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Show THE TIMES-NEW- NEPHI, UTAH S, Was tern Stars SCOUTS The high ofRomamce A BOY- CHAPTER XVII! Continued. "It was absolutely Impossible for Stewart to have been connected with that assault," went on Madeline, swiftly, "for he was with me In the waiting room of the station at the moment the assault was made outside. The door was open. I heard the voices of quarThe language was reling men. Spanish. I heard a woman's voice mingling with the others. It, too, was Spanish, and I could not understand. But the tone was beseeching. Then I heard footsteps on the gravel. "Just outside the door then there were hoarse, furious voices, a scuffle, a muffled shot, a woman's cry, the thud of a falling body, and rapid footsteps of a man running away. Next, the girl Bonlta staggered Into the door. She was white, trembling, terror-strickeShe recognized Stewart, appealed to lilm. Stewart supported her and endeavored to calm her. He asked her If Danny Mains had been shot, or If he had done the shooting. The girl eald no. She told Stewart that she had danced a little, flirted a little with vaqueros, and they had quarreled over her. Then Stewart took her outside and put her upon his horse. I saw the girl ride that horse down the street to disappear in the darkness." While Madeline spoke another change appeared to be working In the man Hawe. His sharp features fixed In an expression of craft "Thet's mighty lnterestln', Miss Hammond, 'most as lnterestln' as a story book," he said. "Now, since you're so obllgln' a witness, Td sure like to put a question or two. What time did you arrive at El Cajon thet night?" "It was after eleven o'clock," replied Madeline. "Nobody "No." there to meet you?" "The station agent an' operator both gone?" "Yes." "How soon did this feller Stewart how up?" Hawe continued, with a wry smile. "Very soon after my arrival. I think fifteen minutes, possibly a perhaps little more." "An' what time was the Greaser hot?" queried Hawe, with his little eyes gleaming like coals. "Probably close to half past one. It was two o'clock when I looked at my watch at Florence Klngsley's house. Directly after Stewart sent Bonlta away he took me to Miss Klngsley's. So, allowing for the walk and a few minutes conversation with her, I can pretty definitely say the shooting took place at about half past one." , Stlllwell heaved his big frame a step closer to the sheriff. "What 're you drlvln' at?" he roared, his face black again. j "Evidence," snapped Hawe. 'Madeline marveled at this Interruption; and as Stewart irresistibly drew iher glance she saw him gray-faceas ashes, shaking, utterly unnerved. "I thank you. Miss Hammond,"" he "Bald, huskily. "Rut you needn't answer 'any more of Hawe's questions. He's he's It's not necessary. I'll go with him now, under arrest. Bonlta will corroborate your testimony In court, and that will save me from this this jniun's spite." Madeline, looking at Stewart, seeing humility she at first took for cowardice, suddenly divined that It was not fear for himself which made him dread further disclosures of that night, but fenr for her fear of shame she might Buffer through him. Pat Hawe cocked his head to one aide, like a vulture about to strike with Ms beak, and cunningly eyed Madeline, "Considered as testimony, what you've said Is sure Important an con elusive. But I'm calculatln' thet the court will want to hev explained why till you stayed from eleven-thirtin thet waltln' room alone with Stewart." His deliberate speech met with what Madeline Imagined a remarkable reception from Stewart, who gave a tigerish start ; from Stlllwell, whose big fnnnds tore at the neck of his shirt, as If he was choking; from Alfred, who now strode hotly forward, to be topped by the cold and silent Nets; from Monty Price, who uttered a violent "Aw !" which was both a hiss and a roar. In the rush of her thought Madeline mnld not Interpret the meaning of these thing!! which seemed so strange at that moment. P.ut they were portentous. Even ns she was forming i reply to Hnwc's speech she felt a chill creep over her. "Stewart detained me In the wait ss ing room." she said, tiell. "But we were not alone all the time." For a moment the only sound followIng her words was a gasp from Stew art. Hawe's face became transformed with a hideous amaze and Joy. "Detained?" he whispered, craning Ills lean and corW neck. . "How's d y might clear this murky air. Gene Stewart