Show U 1 rm r M L f W dm ab t t 0 h 1 b r n a i r fa CHAPTER continued 16 it was absolutely impossible for stew st malt ait to liue been connected with that assault went on oil madeline adeline swiftly for ho he was with me in tilt the uniting room of the station nt at the moment the assault was made outside the door wasi its open I 1 heard the voices of quarreling men tile language was spanish I 1 hoard heard a wor comans womans litins alco voice mingling gling with the others it too was Stanl spanish sll and I 1 could riot not understand but tile tono tone wits was beseeching then I 1 heard footsteps on the gravel just outside the door then there were hoarse furious voices a scuffle a muffed shot a womans comans cry the thud of a falling fall ing body and rapid footsteps or of a roan man running away next nest the girl bonita staggered into the door she was white trembling terror stricken she recognized recognised stewart appealed to jilin stewart stow aft supported tier lier and on en lenorud lea to calm her lie ile asked tier her if danny mains had bad been shot or it if lie had done the shooting tho the girl said bald no she told stew art that site she tail danced a little flirted a little with vaqueros ros tind and they had find quarreled over tier her then stewart stew art took tier her outside and put tier her upon ills horse I 1 saw sav the girl ride that horse down the street to disappear in the darkness while mn madeline delino spoke another change appeared to be 10 working in the man glawe ills sharp features fixed in an of craft taets mighty late Interest ln miss itam humid most lis as Inte interesting Interest ln as a story hook book lie said now since youre so a witness id sure like to put it i question or two what time did you sou arrive tit at et el cajon thet night it was after eleven een replied madeline I nobody there to meet you no the station agent an operator both gone yoa how soon did tills roller feller stewert stew art show up ilabe continued with it a wry vry illy very soun after my arrival I 1 think perhaps perli aps fifteen possibly a little more an what tinie time was tho the creaser shot queried ellawe with ills his little fg f g gleaming like coals Tio probably bably close to halt past one it was two when I 1 looked at my tit at florence King kingsleys house directly after stewart stow art sent bonita liway lie took me to miss so allowing for the walk and a few minutes conversation with tier her I 1 can pretty say tile the shooting shoot lri took place at about half past one stillwell heaed leave ills his big frame a stop step closer to the she sheriff rIfT amt NT it ro you darivin at lie he roared tits his faco bluck black again evidence ld ence snapped glawe madel madeline lne tunneled marveled tit at tills this interruption i and as stewart irresistibly drew tier glance she ehe saw liliu gray grai faced as noliea aslies shaking utterly unnerved ened 1 I thank you miss II ammond ho he said bald huskily but you sou answer any muro more of klawes questions iles lios iles its riot not necessary ill RO go with him now arder arrest arres bonita will corroborate your in court und that will save me from this this mans spite 11 madeline looking tit nt stewart seeing n humility slie she at first took for cowardice suddenly divined that it was not fear for himself which mado made him bilm dread further of that night but fear for her fear of shame she might suffer through jilin him pat glawe cocked his head to one akle lle like a vulture about to strike with ills his beak and cunningly oyed ved madeline considered as testimony what youie sald Is 1 sure important an conclusive clu sive hut but im thet the court will want ant to hev bev explained why you nu stayed staged from eleven cleven thirty till ono one thirty in fit thet waltin room alone with stewart stew art 11 ills deliberate speech met with what adeline imagined a remarkable reception front from stewart who gave a start from stillwell whose big hands bonds tore at the neck of ills his shirt as if lie was choking from alfred who now strode forward to be stopped slopped by the cold and silent nels from monty price who uttered ercul a violent aw which wits both n hiss and a roar in the rush of tier her thought madeline could not interpret the meaning of things which seemed so strange nt fit that hit moment but they were por ip itous even as site she was forming a reply to wes speech site she felt a chill creep over m cr tier stew art detained me ino in the waiting room slie she raid paid clear voiced ns as a tell liell but we were not bilone nit all the time for n moment the only sound following tier words was a from stew firt filce became transformed with n Jil dentis amaze anil and joy detained he craning tits ills lona anti corded nock neck IIo vs met ll 11 ana drura ile he with sudden passionate gesture of de vArt tippen led to her olt oh miss dont I 1 dont I 1 dont I 1 their lie seemed to sink down head inhered upon his breast in utter titter blinn blinne Blin reo e StIll great hand swept to the bowed shoulder and he turned to atlis St lis ainee sty I 1 reckon be wise to tell oil tho the old cattleman gravely there aint one of as who vrho could misunderstand any motive or cr act ct of yours it stroke of 0 light lightning nin might clear tilts this murk