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Show PIUTE COUNTY NEWS, JUNCTION, UTAH . w i Selwood of Sleepy Cat By FRANK H. SPEARMAN WNU Scnrlcs. Copyright afterward, still unconscious, he lay gagged and bound, stripped of his Selwood was already In Scotts rig. two guns and bat and coat, and rolled to one side Into the ashes. "Nothing Is sure, John," he retorted The guard at the door had fared When my time comes, It amiably. In the brief Interval rather worse comes. As McAlpIn would say, youre talk- than better. Pardaloe timed his action to the thud he heard when the singreing like a blamed fool, John, ing stopped; slinking up from behind Lefever. joined mountain lion, be clapped one Pnrdaloe grunted. Td say youre like ahand over the second mans big Leone like John talking yourself, with his other hand and mouth, fever, If I didnt owe you sixty dollars. That Is," he mumbled, If you caught his victims wrist In s vise; think you can make Selwood change the next moment he had doubled him his mind by talking to him. If you're up In a bear hug and choked him into complete silence. ready, he snapped at Selwood, lookWhen the men were secured, Paring around for his trusty shotgun, daloe dragged his prisoner, bound, lets go." Selwood led the way out of the around the corner of the building, aras far as he could get harness-roothrough the office and rayed himself, down the dark gangway to (lie back Into them, In the accoutrements of door of the barn. Lefever, still per- his victim. Selwood, his face smeared with ashes, ran up. Not losing a mosisting In protest and caution, fastened the door behind the four men. ment, he whistled Into the night for Bull Page, who, across the street, Separating as they left the born, Iardaloe and Scott and Selwood and was awaiting his signal., Now, Bull Page a definite rendezvous Bull, he murmured, as the old man hastened to him, for a look at the named worked their way ' Inside!" In the fighting, Surprised at the lull Bull hold of the Iron caught they could only surmise that the Vigand pulled at the door. It reilantes were still at bay. with the gamsisted. Either bolted or barred on the blers still celebrating their victory. The men stationed outside to guard inside, his efforts made no Impression, Bartoes place, the remaining resort on It. Stand aside, Bull, said Selwood. on the river front, offered little ImHe tried the latch, In tarn, and, using pediment to a reasonably close apmore force when less CHAPTER XIII Continued 16 m down-tow- latch-hand- proach. But Selwood, on one side, worked his way between the guards and the building, only to find that - some one had sensibly drawn every window curtain and where there were shutters had closed every shutter. Selwood Joined Pardaloe where the latter awaited him on the river bank. Theyve got It well hooked up, Bill, he said, looking toward the lone building where all was darkness save when a streak of light shot from the front dopr as It was opened. "I counted five men outside. Pardaloe corrected him. Count four now," he said with a certain Rolled one of em down grimness. the river bank." You didnt kill him? Clicked him a little, thats all. No, he repeated Indignantly, answering a second pointed question, I didnt kill him. lies just gagged, and .tied up tlghtern a bulls eye la fly time. If he wasnt fool enough to roll plum Into the river when I started him hes all right Now, speakln of plans: Ive got em laid out for this place, John." What are they? Why, simple; Ill fire the back of the place and you pick em off when they run out the front. What? Bill, jsald Selwood Impatiently,' I dont know whos In there. If I did Im not a public executioner. Im not a Vigilante. Pm Just a plain gambler not a butcher. And how, he continued, overriding Pardaloes Indo I know Starbuck Isnt dignation, holding Christie Fyler or her father prisoner In there? Pardaloe drew a breath. To tell the truth, he confessed, I didnt think about her; ihe old man wouldn't make bo much difference. r Selwood regarded the dim, forbidding .outline of the tightly closed, with Joint Before we do anylonging eyes. thing else, Im going to take a look Inside. I want to see just whos there and what theyre doing, Bill. We can talk a plan over afterward." Pardaloe put some useless warning and much fervent scepticism Into one Ironical word, Maybe I Of course Its only maybe, admitted Selwood, not unamlably. Got any whisky with you. Bill? Pardaloe, after having so lately declared that no one could budge Selwood In his decisions, tried vainly to dissuade him from the undertaking. It was hopeless, he knew. But there was one thing Pardaloe . could do that was, obey orders. A few minutes later, a man much under the Influence of liquor. If ones nose could be trusted, for he strongly smelled of It, approached unsteadily the front door of the Cartoe place. In size, but In no other way. he resembled Selwood. Near the door two men demanded his business, denied Mm entrance, and when he staggered toward the door Itself, Insisting he would have a drink, one of the guards, seizing