did that night you tell it." llghtnln 16 Whatever By Zane Grey on-luc- Madeline's dignity and had been disturbed by Stewart's importunity. She broke into swift, disconnected speech: "He came into the station a few minutes after I got there. I asked to be shown to a hotel. He said there wasn't any that would accommodate married women. He grasped my hand Then I looked for a wedding-ring- . saw he was he was Intoxicated. He told ma he would go for a hotel porter. But he came back with a padre Padre Marcos. The poor priest was terribly frightened. So was L Stewart had turned Into a devil. He fired his gun at the padre's feet He pushed me onto a bench. Again he shot right before my face. I I nearly fainted. But I heard him cursing the padre heard the padre praying or chanting I didn't know what. Stewart tried to make me say things In Spanish. All at once he asked my name. I told him. ne Jerked at my veil. I took It off. Then he threw his gun down pushed the padre out of the door. That was Just . before the vaqueros ap proached with Bonlta. Padre Marcos must have seen them must have heard them. After that Stewart grew quickly sober. He told me he had been drinking at a wedding I remember, It was Ed Linton's wedding. Then he ex plained the boys were always gambling he wagered he would marry the first girl who arrived at El Cajon. I happened to be the first one. He tried to force me to marry him. The rest relating to the assault on the vaquero I have already told you." Madeline ended, out of breath and panting, with her hands pressed upon her heaving bosom. Hawe rolled his red eyes and threw back his head. "Ho, ho, hoi no, ho, ho! Say, Sneed, you didn't miss any of It, did ye? Haw, haw I Best I ever heerd In all my born days. Ho, ho !" Then he ceased laughing, and with glinting gaze upon Madeline, Insolent and vicious and savage, he began to drawl : "Wal now, my lady, I reckon your story, if it tallies with Bonlta's an" Padre Marcos', will clear Gene Stewart In the eyes of the court." Here he grew slower, more biting, sharper and harder of face. "But you needn't expect Pat Hawe or the court to swaller thet part of your story about beta" detained unwilUn' 1" Madeline had not time to grasp the sense of his last words. Stewart had convulsively sprung upward, white aa chalk. As he leaped at Hawe Stlllwell lnteroosed his huee bulk and wranned his arms around Stewart. There waa a brief, whirling, wrestling struggle. Stewart appeared to be besting the old cattleman. "Help, boys, help!" yelled Stlllwell. "I can't hold him. Hurry, or there's goln to be blood spilled I" Nick Steele and several cowboys leaped to Stlllwell's assistance. "Gene I Why, Gene I" panted the old cattleman. "Sure you're locoed to act this way. Cool down ! Cool down ! Why, boy. It's all right Jest stand till give us a chance to talk to you. It'a only ole Bill, you know your ole pal who's tried to Be a daddy to you, He's only wantln' you to hev sense to be cool to wait" "Let roe go I Let me got" cried Stewart ; and the poignancy of that cry pierced Madeline's heart "Let me go, BUI, if you're my friend. I saved your Ufa once over In the desert Tou Saw one-thir- ty "Stewart was drunk, ne " With sudden passionate gesture of despair Stewart appealed to her: "Oh, Miss Hammond, don't I don't! don't! ..." Then he seemed to sink down, head lowered npon his breast. In otter Shame. Still well's great hand swept to the bowed shoulder, and he turned to Madeline, "Miss Majesty, I reckon yon'd he svtse to tell all," ssld the old cattleman, gravely. "There ain't one of os who could misunderstand any motive r at f roars Mebbt stroke of law. Cool down, son; it'll all come rightSuddenly Madeline was transfixed by a terrible sound. Her startled glance shifted from the anxious group round Stewart to see that Monty Price had leaped off the porch. He crouched down with his hands below his hips, where the big guns swung. From his distorted lips Issued that sound which was combined roar and bellow and Indian and, more than all, a horrible warning cry. He was quivering, vibrating. His eyes, black and hot, were fastened with most piercing lntentness upon Hawe and Sneed. "Git back, Bill, git back I" he roared. Git 'em back I" With one lunge Stlllwell shoved Stewart and Nick and the other cow boys upon the porch. Then he crowded Madeline and Alfred and Florence to the wall, tried to force them farther. His motions were rapid and stern. But falling to get them through door