Show THE q N kit if LE or tur I 1 41 A athor ormy LADY or the loutfi N ailua ita copyright A C Ide Clurs ft co tam SYNOPSIS jack keith a virginian now boi M plainsman f ns looking ak V 20 for roaming g war sav ani claros 8 of at bavavea Bava gea lie he seen bee a wagon an team full gallop 1 by men on 0 ponies P n lf ago when keith t reaches rg 7 the wagon w in n tha th raid I 1 d have massacred two men and deported he searches the victims finding fayerm and a locket with a domang portrait 1 keith C lh Is arrested at carson city ity tak charged ar ge d with the mu murder rde his accuser r being m a named n black c dart bart A negro so manion in his cell named neb tells him that ho he knew the keiths keithe in virginia neb say aysene ay sone slone of the tha murdered men wag waa john ebbley the other gen willis walte waite torro form aly ax I a confederate officer the plainsman pi a isanan nd N neb eb escape and later the tha fugitives come upon a cabin and find its ita occupant occula nt to be ba a young girt girl whom keith thinks he be saw at carson city the girl explains that the she to in in search march of a brother who tad bad deserted from rom the army and that a mr hawley indic induced e d her to come coma to tho he cabin while he h sought bought her brother haw to it appears ears anil and keith in hiding lecog M m him ain as black dart bart there la is a ter rade battle in the th darkened room in which neith keith to Is victor horses are appropriated and nd the girl who says that her name Is llope hope joins in the escape keith explains aid his situation bat I 1 on and the fugitives make fa for port fort larned lamed where the girl Is left with the hotel landlady mims hope tells that she ha Is the daugh daughter r of general walte waite he keith I 1 th and neb drift into sheridan w where here keith meets an old friend dr keith meets the brother of hope walte waite wider the assumed name of fred wll wil abb and becomes convinced that me 13 black ack cart bart has haa some plot involving the two hope learns that gen walte waite who was waa thought murdered mur derod Is at sheridan and ad roes goes there where she Is mistaken mint aken for christle christie maclaire Mac latre the carson city ahnger keith meets the real christie maclaire Macl IG alre and nd hilda that black bart has haa convinced her ber that there Is a mystery in her life which he to Is going to turn to her advantage 9 e the ainsman tells hope walte waite of 1 her 1 r lesem resemblance ti 1 ance to christie maclaire Macl alre they decide that fred willoughby may hold h the key to the situation kelt keith finds willoughby ito u ahby shot dead hope jo a Is told of tide death d e ath of her brother keith alth falls to learn rn what hat representation black hart dart has ba s made to christie maclaire Macl Is c laire alre hope au guests that in order to learn the secret ie must briefly impersonate the eta stage go singer dr fairbain la is in love with christie christi Mael madarro tUre and keith induces him to le detain her from the stage while hope goes to the theater where she he meets black dart bart who thus deceived decel tells hope that general beneral walte waite has suspected lila ila plans and that they must fly hope greatly alarmed eta med demurs general walte appears and and says black dart bart has haa stolen r from him regarding an ingerl r bance keith Is informed that christie Vaci alred real name to Is phyllls phyllis gale gala and that she Is the halt sister of hope the latter has been carried away by black bart and his rang gang dr FaIrba fairbarn ln avows his bis love tor for phyllis and she accepts him ket belth and his friends strike the trail of black bart they ther find tige hope has been ta barbio ken back to the tha old cabin c it 11 CHAPTER continued eight bosses in abar be ba announced soberly then turned to keith say jack what do you figure this shebang to be anyhow you dont reckon its old outfit do alo yer likely as not jo joe though I 1 never saw him around here bere joo joe filled his bis cheek check with tobacco staring about through the darkness well it if that ol 01 cuss Is yere now beuna euna Is sure la in ter er a fight he be commented positively they rounded the corral fince fence on bands and knees crawled into a bunch of f bushes somewhat to the rear of the desolate appearing cabin and lay down flat behind a pile ot of saddles from which position tInn they could plainly discern the rear door had their camp over there in the corner comer of the corral when I 1 was here before he said in a whisper where do 40 you suppose they can be benow now the tha wary scout lifted his head sniffing anif fins into the dark darkness hess like a point er r dog west a 0 ther cabin out 0 ther wind most likely I 1 smell tobacco even as the words left his bis lips a man came sauntering slowly around the she eastern corner his bis outlines barely visible but tho the red glow of a pipe low showing plainly lie ile stopped dl facing