Show rd 0 arul IBI askil vS KiL dign crenden Cren cen af w vow CHAPTER XIII continued 25 1 I do not walt wait senor ho he ended 1 I make liate li asto a as you command i 1 go buck back now swiftly to hasten antonio if the senor wills barker frowned la Is tile the fellow alive or dead lie he asked diego dlugo shrugged ills shoulders alive I 1 think senor wien when lie he leave tile the ranch hut but now quien sabe Sti barker ticer hesitated but after nil all tie concluded what difference did it t make lie had tile girl that was tile the maln tiling there v was as plenty of time dine to attend to go abenes case la later ier and wade was to in a hurry burry to get to tile the all right tie said you and your other fuu 0 go o buck and hurry tony up tip turn over 1 er the to botti somebody from diegas hand lie he took the lie bridle relin of stellas horse anil and turned tinned awny awny wade was watching when barket barici turned tinned toward him tie lie waved ills his hand all right boys he said eald wearily arid and started ahead but he swayed in ills his saddle as he rode his wound coupled with the intense physical nad and mental indian stress of tile the last twenty four hours had find brought him very close to his limit ll it wits un hour later when barket barker and stella looking back from the vrest crest of the last swell beyond which lay a wide vide expulse v of loose and continually shifting sand on which the horses hoofs leff it ft no permanent trace saw a rider ilder in the dirty white clothes affected fly by the Mexican peons geons leading a luden horse down tile the slope that they had last crossed the interval was too great to permit penult rent scrutiny hut but neither barker nor stella doubted clial it wits antonio with the recaptured horse and irl prisoner oner later as tile the civo M followers drew steadily nearer stella bowed tier head hopelessly and burker barker reading tier her face wits sr so satisfied that when the newcom ers era caught up tip with tile bandits at the verge of the waterfall tie he lid did not take the trouble to go back to examine his beaten rival once rie inside the valley and at tile the village wade cli climbing tabing painfully down from ills saddle staggered away to ills his cabin and went in lie asked 00 oo help tind and lie he received rete hed none file men regarded both him film and barlier barker with ettli hostile eyes blaming their pi pilsen lsen difficult situation upon life leadership and fulling falling to find anyson any con loil in tile the capture of stella and two tw prisoners of whom they knew tactically nothing many blany of them put up their horses and then gatli gath ered with frowning brows to talk things over others rode directly to their quarters snatched up what they could carry safely and hurried flurried away out fly by the waterfall entrance cirker however did not note any of this tile the capture of stella and go ahead had find gone to his head once more he felt triumphantly victorious up to the door of fairs airs house lie he led stella IM go in tie lie ordered put on those clothes I 1 brought you and wall wait till I 1 send for you stella apparently did not henr him site she was looking about tier for fair r air where Is my futher father she demanded fair 14 I 1 not your father if you wean mean film lies hes bend dead yes im sorry for you and for him rut but lie got in the boys way la last t night und and they shot him who lid did wade stellas voice was deadly birker hesitated A laybe I 1 dut know tie lie answered ered 1 I 1 h here ere there was a lot ot of shooting but over oer and done with and we got time to waste you do as I 1 tell you iut on those womans comans tiling things and wait stella stared ut at him 1 I 1 know why you want 0 to o marry me she paid wade told me yesterday he wanted to warry me and kill you for the same bellson rei rel ibon lsOn oh nesbe hedloi did I 1 you want my money yell well youre welcome to it it if let go ahead so go free it if you yon kill him or if he be dies or r Is dead already never get it ill kill hill myself llast burker laii hod unpleasantly dont worry tie he said 1 I dont know alether blether wi your our on go ahead la Is alive or out ot but I 1 hope tie lie la is ond and 1 the slightest idea filea of killing him 1 I want him as a witness to our marriage ill need some one to gp go kaat with us 03 and testify in court that you married me willingly and all that thai and youre toco loco not a bit of it the andre Is 13 here and youve got to tell film that you want to marry me then youve gotto marry tue in go aheady Ali ends presence willingly and pleasantly when youve done that ill let him film go if you dont do it hell be no use to me as a witness and ill turn him over to wade wado wade loves him you know you beast I 1 all right say what you like alk now but see that you talk right later inter if you want your man to live now go in and put on elioe I 1 told you to ile he pushed the girl inside the door and shut it upon her then be U strode away to wailes wades cabin nearby wado wade himself was not visible hut but in front of the cabin stood the two horses with their silent hur burdens dens the man who had lust last joined tile the caval cade wits was just hitching his own horse at the rack barker paid no attention to instead lie he strode up to the horses recognized recognize caesar by his color oil and turned to the other Is ho he dead ho ha asked of tile the guard who came hurrying up as he bent to peer into the captives captive face then abruptly tie he felt tile the muzzle of a pistol thrust against his ribs and heard a well remembered voice in his ears cars not so dead as be if you make any breaks it said in steely tones slowly darker barker straightened up ills face agape with terror was ghastly ln in its pallor go attend ahead I 1 lie he gated yes now you go attend ahead into this house keep your hands by your sides but dont try any tricks if you want to live obeying birker felt himself swiftly and completely disarmed now go to tile the back room ordered go ahead lets see become of wade one pace behind he followed barker to the door wade was in ili the room but as go ahead had conjectured he was clearly out of the game stretched on the bed he was sunk in a stupor that looked final G go 0 ahead merely glanced at him film then ho he waved darker barker back to tile the first brat room followed him film and closed the door call two of your men he ordered tell them to untie myman caesar and bring him in and lay him film on the lounge yonder tell them to handle him gently that you want him to give you some information then tell one of the men to bring rob bob here put it in fit your own words but get the idea over and remember ill be right behind you and that ono one false move means meana death like one in a dream barker obeyed to ro tile the door he went closely followed by go ahead called two men wilb who were gave ahmada orders then he came bark back sat down behind the table and waited until caesar weak tottery but still alive staggered in between tho the men and collapsed on the lounge then he gave the order to tell bob to come to him when the men had gone one go clo ahead turned to caesar how do you feel old ninn man he asked tiff affectionately Cae caesara sars eyes rested on him at first hesitantly then with dawning recognition mr george mr georgel george he cried glory glory t I 1 thought you was killed mr george not yet caesar lie still ald man Every things all right and the rest Is going to be so in a minute he crossed back to ao hla his place behind barker as the door opened and stella came in TO BE BB CONTINUED CONTINUE D |