and windows, he planted his wide person between the women and danger. Made line grasped his arm, held on, and peered fearfully from behind his broad shoulder. "Tou, Hawe! Tou, Sneed!" called Monty, In that same wild voice. "Don't you move a finger er an eyelash I" Madeline's faculties nerved to keen, thrilling divination. She grasped the relation between Monty's terrible cry and the strange hunched posture he had assumed. "Nels, git In this!" yelled Monty; and all the time he never shifted his Intent gaze as much as a halr"s-breadt- h from Hawe and his deputy. "Nels, chase away them two fellers hangin' back there. Chase 'em, quick ! These men, the two deputies who had remained In the background with the did not wait for Nels. They spurred their mounts, wheeled, and galloped away. "Now, Nels, cut the gurl loose," or dered Monty. Nels ran forward, Jerked the halter out of Sneed's hand, and pulled Bon lta's horse In close to the porch. As he slit the rope which bound her she fell Into his arms. "Hawe, git down!" went on Monty. "Face front an' stiff!" The sheriff swung his leg, and, never moving his hands, with his face now a deathly, sickening white, he slid to the ground. . "Line np there beside your guerrilla pard. There Tou two make a d n fine plctoor, a d n fine team of plzened coyote an' a cross between a wild mule an a Greaser. Now listen 1" Monty made a long pause, in which his breathing was plainly audible. Madeline's eyes were riveted upon Monty. Her mind, swift as lightning, had gathered the subtleties In action and word succeeding his domination of the men. Violence, terrible violence, the thing she had felt, the thing she had feared, the thing she had sought to eliminate from among her cowboys, was, after many months, about to be enacted before her eyes. It had come at last She had softened Stlllwell, she had influenced Nels, she bad changed Stewart; but this little black-faceterrible Monty Price now rose, as it were, out of his past wild years, and no power on earth or in heaven could stay his hand. With eyes slow ly hazing red, she watched him ; she listened with thrumming ears; she waited, slowly sagging against Stlll well. "Hawe, if you an your dirty pnrd hev loved the sound of human voice, then listen an' listen hard," said Monty. "Fer I've been goln' contrary to my ole style Jest to hev a talk with you. Tou all but got away on your nrve, didn't you? 'Cause why? Tou roll In here like a mad steer an' Cash yer badge an' talk mean, then almost bluff away with It. You heerd all about Miss Hammond's cowboy outfit stoppln drlnkln' an' cussln' an' pnckln' guns. They've took on re ligion in" decent llvln', an" sure they'll be easy to hohbig an' drive to Jail. Hawe, listen. There was a good an' woman come out noble an' of the East somewhere, an" she brought a lot of sunshine an" happiness an' new Idees into the tough lives of cowboys. I reckon It's beyond you to know what she come to mean to went them. Wal. I'll tell you. They-al- l clean out of their heads. They-al- l got soft an' easy an' They got so they couldn't kill a coy. ote, a crippled calf In a bobble-leggeEven me an ole, worn-oburned-ucowman like me! Do you git thet? An' yon, Mister Hawe, you come along, not satisfied with ropln' an' beatln'. nn' Gaw knows what else, of thet friendless little Bonlta ; you come along an' face the lady we fellers honor an' love an' revH I's fire!" erence, an' you you With whistling breath, foaming at the mouth, Monty Price crouched lower, hands at his hips, and he edged Inch by Inch farther out from the porch, closer to Hawe and Sneed. Madeline saw them only In the blurred fringe of her sight. They resembled specters. She heard the shrill whistle of a horse and recognized Majesty calling her from the war-whoo- pack-horse- s, 1 d, sweet-tempere- clear-voice- theft" Copyright by Harper and Brothers mud-hole- ut p "Ha Wagered He Would First Giri wno Arrived at Marry ti the cajon. swore you'd never forget. Boys, make him let me go! Oh, I dont care what Hawe's said or done to me! It was that about her! Are you all a tot of Greasers? How can you stand It? L n you for a lot of cowards! Thcre'i a limit, I tell you." Then his voice broke, fell to a whisper. "Bill, dear old Bill, let me go. I'll kill him! Tou know Til kill him!" "Gene, I know you'd kill him If yon bed an even break," replied Stlllwell, soothingly. "But, Gene, why, yon ain't even parkin' a gun! An' there's Pat look In' nasty, with Ma hand