Show I 1 OLD MISERY By Hugh I Continued from yesterday He repeated I cant can't Ima imagine lne how any anyone one in the Valley could have known mown the truth A blind trail grumbled the mountain man If I knew where it begun I might figger where it would end Well We'll sleep on on It and perhaps my new medicine will have the answer answer for me in the morning You can sleep sound Youre You're safe sare this night The sun was up when where the two men awoke Old Misery was ImI Impatient Im Im- Im- Im patient to be off but gilbert gUbert Ilbert In Insisted insisted in- in I they low allow the girl girt to finish her sleep The mountain mans man's reply was to walk to the cabin and rap smartly on the door Then he pushed It ft open After a glance he turned and called out to Gilbert Vamoosed through the winder Knew she couldn't be in there sleeping with sith all them fat squirrels hooting over the roof Cant Can't make out what's got into her Wonder Vonder if Tom Tobin is still sun at the bar I with them fools from Grass Valley Hes He's a master hand with a a. bottle Haven't yet thought of or anyone who could a told tod Phelps about you j an idea bLats bLet's eat and i be moving I And Gilbert could not keep his gaze from wandering down the ravine ra- ra L vine as he spoke He was beginning beginning beginning begin- begin I j ning to experience the fears of the h hunted Old Misery quickly re rekindled rekindled re- re kindled the fire cooked meat and made coffee When they sat down to eat he remarked When hen you took took on with my out out- out v fit you did as Pet Peters ls l's said told me everything Sure youve you've kept up that habit younker Everything that matters muttered mut mut- teed Gilbert but coloring fun fun- I 1 was wondering how that Montez Montez Montez Mon- Mon Moni woman was interested enough h to send that warning mused Old Misery My new medicine has been prodding me to give it some thou thought ht I In Iii a sudden burst of confidence Gilbert confessed his meeting with I I her and Phelps Phelps' jealousy I h It It meant nothing to to- tom m me or to her her She simply permitted me to walk with h her hr r to o her boardinghouse boarding boardinghouse house he insisted Old Misery prompted Maria Iaria must a known about it 1 she saw you two together Gilbert stubbornly stubbornly stub stub- I dont don't think so lied i Mortal queer queer Phelps told the woman so she smile on you any more Ive I've been thinking it was to git even with me But hed he'd done doneit it it anyway to git rid of 01 you But who told him I oUr persons know you was in the El EI Dorado Peters Peters- me rne o and Maria Iaria The three of us was in ire Grass Grass' Valley Yale Val Yal ley yesterday e Younker I never blabbed i. It iI I was wa drunk as a bil d ow ou owl I j I Ico co couldn't a aj d done ne it You didn't not not being beins- ing plumb p- p ph h yoka yet Cabin door closed Maria a gone through h the tle winder Gone without waiting us Had it a queer way of quitting quitting quitting quit quit- ting our fire last night Younker you mean well wel hut but youre you're a poor liar I 1 Maria ria said you Iou talked with her in Grass Valley Vailey I It was nothing We happened to meet meet meet- And Anti she uhe got powerful mad at something and that's why hy she wouldn't go and see see the play lay acting acting act act- ing composedly continued the mountain man m When en she's riled filed bout so so much shed she'd do do most an any any- thing Phelps saw you and the the woman together So did the girl I IThen IThen IThen Then she saw Phelps watching That settled your hash with he her she held Phelps up and anti told him about bout the El Dorado We Ve dont don't know mow that Its It's all guesswork feebly insisted Gilbert And that's what my new new medicine medicine medi medi- cine was trying to ding through h my old head bead last night while you was was I asleep and that poor child was crawling through the winder To I m make ake a real muss It t takes les a a. wo wo- wo- wo m man an Without further words he hurriedly hur hur- n iedy packed the provisions on the m mule ule and they took up their Journey journey Jour jour- n ney ey to the hidden hollow hollo They l left en the ravine and climbed d an another another anther an- an o other ther bench and halted to examine the he t country below A faint can call I c caused aused the to shade his h is eyes and Gilbert to tremble with f fresh resh fear Just glimpsed him as he ho passed t through the uttered the m mountain man Rides alone Hell He'll show how s up again in a minute where t the he trail bends to make this level Gilbert was for hurrying on but taut O Old ld Misery shook his head No danger er from one man he growled g There he lee comes S Sighted Us lis afore we see him Hes He's Hessi s si signaling us to hold up The horse horseman lan now was in fullview full lull v view his horse making rather hard work w ork of or the path to the bench Heaved He w waved waed i aved i a big bl black ck hat and and the s sun sunburned the brim f It into a c circle ircle of fire Mexican Got buttons of silver s strung trung round his hat bat W WU tu ll Im I'm a always alwa's ready to listen to a talk Following the zigzag path the t tired ired horse labored up the slope Gilbert saw the man wore a bandage b on his hand and wrist and w warned arned Its It's a ling l No Xo Fall Fail b back ck and tree treo your your- s sel self elf He lie brings a talk but butHe but i but but- I He did not bother to finish S Standing behind the mule with his r rifle ready to shoot across the I p pack ack he raised a hand for the theider r rider ider to stop at a distance of thirty f feet et The mate man slipped his hand out of t the he bandage and reIn reined d in Three fingered Jack softly ex exclaimed exclaimed ex- ex c claimed Old Misery Then in a loud voice and speaking speaking speak speak- i ing ris' ris in ire Spanish ho he demanded What does Manuel Garcia want u up p herr here where only eagles live li I He lIe rides for one who is the s strongest est eagle of all promptly r replied T Joaquin aquin Murieta's 1 lieuten ten ten- a ant nt You are the man called Old l Ii Misery sery j I 1 am that man What talk do y you OU bring me l lA A A talk about Ana Benites Open your talk This Is js no I place for n Manuel Garcia Garcia- to rest n his n n e. e horse A dog has whispered Ana na Benites' Benites Benites' Benites Benites' Benites Be Be- name in Nevada City hissed t the he Mexican He lIe said she is called Maria Nevada City Sa says s 's a girl called Maria lives lives' in your mountain camp Americanos from San Francisco have heard the talk i in n Nevada My hor horse e is nearly dead in running to keep ahead of them Then the girl must go to Mex Mex- i ico co California is too small to hold her I will send her to Mexico where she will win be safe Now give the n name me of the man who told her hern n v vAnd name nane 11 And Ana the the- fountain mans eyes flamed with witha a a terrible purpose Welcome to the name Senor of the Sierra But it will do you Iou no good There will be no names where he will be bagone gone before you youcan youcan youcan can take talce the girl to the Mexican Ihle and return to look 1001 for him He calls himself Manuel You call him Ching a He lie was one of 01 our sp spies es He lIe h has s betrayed Ana Benites and shall die very soon Just now men guard s him against us liS but out soon very soon he shall shan iose ose his head head- hea l. l Adios senors Continued |