Show aiwood B va tf H 0 ot f fal C ny T H 10 Y NY T CHAPTER XII continued 15 what do you mean 1 I menu menn submitted the big fellow when youre beaden for sleepy cat im m headla likewise I 1 aint easy in my own mind riot not a bit since what the scotsman says about a gurl im oot daman no matter who she Is but ashes worth a whole wagon load of old buffalo bones like daves not meaning no disrespect to nobody whatsoever at all if thata lla tB ae the way you feel rill bill chii ft hat a bout about re me demanded selwood almost angrily im here to look out fyler just it john persisted Par daloe placa tingly and to look out for christie iyler now handed you know what youre up tip against same as I 1 know enow snorted Par Parda daloe loc same ns as everybody ever body here knows why I 1 say to h 11 with thief river klyer and tracy im trall trail in k you but this Is my fight not yours im makin it mine john stop talking you old tub if they can dig a grave up there big elou enough b to hold bold you I 1 can edge into one cor what do you mean ner of IL it but bill selwood raised one hand simply who rides with will me t tonight ought not noi td to care m mud about coming back Par daloe was chewing slowly but with the steadiness of fate No Noth thin ln particular as I 1 know of john callin me back come along nil bill A further parley was held tracy ot at last pleaded to be taken back to sleepy cat and as everybody else was for it selwood gave in it was arranged that far Par daloe should ride able with selwood and scott and that mcalpin should follow in the wagon with tracy while tracys cot was hastily sot back in the wagon and the horses borses were being got up selwood took the iro am out from under the seat a slender slender store but like a shower a lifesaver life saver in III a drought drough tand and apportioned it into three parcels among Par daloe scott and himself it lacked hut but little of daybreak day brenk when the three meu reached the river again fording the stream the men secreted their horses in the un der growth below the river bench and climber up the dearest gully to ill the flats that were being laid out fo for a railroad yard spreading out again tile the three men circled this open space singly and molestation and I 1 i came together on higher ground where they could reconnoiter recon the town the fires that had lighted the S shy ky earlier in the night had died down chiefly for lack of material for the lames flames an important part of sleepy cat lay in ruins though the extent of the tee destruction was hidden in the darkness one quarter of the straggling settlement had escaped escabedo the torch and the vigilantes arid and tile the reprisal i of the outlaws tilds this was the corner embra embracing clor the stage barns carlys hotel a and nd tile the new railroad station from the hill where they had haeil fd lood Se and his companions i rb vering their horses lioi hes made way under sue suet cover as they could billingly illin gly to the stage barns L lefever met them selwood aad d for tile the news lefever pointed to a pile of smoking ruins down the hill Some Soni elof of them river rots rats have burned the 66 bunkhouse bunk hunk house bouse on us john bald t lefever leaver the way they keep keel their heir promises I 1 mcalpin told me nothing of that i 4 exclaimed selwood looking angrily angrlo y I 1 down the hill know it was on lire fire when he started returned lefever I but im telling you the teamsters are aarin to go only only waiting for you just hold eta era till til I 1 get some bearings was all selwood replied I 1 bull I 1 ull rage page took the steaming horses back to their stalls end scott was sent out to scout lefeber Ie teer told selwood mid arid Pard oloe what more ho he boum or of the situation starbuck Star huck who had bad been missing tor for a time at tho outset had taken the gamblers fight in hand at a moment when the vogl korites lo rites were all before them t tu arnd abo th tables on the clean cleanup up men and nd now neld the survivors of their disorganized torce nt at bay in the un by FRANK copyright by S finished railroad station starbuck had sent word by messenger that he would give them an hour to get out of the station and out of the town coupled with the threat that if they move they would be burn burned ed out by dai light Star bucks men lefever added held the only building left in the river quarter where most of the burning had been bunty bartoes place down next the river it had escaped the lames in the upper town carlys hotel which had been gutted the ramblers gamblers had spared lie ile knew nothing about christie Par daloe had been dispatched to the station with the ammunition lie ile came back with a long face but a long face was nothing new for Par daloe carpy wounded wag nas there treating tile the wounded who lay on the floor in the freight room there was only a pretense of a guard kept about the building within it disgruntled vigilantes nursed their grievances rallen railing chiefly at one another and in one corner ill nobody to command owing to lack of ammunition old general roper though hit was maintaining headquarters with neither head as Par daloe tartly put it nor quarters the only thing that prevented the refugees from running away was the fear of getting shot it if they put