nervous-llk- corral. Theta alir roared Montr, In a He seen yon bed no gun. He'd Jump at the chance to plug yon now, vole now strangling. Lower and lowan then holler about opposition to the er he bent, a terrible figure of ferocity. e. "Now, both you armed offlcera of the law, come on! Flash your guna! Throw 'em, an' be quick ! Monty Price is done! There'll be daylight through you both before you fan a hammer! But I'm glvln' you a ehanst to sting me. Tou holler law, an' my way Is the ole law." His breath camj quicker, his voice grew hoarser, and he crouched lower. All his body except his rigid arms quivered with a wonderful muscular convulsion. "Dogs I Skunks! Buzzards! Flash them guns, er I'll flash mine I Aha !" To Madeline It seemed the three stiff, crouching men leaped into instant and united action. She saw Lower and Lower He Bent, a Terrible Figure of Feroelty. Btreaks of fire streaks of smoke. Then a crashing volley deafened her. It ceased as quickly. Smoke veiled the scene. Slowly it drifted away to disclose three fallen men, one of whom, Monty, leaned on his left hand, a smoking gun In his right He watched for a movement from the other two. It did not come. Then, with a terrible smile, he slid back and stretched out CHAPTER XIX Unbridled. In waking and sleeping hours, Madeline Hammond could not release herself from the thralling memory of that tragedy. She was haunted by Monty Price's terrible smile. Only in action of some kind could she escape; and to that end she worked, she walked and rode. She even overcame a strong feeling, which she feared waa unrea sonable disgust, for the Mexican girl Bonlta, who lay ill at the ranch, bruised and feverish, in need of skillful nursing. One afternoon she rode down to the alfalfa fields, round them, and hack up to the spillway of the lower lake, ow where a group of niesqulte-trees- , ing to the water that seeped through the sand to their roots, had taken on bloom and beauty of renewed life. Un der these trees there was shade enough to make a pleasant place to linger. Madeline dismounted, desiring to rest a little. Her horse. Majesty, tossed his head and flung his mane and switched his He would rather tall at the flies. have been cutting the wind down the valley slope. Madeline sat with her back agAlnst a tree, and took off her sombrero. Suddenly Majesty picked up hla long ears and snorted. Then Madeline heard a slow pad of hoofs. A horse was approaching from the dl rectlon of the lake. Madeline had learned to be wary, and, mounting Majesty, she turned him toward the open. A moment later she felt glad of her caution, for, looking back be tween the trees, she saw Stewart lead Ing a horse into the grove. She would as lief have met a guerrilla as this cowboy. Majesty had broken Into a trot when a shrill whistle rent the air. Hie horse leaped and, wheeling so swiftly that he nearly unseated Madeline, he charged back straight for the Madeline spoke to htm, cried angrily at him, pulled with all her strength upon the bridle, but was He helplessly unable to Btop htm. whistled a piercing blast Madeline realized then that Stewart, bis old master, had called him and that noth Ing could turn him. She gave up try ing, and the horse thumped Into an aisle between the trees and, stopping before Stewart, whinnied eagerly. "I want to talk to yon," said Stew mes-quite- s. art. Madeline started, turned to him. and now she saw the enrller Stewart, the man who reminded her of their first meeting st El Cnjon, of that memorable meeting at Chlrlralma. "I want to ask you something," he went on. "I've been wanting to know something. That's why I've hung on here. But now I'm going over over the border. And I want to know, Why did yon refuse to listen to me?" At his last words that hot shame, tenfold more stifling tbnn when It had before humiliated Madeline, rushed over her, sen. ting (he scarlet In a wave to her temples. Biting hep lips to hold back speech, she Jerked on MaJ- natjr'e srldle. struck him with bar spurred him. Stewart's iron arm the horse. Then Madeline, In a of passion, struck at Stewart's missed it struck again, and hit With one pull, almost drawing her from the saddle, he tore the whip from her hands. It was not that action on his part, or the sudden strong master fulness of his look, so much as the livid mark on his face where the whip had lashed that quieted, If it did not check, her fury. "That's nothng," he said, with some thing of his old audacity. "Thafs nothing