Show im cohew 0 ward T A of ebbers roost 4 C tR C S W 0 Obar malk CHAPTER XII continued 23 I 1 zas 8 the grew oo 00 abend loaned leaned rv word ard scanning the igind landscape heape fat near seeking for some sign that tella alln had flail arrived before him stella did if not look at it the country feud he looked at oo go ahead frown bigly ay iy jealously irritate tint that he he be so eo eager to see this minx I 1 so far us as he knew lie tall F ver beheld caesar meanwhile in tile hip saddle dinally rin tilly go 00 ahead gave over tit als for tile lie moment were too ea arly bob he said 11 1 I was afraid 1 1 e would be theres nothing to do nw except go to the ranch house and alt there till she turns up bp 00 oo go to the ranch house I 1 amaze lent Amount amounting hg to incredulity drove ie sleepiness from the girls eyes you you dont mean it I 1 why of course courle I 1 mean it why bot nt 7 but but stella broke off at AI bendy ady she had bad learned the futility of I 1 trying itne to induce oo go ahe ahead a d to be pru pro jent ent but ut fair say to cattlin wait n ithe ie ranch boure site she ended desper tely of con course arse tie he but where else ise are we to wait go 00 ahead aughee at sight eight of the dismay on stellas dellaa fuce face it does seem like ven turing into a hornets nest 10 he admitted but it really barker arker we left in Lo boville wade to lit probably lovably up north there cant beany botie nc much here except diego well ajust list tie him up or set a guard on i ira and then we can make ourselves at t home see but suppose barker comes after us s suppose his spies saw us ua leav 7 ing ig 4 hed have jumped us 7 i long ng ago and even it if he did come atter tier us wed bu bo safer behind dobe I 1 walls oils than in the open 3 buthot Bu but why not go oua on go ahead opened his eyes why we e rant cant go without stella he protested i sted isted it was on tile the tip of stellas tongue to puy something very derogatory about tier her other wt self but she ahe checked herself just in time bitne fair said that 2 it site she meet us at dawn for us tit i go on in and abed overtake us as she pleaded leaded yes but it dawn yet weve got ut tu to wait somewhere and weve goi go to rest while we walt wait im not special ly sleepy myiel but I 1 mind forty winks and I 1 guess you ither either and then of course weve got get 9 give the horses a chance to ent eat and rest abst a bit or they may play out ou on us when we least expect tt lit stella gave up op you itsou know best bera I 1 suppose slie site sold said but I 1 wish you wait for stella I 1 dont be aleve eve ashes coming at all go ahead looked at the girl gravely 1 I 1 hope she will come he said if site tie ill have to consider going after her you see barker told tile nip lust ASI night wily why tie he wanted to ma marry fr y her er what yes I 1 thought from what green fini nd you sald said about tier her that it was waa curious that he should want her so 80 badly adly but now I 1 understand you yon dont mean the he told you bout tier money ell so you know about tt it too m yes he told me indirectly tie he warned me that he was going to niura tier er and take her money bilm elf tind ano that hat id better put all such thoughts out ut of my mv head tie ile told you that I 1 he thought that hat von seema beema so oh hes lust got money on n the brain lies hes but what did you say eay mel go attend ahead chuckled oh I 1 turned arned it off some wily way I 1 ought to have ave told him but no matter about elul eliut I 1 well tell him film any I 1 thing liang without spilling nil all the beant but lut the long and short of it la Is that thai ive ve got to get stella away from thill thai robber obber camp before barker goes back to r it it bobs voice quivered vered with sup pressed reused passion 1 I spose you want her cr for yourself fill I 1 I 1 go ahead did not answer but he be curried and looked at tile the girl long ani and ravely gravely then still without speaking be e looked away after 9 while stella looked up then rhen she uttered r startled exe larna alon oh were right al I 1 alic tit bouse che gasped oil oil ohl I 1 please dont dolit he 80 inside gu ao eyl go anywhere else beyond tile burn barn there imy where 11 all right go ahead turned 11 lits horse slightly ills brief haid inel melted ted giving place to concern youre played out lie he und and its no wonder what makes you so temperamental tempee mental well flail beyard tie the bum barn oti in one condition and that Is lie he down don right away tilo ui take like it ii hut still ashooh