them yawning sleepily ard and then turned the other corner another moment and they di distinctly Ls ae bearda rd a voice hustle ustle ll up now manuel an turn torn out its your watch woke wake up aam ciara yer maybe bring yet ter ate the remedy applied to the sleeper must have been efficacious as an in lunt lant later another figure slouched anto view the new arrival rubbing ids eyes with one hand the other latching clutching a ashert short barrelled gun from the high peak 0 of his bis hat bat it was evl evi this new guard was a mexican no jue walked to the corner glanced liong along the he east side wall toward the front ot of the cabin and then apparent tf ly satisfied the coast was clear start to 4 toward the stream shuffling along within a oot foot ot of keith lay hat flat n the ground A moment later the men leard hw splashing softly in the water and keith lulled oyer over hla his lips ipa 1 I 11 Brist Erl bos ear slip down there den ben ho be whis jered and bufe rellow fellow ill III flud find wat out how bow many art arie on the west side do the job without any noise jle ile waited until we uio scout had bad dia feared appeared pe ared like a snake not even a leaf telling of hia bis passage and then silently crept forward himself yet with less caution until he was vw able abe to peer about abdat tho the corner oi ol 01 the cabin abin and dimly distinguish the I 1 blanketed forms forma of several men dylag laae close in against the side wall they rested so nearly together it was dlly cult jo to se them in that dark viii less stars stare giving the ibe only light but bat tie te finally determined their number at ave five the mexican would make band there woula surely bo be another suard luard posted ou out in the front ceen ailt there were eight horses borzea dow down n i L 1 I V 11 tn qa ro rising to bior knees he saw a man already Half Across the stream I 1 there in the corral then th the 0 eighth roan man hawley without doubt must bo be in the cabin at the thought keiths teeth clinched and he bad to struggle to control his passion but no that would never do he be must discover first exactly where the girl was located after that they would attend to the curs deloro before creeping back to the others he made quick examination along the roar rear of the cabin but could find no visible point 0 of weakness ile he tried to recall from memory the nature of the lock on that back door but could remember nothing except an ordinary wooden latch it he be could insert In serta a knife into the crack that might very easily bo be dislodged lie he drew his hunting knife for the attempt and first glancing about perceived a man creeping toward him it proved to be bristoe fixed the greaser all right cap andi and 1 reckon hell be quiet tor abr an hour or two look whar he slashed me struck a pack 0 geerds er id a got my ticket the front of his blouse was cut wide open and keith thought he perceived a stain ot at blood pricked you as qs it was he be opened the skin thought the cuss had given up an got careless round to the west 71 keiths lips closed his bis hand band shutting hard on the knife five aud and another out in front that leaves the eighth man ensile ins ie bring our fellows up closer and post them where they can cover those fellows asleep while I 1 make an effort at breaking in hero bristoe crawled back like a snail and confident the others would do their part keith thrust his knife blade deep lite the narrow narro v crack and began into ing ng after the latch in spite of all caution this effort caused a slight noise and suddenly sudden lf he be started back at the sound of a womans comans voice what do you want I 1 am armed and will fire the door if you do not go awall ills ilia heart leaping vita exultation keith put his lips close 0 to o the crack hope be exclaimed as loudly as he dared this la Is keith open the door I 1 do could hear bear a little lettle smothered cry break from her lips and then the sound of a bir bar being hastily removed an instant and the door opened silently lust just wide enough to permit her slender alender figure to slip through she fine grasped him with her hands turning uia ibis face to thi the light lit ht ot of the stars stara and lo he could feel cerrai her in rai 32 tremble ob I 1 knew you would comet coma I 1 know knew you would comet she sobbed the words barely audible the mans lips set firmly yet tie he held her close to him begging bet not to break down now its all right little girl he sold sald pleadingly weve got you we sate but there to la a fight to be ba attended to come with mei must salt you a question or two lie he drew ncr her back into tho the fringe of a bushes placing ter her safely behind tato stack of saddles she was waa not crying any more just clinging to him as though she could fever never again bear to let him go oh jack it ta Is tie BO good just to teel feet you near again yes dear soothingly and it la Is good to hear bear you say jack but tell me one thing Is