouo faces with bewildered eyes. Ho looked little like n condemned man n man who had faced death but u few short hours before a man who had escaped certain hanging from one of the three cottonwoods at Sntan's Gulch. "Whnt's the rumpus?" he demanded nt length. "Yon got my note oil right?" "That's why we enmo, nnd what' happened that you call tho limb of n Cottonwood the first streak of luck you ever bnd?" demanded Gabriel sternly. "There won't no gal In tin case?" Harry Barry stared. "Nary gal," ho managed to say after awhile, "but what's tho limb of a cottonwood tree got to do with mo?" Silently Gabriel passed over the note that the Mexican had delivered, and tho others stared curiously as the young man rend It. "Where's the rest of it?" he demanded. demand-ed. "Best of it?" they echoed. "The first part. It's been torn orf." "That's the way It was handed to me," wild Gabriel. "I'll bet the greasy toad toro some of It orr to make a cigarette." sputtered sput-tered Harry Barry. Then, turning to ward them, he said without n tmec of humor In his pleamint voice: "This part, boys, sounds mighty desperate, but when I tell you what was iu the part that the greaser tore off you'll understand. The whole note snld: Hurray. I've struck silver at Sutuu'x Gulch after all' Come to the three cottonwoods nnd bring the boys to celebrnte. It's the Last Chance.' And. boys, the name of the new mine Is Last Chnnce." His cnreless young face grew very tender as the four yelled themselves hoareo with delight. They Joked one unother about the ndstake they hud made, and as they turned nbout and rode back over the trail Into their own btote they discussed, with much laughter, laugh-ter, the pains they bnd takeu to bring narry Barry away from his streak of luck. Harry Barry's favorite theme for months had been his belief thai diver ore would bo found at Batan'n Gulch, and he had utilized his three reeks' vnrntion to prospect that re-Lion re-Lion thoroughly, with tho best of sue- ..).i ..- . CCrflC narry Barry himself "was the only serious ouo In tho party bound for tho cottonwoods. At Inst, when they all drew rein under the trees and had examined ex-amined the notico of his claim that was posted, thero they wnited for him to sper.k. no looked around at their tired faces and read the satisfaction in their eyes. Thero camo t6 him then tho full knowledge of whnt friendship means between men. "Friends," ho said' gently, "i under-ntnnd under-ntnnd now why you rodo down to the three cottonwoods, and you must havo believed somo In me to do what you did. This ain't going to be a big mine -thero ain't a fortune 'In it-but, no matter what size lb, is, there's five partners In it, and ltVnamo is Friendship. Friend-ship. You fellers 1nydown and sleep whllo I get some breakfast." Before I hoy obeyed hjm there was a brief instant while hands gripped hands, nnd thou' 'tho 'tension was removed, re-moved, nnd'thoy wero.on, the old footing foot-ing once more, snvefor tho strong foundation that tho night's work bnd laid for their future friendship. |