tier fiend bend ly tie got to do my share ithe said all right then well vell so go inside tile aliouse mid and you AOU jiin nil du do it there go la alfend relaxed lily ills slight tug on in the reins und and lile file horse instantly tried to turn iti in iward toward tile the ranch house now lust just abreast tills this brought stella to 0 tenna no nn not nor she cried 1 I give ghe in N ill lie lic down under her breath brent h slie she addell nili leil but I 1 wont sleep 1 OP mod good eti enough ough go ahead abend dragg 1 l ills reluctant steed bock back I 1 to 0 its course A ino moment ineil later the mm three had passed apparently unseen uti seen beyond tile the barn and were screened led by its bulk built from the eyer eye tit of anyone wlm who might appear to 0 or about aboul the lie ranch build ings very quickly the blanket rolls rolla were unstrap lied and tossed flown down tile the horses provided with nose bogs bags and stella resentful but true to tier her word had bud lain down resolved not to elore dose 8 tier her eyes edep but the sandman bundman was abroad and when a moment inter go ahead stepped lightly to her side be found tier her fast asleep long hoe ho tood looking down on oil her in silence then muttering ioor tired plucky boy and resolving to la his heart of hearts that tant hed take good care of bob when he got him east cast he went back to caesar caesar he be asked how sleepy are you me aint sleepy at all mr george suli euh 1 I caesar never dreamed of using such an appellation as 00 oo go ahead instead of the aristocratic george ashmead Ashi nead s well I 1 am I 1 and I 1 guess you did sleep most of the night do you suppose you could keep watch for no aa hour while I 1 tahe a nap caesar drew himself up course I 1 1 can mr george suh he replied with considerable dignity well ill trust you come over here go attend led the way som bome e twenty feet northward to the north endom end of the barn there a thing to do except to stand here at this corner and keep your eyes open tie be said you can look east bast and west along the rood rond we just came by and north across tile the road and now and then take a look over your shoulder post past babana bob and me and tho the horses along the theolee side olde of the barn to tile the south to make sure that nob odys trying to slip up on you from behind the fir first st human being you see walie wake we me quick jai v k and wake roe me in no an hour anyway one hour you understand I 1 under understand I 1 well wel you do it or ill aikin you alive Yas suhl ceasar grinned evident inthe ly the threat was a mere verbal pleasantry without terrors with a nod go ahead strode halt bait a dozen feet to the rear and flopped down on his blankets as stella find and done like stella too he was asleep in an In instant stani caesar watched him take his place then bristling and determined he set himself to keep unremitting vigil and he did keep it it he obeyed go Ali eads instructions to the letter kept excellent watch up and down and across the road that ran in front of him and periodically looked behind haru if danger bad ad come from any of these directions he would undoubtedly have hace detec detected teo it and given warning but actually it did not tome come from arly of these directions the passing of tile the travelers along file lie front of the ranch hud bud not been unnoticed diego he who hn hod gone down before barkers heavy beavy knife when he tried to go attend had bud laid awake on uke nearly all the alie molt suffering from tile lie pain of the alie thrust ills hla upper arm more he was standing at tile the window of the lie bunkhouse hunk house storing staring out into the dawn when the three rode by lie thought lie recognized on go ahead and finding that the party did not reappear along the roa boac beyond tile the barn he cros crossed from the ibe bunkhouse to the barn where head pressed against tile the hoards boards at the back lie be listened with all his ears soon he was C by the sound of voices and then find ing a convenient knothole through which to peep by the sight eight ot of the hie man whose autch wittedness had got him hta his wound then he went to the ranch ito house ue to the telephone and called up op Fl barkers arkers office tho the bell was stil ringing when barker got not from seeing wilde wade and ills men off for or bridgets he heard it indeed as he came up lip the path md quickened his hi steps to nr brunin a run in consequence phone calls at that thai hour odthe of the morning were rare end and likely to he be TO BE CONTINUED |