murky air whatever oene stewart laid did that on lucki night you ou tell it dignity and self posses sion eton lind ben been disturbed by b stewarts stew arts importunity slie she broke into swift disconnected speech I 1 lie ile cadue into the statton station a fow few minutes lutes lifter after I 1 got there I 1 naked to be shown to it hotel ile iio said there basult any that would accommodate married women lie ile grasped my hand looked for a wedding ring then I 1 saw lie ho was lie he was intoxicated lie told me lie ho would go for a hotel porter hut but lie ho camo came back with it a padre padre marcos the poor priest ivas ans terribly frightened so was 1 I stewart had turned into a devil ile he fired lilg his gun qt at the padres feet Us ile pushed me onto a bench again he shot right before my face I 1 I 1 nearly fainted but I 1 heard hear him cursing the padre lioard board the padre praying or chanting I 1 know what stewart tried to make me say things in all tit at once lie he asked my nunia I 1 told him ile he jerked at nii my veil ell I 1 took it off then I 1 hen lie throw tits his gun down pushed the padre out of the door vint was just before the vaqueros ros approached pro ached with bonita padre badre marcos have seen them must have heard them after that stewart grew quickly sober lie ile told mo me ho he had been drinking at a wedding I 1 remember it wig was rd ed unions wedding then he explained the alio boys bog were always gain bling lie he wagered lie ho would marry the ho first girl who arrived at kl el cajon I 1 happened to be the lie first one lle he tried to force me to marr binl im the rest relating to the assault on the vaquero 1 I have already told you madeline ended out of breath and panting with tier her hands pressed upon tier her heaving bosom liabo rolled ills his red eyes and throw threw back his fits licad head ilo iio lio ho hot ho I 1 ITO ho ho hoi 1 say sa sneed you sou miss tiny any of it fill did ye ilaw haw hawl haw 1 best I 1 over ever heerd in all my born days das ilo iio ho I 1 then lie ceased laughing and with will glinting gaze upon madeline insolent and vicious and savage lie begin began to drawl will wal now my mi ladi indy I 1 reckon your 3 our story if it tallies with Bo boultas bonitas an padre marcos will clear geno gene stewart in the eyes of the court line he ha grew slower more moie biting sharper and harder of face but you expect pat linae or tilt alio court to waller thet part of your oui story about bein detained madeline Madel lne had not time to grasp the sense of tits ats last words stewart find convulsively sprung upward white as chalk As lie he leaped at ilabe stillwell interposed tits his huge bulk and wrapped tits ills arms arina around stewart there was it brief whirling wrestling struggle stewart stew art appeared tipp eared to bo be besting the old cattleman help bois helal beitt soiled stillwell 1 I call cant t hold him hurry or theres there s goin to be blood spilled ledl 1 nick mck steele and several cowboys leaped to Still wells ells assistance gino I 1 why hi gene I 1 panted the old cattleman sure youre boure locked to net act tills this way w a cool down I 1 cool down I 1 why mn boy its till all right jest stand still gle give us a chance to talk to you its only olo ole bill you iou know your our olo ole pal chos tried to be a daddy to you iles hes only you to liev hev sense to be cool to wait let me go let me got go 1 cried stewart mid and tho the poignancy of that cry pierced heart let me go bill if youre youie mi friend I 1 saved your our life once over tit in the desert you N A 41 aw 1 ho he wagered he would marry tho the first girl who arrived at el cajon never forget boys boya make him let me go I 1 oh I 1 dont care what klawes sold said or done to met mel it was waa that about lierl hort are you all a lot of 0 Gren greasers serg how can you stand it li L ln n you for a lot of cowards I 1 theres a limit I 1 tell you then its ills voice broke fell to a whisper wh laper bill dear old dill bill let me go ill kill him film I 1 you know ill kill him I 1 gene I 1 know kill him it if you hed bed an even break ll 11 replied Still stillwell soothingly but gene why you aint even a gun I 1 an theres therea pat lookin buty with his hand nervous like lie he seen you hed bed no gun hod hed jump at the chance chanca to plug you now an then holler about opposition to jis ibe A romance by zane grey copyright by harper and brothers brother law ina coot cool down don son it II 11 all come right light suddenly madeline was as transfixed b by a terrible sound her startled glance shifted from the minious group round stewart steart to see that monty allce c e had leaped ott off the porch lie ile crouched down with tits ills hands below ills his hips where uio the big guns guna swung prom hla his distorted lips issued that sound which was combined roar and bellow and indian war whoop tin and more than all a horrible warning cry lie ile was quivering vibrating ills eyes black and hot were fastened with most piercing cing intentness upon ilano and sneed sliced olt git back bill git bacal lie he roared git aft em ein back I 1 1 with one dungo stillwell shoved shoed stewart Stef tart and nick and the other cowboys upon the porch then lie crowded Bl madeline adeline and alfred and florence