their noses outside selwood felt he must first of all see and learn what he could from carpy directing his few companions to stick slick together and telling lefever to throw out a stronger guard about tile the barn selwood started for the station by skirting the river bank and working from one to another of the breaks in the beach he reached the rear door of tile the station without drawing any fire cre either from its defenders or its be besiegers ile he pushed open the door and entered the hall without being opposed or oh observed arved A glance was enough to reveal to acl Se woods lwoods unsympathetic scrutiny the complete demoralization of the vigilante element it was almost by accident that abe cole the bandaged but still fighting blacksmith saw selwood arid and running toward him greeted him with a shout that drew attention to tile the long hoped for arrival of the taciturn gambler As men wounded and unwounded crowded about him he eyed the scar faced blurting blacksmith coldly paying no attention whatever to ills his effusive welcome you ru running nn ing t this his thing abe running it echoed abe hoarsely 1 I was running it nob odys running it they do a thing I 1 told era em to do declared cole with a plentiful sprinkling of profanity now cornered jus as I 1 told em ein be if they obey orders and theres about as much fight in era em now cow as there Is to in a bunch of jack rabbits selwood ignoring impatient inter pleaders plea ders that raised their voices some abusing the blacksmith and some one another looked about the two rooms the fl figure ure that instantly arrested his attention was that of carpy ills his head swathed in a wild lo looking bandage moving about among ills his wounded who filling one corner lay on the floor in various attitudes attitude of prostration anger and disgust selwood Re lwood silencing thoe clo closest cloest est to cole 1 I sent w what lint carti I 1 could rake up abe its alt all I 1 know of this side of medicine Med ielne bend outside what Star bucks pot got so id advise you vou not to pa pats pas ts any of era em out to tile jick jack rabbits put era em in the hands of men that will use tle em the teamsters bour men arp are standing up tip blurted out alie abe they stopped ern em from rushing us nn an hour ago aco lint but they aint rot got six rounds aple apiece ce left starbuck Star huck will come buck back Se lwoods glance had wondered wandered hello poc doc lie he sid as lie saw carpy elbowing ills wily bovard him carpy wounded arid and infuriated wras was grateful erate ful but glum selwood rencher ren chei tor for tile the bloody liand band stretched out ile he listened llott ned with patient attention to the brou wrought li up surgeon sur seon who ho tried to explain tile th wreck of their plans though with an expression in ills his eyes that indicated lili ill mind wandered looking over the shoulders of those around him lalni Rc lood saw the vowed cowed spirit of the vigilantes one exception attract attracted ed ills his attention onia min man appeared profoundly indifferent to 0 o tile the fortunes of the night in a minfort comfortable chair in III the farthest corner of the second room his bald head in a huge fur cup well pulled down arid and ills hands clasped in his lot lap sat the queer pioneer trader of sleepy cot cat and of the mountain country old man inan van cambel Tain bel everything he had bad in the world lind but just pone gone up in the smoke ot of fort lort street but the tragedy had apparently failed to shake ills his spirit composed and collected lie he struck selwood as an odd contrast to the welter of 0 wrangling confusion and cowardice coward ce about him the gambler silent silently ly laughed lie he turned ills his eyes on cole well tit he said in response to many iii iny words from several mouths youe made a mess of it got you cornered where are the bums that licked ou hanging liangqing lia nging out does anybody know lie was assured that bartoes I 1 artoes place noce was the only building that had escaped the flames in the river quarter where they are then was So Se lwoods cornmeal comment what are you going to do sputtered cole PO NEW LIVE my 11 NO S I 1 I 1 a t 1111 11 t y I 1 earl caught Se lwoods arm in his hand why I 1 wanted you quick as you could get here so help me god I 1 dont know whore where the girl Is john I 1 only wish I 1 lid did this evening she and her father took supper at the hotel I 1 warned christie privately to stay cloae I 1 trust filer with anything starbuck said carpy with a curse was prancing around her and had the gall to try to stay to supper with em cm I 1 knowel christie would stick close and would be all right but I 1 never figured on us getting drove like this when I 1 seen what was coining I 1 run up to the hotel and told fill all hands bonds to light out for the depot I 1 run to christies christias Chri sties room myself and told her what was up and to make for the depot why you bring her there yourself demanded selwood she leave without her father protested carpy defending himself and the dashed old mule budge I 1 take tier her from hlin him she go so you left her therell there li what else could I 1 do knock him on the head and dra drag her here yourself said selwood savagely lie ile made no effort to restrain himself and his