Show the luard ar ca of robbers roost bi crittenden MARRIOTT MARtt ioTT G W 0 cra Arman service CHAPTER XII continued 23 As the light grew go ahead abend leaned forward scanning tile the landscape far ar and near seeking tor for some sign that stella had arrived before him stella herself did not took look at the country instead she looked at go ahead frowningly jealously irritated that he should be so eager to see this athla minx mini whom so eo far ar as he knew he had bad never cover beheld caesar meanwhile nodded in hip hi saddle finally go ahead gave over his search for the moment were too early bob he be said 1 I was wag afraid we would be theres nothing to do now except go to the ranch house and wait there till she turns tp bp go to the ranch housel house t amazement amounting to incredulity drove the sleepiness from the girls eyes you you dont mean it wb why T of course I 1 mean it why oot got but but stella broke off already she bad learned the utility futility of trying to induce go ahead to be prudent but fair say to wait in the ranch hous bouee she ended desperately of course he but where else are we to wait waft go ahead laughed at sight of the dismay on stellas Stel lai face it goes docs seem like venturing into a bor hornets nets nests it be admitted but it really barker we left in wade Is probably up north there cant be anyone much here except diego well just tie him up or set a guard on him and then we can make ourselves at home see but suppose barker comes after us suppose his bis spies saw us leaving ailed have jumped us tong long ago and even if he be did come after us wed be safer behind dobe walls than in the open nut but but bul why not go on go ahead opened his bis eyes why we cant go without stella be protested it was on the up tip of stellas tongue to ray something very derogatory about her other oilier self but she checked herself just in ID time fair said that if she meet us at dawn for as to go on and shed overtake us as sue she pleaded yes but it dawn yet weve got to wait somewhere and weve got gol to rest while we walt wait im not special ly sleepy myself but I 1 mind forty winks and I 1 guess you either and ahen abed of course weve were got to give tile the horses a chance to eat and rest a bit or they may play out oo on us when we least expect tu it I 1 stella gave up op you know best I 1 suppose she sold said but I 1 wish you wall wait for or stella I 1 dont believe shee coming at all go ahead looked at the girl gravely 1 1 hope sho she will come he be said it if she ill have to consider going after her you yon see barker told we me last night eight why he wanted to marr marry Y her what yes I 1 thought from what green and you said bald about her that it was curious that he should want her so BO badly but now I 1 understand YOU yon you dont mean be told you about her money eh so you know about it too yes he be told roe me indirectly tie he warned me that be was going to marry her and take her money himself and that id better put all such thoughts out of my head bead ue ile told you that 1 ile he thought that you seems so oh hes just got money on the brain hes hut but what did you say bayt met go ahead chuckled oh I 1 turned it off some way I 1 ought to have told him but no matter about that I 1 well tell him any thing without spilling all the beans but the long and short of it Is that ive got to get stella away from rom that thai robber camp before barker goes back to it bobs voice quivered with suppressed passion 1 I spose you want her tor for yourself fl 1 go ahead did not answer but tie he turned and looked at the girl tong long and gravely then still without be looked away after a while stella looked up then abe ab uttered a staf tied exclamation oh were right ai t the house the che gasped oh ohl obi please dont go inside goey gocy go ey cy I 1 go anywhere else beyond the barn there any anywhere where all right go ahead turned bit hl horse slightly ula uia brief anger had melted giving place to concern youre played out be said bald and its no wonder what makes you so temperamental weil camp beyond the barn on one condition and that Is that lie ile down right away and take a nap put cut stella shook her head mutinous ly IS ive got to do my share she salt said all right then well go inside the house and you cau call do it there go attend ahead relaxed his slight tu tug on the reins and his ble horse instantly tried to turn in toward the ranch house now just abreast this aeils brought stella to terms no nol lot the she cried 1 I 1 give in ill lie ile down under her breath she added but I 1 wont sleep good enough go ahead dragged his reluctant steed back to Us its course A moment later the three had passed apparently unseen beyond the barn and were screened by its bulk bulb from the eyes of 0 anyone who might appear in or about the ranch build ings ing 9 very quickly the blanket rolls were and tossed down the horses provided with nose bags and stella resentful but true to her word had bad lain into down resolved not to close her eyes but the sandman was abroad and when a moment later go 00 ahead stepped lightly to tier her side he found her fast asleep long he stood looking down on her in silence then muttering poor tired plucky boy and re resolving V vh tn his heart of hearts that bed take good care of bob when he got him east he went back to caesar caesar he asked bow abow sleepy are you me lie aint sleepy at all mr george sun sub caesar never dreamed of using such an as go ahead instead of the aristocratic george ashmead well I 1 am ami I 1 and I 1 guess you did sleep most of the night do you suppose you could keep watch tor for an hour while I 1 take a nap caesar drew himself up course I 1 can mr ger george e suh sub he replied with considerable dignity welt well ill trust you come over here go ahead led the way some twenty feet northward to the north end of the barn there a thing to do except to stand here at this corner and keep your eyes open he be said you can look east and west along the road we just came by and north across the road and now and then ate ke a look over your shoulder past and me and the horses horse along salong tile the side of the barn to the south to make sure that hint nob odys trying to slip up on you from behind the first human being you rou see sec wake me quick and wake me in an hour anyway one cue hour you understand Yas suh I 1 understand I 1 well you do it or ill skin you yon alive yso a h I 1 censor grinned evidently the threat was a mere verbal pleasantry t w without III 1 t out terrors zit with ll 11 a 1 nod go ahead strode halt bait a d dozen ozen feet to the rear and flopped do down wn on his bis blankets as stella bad done like stella too be was asleep in a an 3 I 1 instant n s tao tc C caesar es D r watched at bed him take tits place then bra bristling skiing and determined be set himself c f t to 0 keep beep unremitting and he be did keep it he obeyed go instructions to the letter kept excellent watch up and down and across the road that thai ran in front of him and periodically looked behind him it if danger had come from any of these directions he would undoubtedly have detected it and given warning but actually it did not come froni from any ol of these direct directions inns the passing of tile the travelers along the front of the ranch bull linea had not been unnoticed diego be who had gone down before barkers beav heavy knife when lie he tried to waylay a G go 0 ahead had laid awake nearly ay all 1 I 1 tile ailt suffering fron from the pain of tile the thrust through h tits his upper arm arin more he was standing at the window of the bunkhouse bunk bouse staring out into the dawn when the three rode 1 liy y ue he thought lie he recognized go ahead and finding that the party parly did not reappear along the ronel beyond the barn he crossed from the bunkhouse bunk housa to the barn where head pressed against the boards at the back lie listened with all his cars soon he be was re arbec fly by the sound of voices nud and then find ing a convenient knothole through which to peep by tin the sight of the man whose find got him his wound then lie went to the ranch house to tile the automatic telephone and called up barkers office the bell was still ringing when barker got back from seeing wade and his men oft off for bridgets ile ie heard it indeed as he came up tile the path and quickened his bis steps to a run to in consequence phone calls at that hour of the morning were rare and likely to he be important TO BE CONTINUED |