to how you've hurt me." Madeline battled with herself for control. This man would not be denied. About him now there was only the ghost of that finer, gentler man she had helped to bring into being. The piercing dark eyes he bent upon her burned her, went through her as if he were looking Into her souL Then Madeline's quick sight caught a fleet ing doubt, a wistfulness, a surprised and saddened certainty In his eyes, saw it shade and pass away. Her woman's intuition, as keen aa her sight, told her Stewart In that moment had sustained a shock of bitter, final truth. For the third time he repeated his question to her. Madeline did not answer; she could not speak. "You don't know I love yon, do he continued, passionately. you?" "That ever since you stood before me in that hole at Chirlcahua I've loved you? You can't see I've been another man, loving you, working for you, living for you? Tou won't believe I've turned my back on the old wild life, that I've been decent and honorable and happy and useful your kind of a cowboy? Tou couldn't tell, though I loved you, that I never wanted you to know It that I never dared to think of you except as my angel, my holy Virgin? What do you knew of a man's heart and soul? How could you tell of the love, the salvation of a man who's lived his life In the silence and loneliness? Who could teach you the actual truth that a wild cow boy, faithless to mother and sister, ex cept In memory, riding a hard, drunk en trail straight to hell, had looked Into the face, the eyea of a beautiful woman Infinitely beyond him, above him, and had so loved her that he was saved that he became faithful again that he saw her face In every flow er and her eyes In the blue heaven?" Madeline was mute. She heard her heart thundering in her ears. Stewart leaped at Der. Hla power ful hand closed on her arm. She His action presaged tha trembled. old instinctive violence. "No; but you think I kept Bonlta np In the mountains, that I went secretly to meet her, that all the while I served you I was Oh, I know what you think! I know now. never knew till I made yon look at me. Now, say It Speak 1" White-ho- t blinded, utterly ba the fiery grasp of passion, powerless to stem the rush of a word both shameful and revealing and fatal, Madeline cried : whip, held flash face, 1 "Teal- - He had wrenched that word from her, but he was not subtle enough, not versed in the mystery of woman's motive enough, - to divine the deep significance of her reply. For him the word had only literal meaning confirming the dishonor In which she held him. Dropping her arm, he shrank back, a strange action for the savnge and crude man she Judged him to be. "But that day at Chirlcahua you spoke of faith," he buret out "Too said the greatest thing in the world was faith In human nature. You said you had faith in me! Tou made me have faith In myself !" Ills reproach, without bitterness or scorn, was a lash to her old egoistic belief In her fairness. She had preached a beautiful principle that he had failed to live up to. "You think I am vile," he aald. "Tou think that about Bonlta! nd all the time I've been I could make you ashamed I could tell' you ' Ills passionate utterance ceased with a snap of his teeth. Hla lips set In a thin, bitter line. The agitation of his face preceded a conclusive wrestling of his shoulders. "No, no 1" he panted. Was it hla answer to some mighty temptation? Then, like a bent sapling released, h sprang erect "But I'll be the man the dog you think mep He laid hold of her arm with rude. powerful clutch. One pull drew her sliding half out of the saddle into his arms. She fell with ner breast against bis, not wholly free of stirrups or horse, and there she hung, utterly powerless. Maddened, writhing, she tore to release herself. All she coul accomplish was to twist herself, raise herself high enotiirh to see his face. That almost paralyzed her. Did he mean to kilt her? Then he wrapped his arms around her and crushed her tighter, close to him. She felt tha pound of his heart; her own seemed to have frozen. Then he pressed hla burning tips to hers. It was a long. terrible kiss. She felt him shake. I Implore you "Oh, Stewart! let me go!" she whtspered. ... TO BE CONTTNtlKD.) A Fruitleee Queet. I don't believa I'll eve reach my end," remarked the dog aa he w spinning around In a fettle effort to catch the tip of bia talL New Orleans; State. (Conducted - by National Council of tha Boy BCOUIB OX Aiuanea,; SCOUTS