to the wall tried to force them farther his 1113 3 motions were rapid and stern luit but falling to get them through door and windows lie ho planted tits his wide person between the women and danger madeline grasped ills his arm hold held on oil and peered fearfully from behind tits ills broad shoulder you glawe I 1 you sneed I 1 called monty tit in that same wild voice ace bont you move moe a finger or er tin an eyelash eel ashl I 1 faculties nerved to keen thrilling divination silo acho grasped tile i rotation elation between months terrible cry ond and the strange hunched posture lie he tin anid assumed nels git in thial yelled idled monty and tilt all tho the time he never ills his intent anzo ns as much as a hairs breadth from isawo mid ills deputy deput nets nels chase away them two fetters hangin buck back there chase eni em quick I 1 these mon men the two deputies who had in tile the background with the pack horses did not walt wait for nets nels they spurred their mounts wa wheeled t eclea tin and I 1 galloped gallop pil away I 1 I 1 now non nets nels cut the lie gurl loose 11 or d ored monty mont nets ran lan forward jerak jerked etl the lie limiter out of hand tind and pulled bon bair atas horse in fit close to the porch As lie he slit the rope which bound tier her site fell into its ills arms arins Illa wc git don dow rill went on monty race face front tin an stiff 1 the swung ills log leg and never neier moving tits his hands with his face now a deathly sickening white lie slid to the ground line up there beside your guerrilla pird pard therel there 1 you two make a d n fine pic toor a d n fine team of planed tied coyote till an a cross between a wild mule an a greaser Gie asor now li listen steril 1 monty made a long pause in which tits ills breathing was plainly audible eyes were riveted upon monty her mind swift ns as lightning had gathered the subtleties in action and avord succeeding tits hla domination of the men violence terrible violence lo lenc the thing silo she had felt tho the thing silo she had and feared the tiling thing she had sought to eliminate from among her cow boys bo s was after many months about to be enacted before tier lier c eyes es it lind come at last she lind had softened weil ell slie site had influenced nels she elic had changed stewart stew art but this little black faced terrible monty price now rose as it were out of ills his past wild years bears and no power on earth or in heaven could stay tits his hand with ties eyes slowly hazing red she watched him silo sho listened with thrumming cars she wili waited ted slowly sagging against stillwell Il lawo if you an your sour dirty pard hev hav loved the sound of human voice then listen tin an listen hard said monty for ive been coln contrary to my ole tile etyle jest to hey hev a talk with you ou you all but got away on your nerve you cause why you roll in here like a nind mad steer tin an yer badge tin an talk menti then almost blutt bluff awny away with it you heerd all about miss liani hammonds monds cowboy outfit stopple stopp stop pin ln drinkin tin an cussin an all guns took on oil religion an decent livin tin an sure be easy to hobble an drive to jall jail glawe listen there was wag n good an noble an be woman come out of the east somei soine lieres wheres tin an she brought brou glit a lot of sunshine an happiness ness an new edees into tho the tough lives ih cs of cowboys I 1 reckon its beyond you sou to know what site she come to mean to them wall ril ill tell you inu they sill nil went clean out of their heads they alic till all got soft an easy casi an sott tempered they got so they kill a coyote a crippled calf in a mud hole aven me ine tin an olo ole worn out hobble logged legged burned up co cow mon like ilke indal me I 1 do you git thet an you mister howe you sou come along not satisfied with roeln an beatin tin nn gaw knows what else of thet frIe ridle s little bonita you come along nn an face the lady we fellers linor honor tin an love an reverence an you you 11 II Is ia tire with whistling breath foaming at the mouth monty price crouched lower hands at ills hips and lie edged inch by inch farther out from the porch closer to isawo and sneed Bl madeline adeline saw them theiu only in the blurred fringe of tier her sight they resembled specters she heard the lie shrill whistle of 0 a horse and recognized majesty calling her from the corral theta allt alir roared monty in a voice now strangling lower and lower he b bank a terribly figure of ferocity now both ball you armed olli oukerda cers of 0 tho the law come boino oril on I 1 flash your gunst guns I 1 throw em ein nn an tie be quick 1 monty price la is donot therell be daylight through before you fan fall a hummer hami nerl I 1 hut but im givina you 11 to sting me ine you holler law nn an my way Is the ole law 11 ills breath cami quicker tits hla voice grow grew hoarser and lie ho crouched lower all his body except ills rigid arms quivered with a wonderful muscular convulsion dogal skunks I 1 buzzards Buzzard st I 1 flash them guns er ill nosh flash mine I 1 alin ahal I 1 to madeline it seemed boomed the three stilt stift crouching men leaped into in stunt and untied united action she saw A lower and lower lie he bent a terrible figure of ferocity streaks of fire streaks |