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Show EE 0!RL I By IZOLA FORRESTER. I "I don't see how on earth you ran wedge another one in here. We're packed like sardines, now." Claire gave her skirts a little shake to liil in every last available inch of space on the back seat of the coach. "Oh, nonsense," laughed Lewis. "Here, Miss Hickard, just swing up beside me. There's room for you between be-tween Ben and me." Old Ben made room for her graciously, gra-ciously, and picked up his reins, whip in one hand, waiting the starter's signal in front of the Mountain View hotel. "Gwen was to sit there, Lewis," Lew-is," complained Claire anxiously. "Gwen wants to ride inside," replied re-plied Lewis quietly. "Everybody ready? We're off!" "Do you know her Miss Packard?" asked the girl next to Claire. "I know she's perfectly impossible," returned Claire. "Wonder what Gwen thinks? She's been dropping poor old. Lewis over the edge of emotional chasms for days, and it serves , her right. They're just as good as engaged, en-gaged, and she's been absolutely hypnotized hyp-notized by Wayne Ivesson." Inside the coach Gwen Arnold sat with Ivesson. For five weeks he had been a guest at the hotel, a slender,, scholarly looking youngster who spent most of his time reading on the broad porches or riding the mountain paths. "It is wonderful to have you all to myself," Ivesson said as the coach, swung down into the first gully. "You call this alone?" laughed Gwen teasingly. wondering who the girl was up on the box. "Who is she?" asked Ivesson, almost al-most as if he had caught her thought. She was not a guest at the hotel, and seemed more like a mountain type. 'Lewis knows her Odd, isn't it?" "Lewis has lived up here for three years," she answered, resentfully. "Ever heard this trip was dangerous?'' danger-ous?'' piped up an old gentleman. 'Used to be ten years ago. Almost sure to find a bandit." "Really?" Gwen leaned forward sagerly. "I haven't carried a gun in years," went on the old gentleman cheerfully, "but I've got one along today. . That boy on the box is carrying money over :o the Cuddyhoe outfit to pay off the men their quarterly wages. Got it from the express office. And it's some risk to get it through even today." "Who has it the driver or or Mr. Stevens?" asked Gwen. "Stevens. He's a friend of the superintendent su-perintendent down here and the foreman fore-man over there. Haven't got any valuables valu-ables along, have you?" Wayne laughed and took out his watch and purse. "Shall we take an inventory to help along the highwayman when we meet him?" he asked. "Let us give everything to Miss Crandall, and no one would ever be brave enough to hold her up." Up on the box, Lewis and his two companions watched the gulch as it dipped and widened, narrowed up again and plunged ahead, a gash in the heart of the mountain. When the coach swung down into the Devil's Kettle, it seemed to rock alarmingly, and stopped with a jerk that sent the horses almost on their haunches. Inside the coach, the people started to rise, but found themselves neatly covered by a revolver held by Wayne Ivesson. His face, usually rather pale, was flushed end his eyes were keen. "Stay where you are, all of you," he commanded. "Miss Crandall, may I trouble you for the handbag, please?" Everything of value had been obligingly oblig-ingly slipped into Gwen's brown seal handbag, and she hesitated, her eyes flashing into his. Outside, an older man on horseback stood with leveled rifle by the coach. "Hands up, all of you," he called. "Come on, kid. It's all right." And Wayne slipped down from the coach, but stopped, for the old gentleman gen-tleman held a revolver at his head. "Got you this trip," he said pleas- antly. "Sit still, ladies. All right, Lewis!" Lewis suddenly felt the touch of steel in his hand. .Old Ben had somehow some-how crumpled down at the bandit's first warning shot, but the girl was in his place, holding the reins. At the voice from the rear of the coach, the man on horseback wheeled his horse Itnd started on a headlong gallop down the gulch road, but Lewis fired after him, bringing the horse to his knees, and he lay motionless with, his rider under him. It had all happened so suddenly that the girls and women had watched the scene in silent horror. Claire was first to note the surprising change in the girl on the box. Her hat was off. She was short-haired and boyish, and was on the ground laughing and talking talk-ing whiie Wayne was bound hand and foot. Gwen waited, white faced and troubled. trou-bled. Finally Lewis came to her sid? and she laid her hand impulsively on bis coat sleeve such a little motion, but it betrayed to him all of hei thoughts. He laid one hand over it closely. "Well, girlie, i'm sorry you ran into this. We've been expecting it foi months. We came prepared. There were two of the sheriff's men with me. Baker on the inside, as the old man, and young Carter outside with me, dressed as the girl. Were yov. Jealous, dear?'' (Copyright, 1916, by the McClure Newspaper Newspa-per Syndicate ) |