HONOR HARDING BOY The tiags of 21,500 scout troopa in silent were lowered to half-staf- f tribute to the memory of the natlon'a late head and honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America, upon tb announcement of the death of Warren G. Harding. On several thousand of the standards, coupled with crupe were the President's streamers of red. white and blue, Mr. Harding's lft tq the troops Increasing their ispjinber-- ' ship in the recent scout round-u- p treasured mementoes of his warm sympathy and active support of the boy scout movement From West to East boy scouts stood at attention In respect to the memory of the dead President, as the train d bearing the body of this leader and devoted supporter of the scout movement passed on Its sad and Impressive transcontinental Journey to the nation's capital. At practically every station In city, town and countryside on the route of the funeral train, regardless of hour or whether a stop was made, Ui scout contingent, usually the length of the train, was drawn up. Where stops were made, an offering of wild Bow ers, gathered by die scouts and syin- bollc of the outdoor life of 6coutlng, was placed aboard. In San Francisco twenty scouts of the funeral eagle rank escorted cortege. In Washington the tribute of esteem was rededjeated by Colin EL Livingstone, president' of the Boy Scouts of America, James E West, chief scout executive, other sojt officials, and a delegaton of scouts to whom a special place In the funeral services was assigned. Boy scouts have cherished memories in the repeated manifestations of both the President and Mrs. Harding as to their keen appreciation of the funda mental values of scouting In character building and citizenship training. The annals of tho Boy Scouts of America contain no finer tribute than lira. Harding's request that the scouts be Included In all arrangements on the recent trip for guarding the presi dential party, because as she ex pressed it, she always felt better when the scouts were present The following telegram was dis patched to Mrs. Harding from the national office upon receipt of Information of the President's death: "Boy Scouts of America, 618,000 scattered everywhere, are especially thoughtful of you in tide hour of be reavement Pray that you will be sustained In strength and courage. Not only have we lost the President of our country, but an unusually sympathetic and helpful honorary president and friend of our organization. Believing it will have your approval we are ar ranging for a boy scout guard of honor at each railroad station through which your train will pass. "JAMES E. WEST, "Chief Scout Executive, "Boy Scouts of America." great-hearte- CANADIAN SCOUTS' MESSAGE Sympathy of the Boy Scouts of Canada In our nation's loss of its late President was expressed to Chief Scout Executive James E. West by Dr. John W. Robertson, Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Boy Scouts' association, through the following telegram : "The Boy Scouts of Canada desire to associate themselves with the Boy Scouts of America In deep sorrow for the loss the boy scouts of theontl-- . nent have sustained through the "death Of the late President Harding; In heartfelt sympathy with Mrs. Harding In her bereavement; and in profound respect for the memory of a leader whose good will springing Into friendly action from his noble character made him an Inspiration and model for all scouts. James W. Robertson, Chief Commissioner." Mr. West explained that the Canadian boy scouts expressed an Interest In sending a delegation of scouts to Washington to present In person their tribute of respect to Mr. Harding's memory, but sufficient time was not available to complete the plans. A SPRINTING SCOUTMASTER. "Scout's pace" suits Charles Pads dock, the sprinter. He has recently become scoutmaster of Troop No. 2fl, Pasadena, Cal. The troop Is sponsored by the American legion Pasadena Post No. 13 of which world-famou- Mr. Paddock la ALASKA'S GOVERNOR 8AY3: "I am heartily and unqualifiedly In sympathy with the boy scout movement It Is doing wonders for the youth of the land and for all communities where Its activities have reached. The boy scouts of Juneau recently took the Initiative In making this tltt capital clean, presentable and attractive la preparation for the visit of President Harding, members of the cabinet and congressman. Success to tha movement, now and always I" Bcott C Don, Governor of Alaska. |