Show CM the M ward of Robbers 1 L dx MARRIOTT a 0 W 0 Ob chapman apman service CHAPTER Contin continued tied 17 up to tills this moment tile two captives find kept silence they had realized that cliot they were mere pawns to in the game lint supposed to net act of their own awo initiative Ilo however wever they dlo did not know what barker wanti wonted ed them to say out but when lie denounced them they Ining imagined ined lie he was till a part nod became stid suddenly denly eager to follow hla his lead food consequently when go ahead shifted his attack and centered attention on them with such bewildering suddenness they burst into clamorous speech wo we ill they cried lies iles a liar itar jim we never named your name A roar ot of laughter swept tho the crowd chiefly from barkers own adherents under its impact his always swarthy face grow actually black with anger toward the men mea he sprong sprang hot but oo go ahead abend stopped stepped in his way hold on sheriff tie fie protested im not questioning tile the right of a man to beat his own dog and it if these men told the truth when they sold eald they were yours go ahead but it if they lied oo 00 10 abend suggestively lied of course they lied I 1 I 1 never cover saw them before barker was on the defensive though he fie could not imos ine how ho he had got there then I 1 dont think youve got any right to manhandle them barker squirmed tie ile felt fell confusedly that there was something wrong to in go argument hut but for the life of him lie he could not find the error incontinently he surrendered around he looked then called to one ot deputies de who was pressing toward to burd him illey iley miller Nt Iller I 1 ti he e 1 ordered I r take these nad ud lock loch them up then as the file deputy caught hold ot of file bewildered men barker turned to oo go ahead come into tile the office otilli e will you lie he invited id tike like boget to get tills this story sit but bu go ahead shook his bis hean thanks 11 tie said all ill drop in inter just now bob anti anil I 1 want to get gel sol some thing to eat were hungry guess well go to bridgets bridget and get some grub and a room A room I 1 barkers eyes bulged wile was it possible that tills this man mail hall had not yet discovered discover erl lobs bobs sex go ahead did not understand with some perplexity tie ho answered un why yes he said bridget has rooms she yes but YOU you you barker broke on off ile ie had meant to say aint worried married yet are you but he caught himself just to in time abruptly he bo realized that stella did not look like a girl to anyone present except himself and to two or three others who knew tho the facts ue he also realized that for him to recognize fairs daughter would be to supply another thread for or the web of evidence that seemed to oh sure you can get rooms there he agreed hastily drop la in at the office any time when you get ready go ahead turned away passing through tho the throng that opened for him and bob on 00 its outskirts be brushed against caesar who with the rest was apparently looking on go ahead stopped and looked at the negro as if the latter had asked him something ll avent got cot time to talk horses now boy tie he said loudly if youve got any bring three or four around to bridgets after dinner tonight then the lie be walked on CHAPTER IX bridgets was built on the system ol of units plan originally a good sized adobe building it had been beai supplemented by frame and veu by galvan zed tron iron additions until it hod had taken on a nondescript not to say heterogeneous gene ous aeck when go ahead raw paw it tie be grinned did somebody build it from the correspondence school directions in the thome chronicle telling now how to build a house bouse out of a soup soap box and a tin can he be asked stellas eyes widened why 11 she exclaimed 1 I never thought of it in that way before but just what it does look like then her innate loyalty to her friends cathe better tatter pi of her tense ense of humor n 1 I tont dont care ohe protested its cleao clean and the eat cuts ahre ore good and bridgeta Bridge tn a good sort baes been mighty good to me and im mighty fond of her I 1 good boy I 1 stand up for your frien friends dg I 1 hope ashes got a for us ill go in and see coloring faintly stella scurried around the side aide of the house darted into the adobe section ec from which appetizing odors were flouting floating out upon the air and preely precipitated herself into tile the arms arma of a comfortable for table looking irish woman who was cooking tit at the stove oh bridget bridget I 1 she c ried cried im so gin bind d to sew seo you arrah I 1 and la Is it your relt mavour fleen tie cn 7 bridgets arms anus closed about the slim form of the girt girl sure its tile lie long time since youve been in so it Is IB ahl ah I 1 you be try tryla in to explain at all itji it beselt that knows been euln on why why darit nl ehnts utter titter being the mutter matter with yel ye stella was on tile the womans comans motherly shoulders oh oh bridget I 1 site she gulped im so BO miserable tind and so BO happy and su BU SO l whist whist child I 1 enough for one till bli who Is he be dar lint he stella tore heiselt herselt liera elt tree free surel sure I 1 sure its a antin in it thero there Is whatever What lver else should a girl be b hap py and ms miserable erable all at once for stella drew herolf up youre all wrung wrong bridget she suld sald coldly ilin ini not a girl im in a man and not a girt girl arrant aint ye bowl think of that I 1 no im not stella stamped her toot mot im a triin or d a boy anyway V 11 come into the office will you he invited and im going to stay otte one 1 I ott oh I 1 why wont the nun men let tile me alone god knows dearle but im think in maybe its just because they are menthe illen the poor houns been ilo ln ye now barker nol yes oh its too long to tell now out but wado wade and barker trapped me at the J B ranch tills this morning and it if go ahead come al a who come along go ahead my cousin from the past dad sent for him film sure an I 1 know pair fair sent me word about him a month ago its a fine name hes fies got but I 1 suppose Eup pose he got it because lie he was most unlike it likely be turned out to bo be a lah de dah dab dude the irish woman dropped her eyelids to tilde hide the twinkle dude I 1 dudel dude ill tella laughed scornfully well it seen tile the way he fie handled wade uh ond barker tills this morning and barker again just now oh ob I 1 I 1 wish I 1 had time to tell you sou all about him but it would take we me a week but hes a real man and and hes nice too bridget shrugged her mighty shout ders an anybody be ba nice to a pretty girt girl cousin the first time he sees her site she scoffed I 1 but im not pretty and he dream that im a girl and im not I 1 wont bo a girl I 1 and he roust rt know it if I 1 am bridget stood back and run ran it shrewd appraising eye over stalla face and figure im th InkIn its right you are she conceded its a lot more like ithe a rowdy boy than it girl youre lookin right now but to in three mouths months bealke belike or maybe in less belll veil I 1 its not sayin I 1 am all an as tor for pretty but no watter matter about thul that where Is this buckaroo of yours out in from ues aes looking olIng Lo fut fui we me the stella nie me you know and tie fie know hes bes found me uee ties come her ber to wait for word from dad where ties hes to meet me but but the girls face crimsoned crim he says saya he wants a booma room tor for us and and why not bridget I 1 TO bri CONTINUED |