words fell like whip lashes you knew her danger he thundered she 1 so you left her therel there I 1 exclaimed the gambler sardonic in his wrath A fine mess youve made of III it I 1 john protested carpy ill go over there this minute with you myself stay where you are what was the number of her room twelve at the top of the front stairs jolin john 1 I dont want you to go off mad this way I 1 did what I 1 could I 1 tell you she leave her father selwood paused only to make it brief amend for his outbreak and to promise to return he told carpy he be was going to look tor for christie at the hotel though in his heart he had no hope of finding her there on a table close at hand where the doctor had set his instrument case and dressings stood a lighted pocket lantern selm selwood Sel picking it up closed the slide put it out and slipped it ft into his coat pocket bleyl exclaimed carpy dont take that I 1 1 I may need it said selwood walking toward the door with selwood carpy pointed to one of the wounded mounded men on the alie floor near where they were nere passing ile he lay iny on his back with ith ills his eyes closed and ills his breathing was noticeable theres the old general he said hit pretty bad too want to speak to him no blurted out selwood lie ile may die observed carpy critically selwood was brutally resentful lie ile wont ont need me to help him was all lie ile said and flinging open the brck back door lie he took one look out into the lial hall slammed the door behind him arid and slipped out into the night on the town side or of the station lie he could henr hear sporadic firing answered at intervals by the fringe of guards defending the railroad building lie ho ask for PO P CIO corn fla r af that c toasted doi lne inglys lysca eason the corn S appetites t the 4 e lasting lanin t golden X flavor of tl succulent w cri crisp deligh L satisfy the 1 1 ofay r bounded bcd by y her most intimate beings longings belongings so familiar some i of them to his big observant eyes that in looking at them he be wes was stirred ed to a frenzy at the thought of danger er coming to her was too much without ithone allowing himself to linger a moment ament where sweetness seemed still to exhale from her former presence selwood jerked the counterpane from i under the frightened cat and dumped bcd into lt it man fashion christies christias Chri sties belongings ile he then emptied the bu reau drawers caught up and tied the counter pane corners into a sling and catching the bundle up on on one arm hastened down the stairs and rejoined his men atthe barn CHAPTER XIII barbanel Bar banet Is persuaded selwood got back without further incident and deposited his queer looking bundle bilth ith care inside a cupboard in the harness room scott had returned and had covered the river quarter unmolested ills report confirmed all information that bunty bartoes Car toes place had not been burned and scott added was now noisy with Star bucks fol following loIng who passing in and out were celebrating their victory Is starbuck there asked parda loe it was a question scott could not answer Se lwoods mind worked as he ils listened ive got cot to know for sure where starbuck Is he said ills his eyes moving from face to face of those alls listening about him wheres bull page lie he asked after a moments thought get him here quick facing within a moment and atone with him in the office the dilapidated lint but arri amiable lable null bull looked locked as surprised in being summoned at ach a moment by the bod as a the tn ther men were selwood spoke to him kindly and na haste and asked an odd ques lon ion bull you done the world orld very much good in your lifetime have you poor ioor bull greatly taken aback countered with a sickly smile well 1 I hope I 1 aint done nobody a whole bt 0 harm have bave 1 I johny johnt he bo asked c 1 n hla his quavering throaty tones not to anybody except yourself sull lull it if the truth be told replied selwood elwood evenly not half as much arni arm as ive done hull bull by a long ionic hot but tonight theres a chance for oth of us to do something for or some ody youve seen that young girl bose father kept the mock ock auction tore down street one of the stores dat were burned tonight bull nodded 1 I seen her john somewhere in this row grovv ashes rot got st im afraid ashes fallen into bad bands you never can tell what will appen you know a night like this want no folks I 1 mine mixed up in it then listen continued selwood ive seen you many times thries drunk ull trying to make me think you ere sober I 1 bull ull nodded as if confessing to the indictment tonight I 1 want you sober trying make everybody else think youre unk link pull bull saw a flash of humor in the 1 gl guestion estion that he returned his in pushed weil veil down into his throat int coln to be so awful hard john fedona fe dont arlt think theres one feature you may not e but youre entitled fair and aare are to know it now we may one us or both of us get killed willing to KO go where you go john g replied simply selwood d showed his own surprise the unassuming assent by a longer eath than usual john barleycorn 1 ed a man when he be got you bull observed regarding him gravely LI bulls smile had long ion been in rags j t it shone brave through the tatters i his seamy face lie |