any one els elsa 0 in the cabla Is hawley here no nol no lie he left us early the first brat morning I 1 either seen or heard beard of at him since the men have left me alone since we got here have had the cabin all to myself until tonight I 1 have not suffered only mentally from dread of what they intended doing with me until tonight three men rode in here lust just before sundown two me hie and an indian one of them was an awful looking old man with a scar on bis 1118 cheek and a face that made me shudder tie ile see bee me but I 1 saw aw him through the window and ho bo had bad such strange eyes all the men acted as though they were afraid of him and I 1 heard beard him say he care what hawleys harleys Haw leys orders were vere he was going to sleep inside it if the girl like it she could take the other room I 1 know what to do oh I 1 was so BO afraid of him but what he paid fald gave me an idea and I 1 went into the back room and put up tip a bar across the door when ho be came in he tried the door then he spoke through it but I 1 never answered and finally he lay down and went to sleep I 1 sat there in the dark fco a long and when I 1 beard you 1 1 I thought it must be some 0 ot 1 the others lie he her hair whispering words of encouragement that Is all done with cow hope and well have those follows at our mercy in another halt half hour I 1 can trust you td remain right hero here yes lie was bending over and her eyes were upon his face suddenly he be clasped her to him sweetheart ho he whispered softly ile he could not bear ber answer but her arms were about his neck CHAPTER the cabin taken ills his heart beatles with new happiness yet conscious ol of the stern duty still confronting him keith joined the others giving thorn them in 0 whisper a hurried account of hopes elopes release from the cabin and of what she had 1 1 1 to report I 1 its old juan sanchez lu tho the front oom oam boys be added soberly and there is ten thousand dollars reward out tor for him dead or alive joe JOB of the bar X drew la in tits hla breath sharply suro sure be dead then ho he muttered that cuss cusa wu will never be got no other way they went et at it in the grim allent manner ct the west wasting little time feeling no mercy ono one by ore one the conscious sleepers were aroused i aca bacz w afiz to find and A tel steel barrel pressing against hla his forehead and to hear bear a stern voice say ominously not a move johnny yes yea a gun now get up quietly and step out here resistance was waa useless and the ho five rendered weaponless vera core herded back toward tho the corral they all belonged to harleys hawleys Haw leya leys outfit ow one on e a black whiskered surly bruto brute bristoe remembered having seen in sheriden sheridan there was waa no time to deal with abe them then and a bar X man was placed placed on guard with orders to shoot at the slightest suspicious movement the indian then would be the front of the house bouse and sanchez sleeping inside well the former could be left alone his chance of escape would bo be small enough with tair bain and neb or the opposite bank old sanchez was waa tho the villain they wanted dead or alive with this in V view low and anxious to make a quick job of it the three entered the bati room and revolvers in hand band groped their way across to tho the connecting connects ng door As hope had bad described this had been securely fastened by a stout wooden bar bristoe forced it from the sockets not without some B slight light noise and keith crouching down do lu at one side lifted the latch keep down low boys bo be cautioned where he be cant hit you with one quick pash ho he ilung the door wide I 1 open and a red flash lit the room there were two sharp reports the bullets crashing into the wall behind them the sudden blazo blaze of flamo revealing veiling re the front door open and with it the black outline of a mans figure two of tho the men fired in instant response leaping recklessly forward but were as quickly left behind bebing in the darkness the outer door slammed in their faces outside thero there was a snarl of rage another shot a fierce curse in spanish then keith flung the door wide open and leaped down the step As he be did so bo did so BO he struck a body and tell forward his bis revolver knocked from his hand rising to his bis knees the tha dim tight light of the stars revealed a roan already half across the stream suddenly two sparks of tire fire leaped forth irom frodi the blackness black neBs ol at the opposite bank the man flung up his hand staggered then went stumbling up the stream knee deep in water lie ile made in ade a dozen yards reeling as though drunk and tell fell forward face down across a spit of at sand keith stared ou out t at the black motionless shape felt along the ground tor for his lost gun and ana arose to his feet feel bristoe had bad turned over the dead bodi bod at tho foot of the steps and was peering down into the upturned face TO BE CONTINUED |