him by the throat, threw him with brutal Indifference backward Into the street, where he fell prone and lay muttering to himself. Presently he began to sing somewhat uncertainly a teamsters song. But the more he sang, the better, apparently, he liked the Idea, for the longer he sang, the louder he sang, much to the annoyance of the truculent guard, who finally strode toward him with a curse to silence him falling In his eagerness to note that the drunken man now lay much farther out In the street than be had been thrown. In the darkness he reached the object of his wrath, lying prone, and tiled to kick It Into silence. Beyond that point of the action, he had, afterward, for some time but the haziest recollection. IBs foot was caught In the air, he was snapped violently backward, and before he could utter even a warning cry. his head struck the ground like a stone. Two minutes half-close- d he wore, and laid the purloined neckerchief the right forearm. Drawing Ms revolver, from the scabbard In which be had replaced It when sitting dowo, Selwood, with the grip of the gun In his right hand, wrapped the kerclilef loosely over hand and gun together. When arranged to his liking, be drew his small hunting-knife- , and gradually silt the bandage on the lower "side from end to end, so that It lay hiding his revolver, but ready to jerk off with his free hand. Putting away the knife, he rose and, facing the room, reached with his left hand up behind him and Jerked down the window curtain. Sitting down again, he made a rude sling of the curtain, hung 1 front his neck under his right wrist, and with his left band clipped his coat back again over his shoulders. Sitting now quite at ease, he Jrew a leaf of cigarette paper from a waistcoat pocket, laid it on the table,' fished a tiny bag of tobacco from a coat pocket, opened it between his teeth and his left hand, ' taking advantage ' of that proceeding to .take an extra good look at the men In front of him. rolled his cigarette awkwardly on the table before him, pushed It between his lips, and rose to Ms feet. He drew his hat-brievenly down, so It was neither high nor tow, but exactly shaded his eyes where he stood, and with the cigarette hanging from his Up, moved toward a noisy group of men and asked the nearest one for a match. Passing this Inspection proved easy. He moved from one to another of the talking groups some of the men were examining revolvers others stowing le failed, Jerked at the door violently; still unsuccessful, he pounded on It with his fist, A watchman within unbarred and opened the door a few cautious Inches. Selwood. under the hat of the fallen guard, thrust forward his head. "Its Bull Page. Let him lnl Hes got a message for Starbuck, The watchman took no chances. Hold on, he exclaimed gruffly, and at once slammed the door, shut and barred It. While Selwood. waited his return with perhaps more Impatience to than Bull, who must havqfejt oblige a friend he was tnklft a good chance of getting shot hwAkhmah took counsel. He opened the door again presently and with the same Come In. Bull, caution. Selwood In the Interval had thrown away the guards hat and put on the extra cap pulled from odc of his numerous pockets ; and when the watchman opehed the doer .wide enough for Bull to enter, he attempted to walk In behind him. The vigilant guardian pushed him out again. No, you Jht dont Bull raised his , quavering voice. Hits all right hes my partner Keep out! exclaimed the watchman, shoving Selwood roughly back as he tried to edge through the halfopen door. But hes got news Starbuck wants," persisted Bull, to whom the thought of entering the wolves den alone was much more repugnant than that of making an appearance under the wing of a man who could at least 6hoot If ahot at. No, you dont," persisted the doorkeeper with a truculent aspect, You come In, Bull Page nobody else. With that, he Jerked Bull In by the coat collar, and banged the door In Selwoods face. - The gambler took the rebuff Impassively. Bull had his Instructions: he was to tell Starbuck Selwood wanted to see him at the barn and was likely to get rough handling for his pains. Outside the evil Joint, Selwood felt he held at least one portal aud could afford to wait. But he was beginning to count Bulls effort a failure and was trying to devise a new scheme when, after what seemed a long Interval, the door was opened again, Selwood. as he saw Harry Barbanet coming out, followed by Bull Page, slunk Into the shadow. Barbanet, sober, aleft. suspicious, was the one man In the place that Selwood hnd most hoped not to encounter, for none, he felt, of the wolves within would so quickly penetrate his rude disguise. As the two men emerged, be retreated; Bull looked vacantly around In the darkness as !f to get his bearings. Hes here," declared Page In his trembling voice, trying as he spoke to penetrate the shadows. "I know that much ; or was a minute ago hell help. If I cn find him." "You wont need any help, insisted the busy bartender, scornfully. "Theyre all locked up together right Inside here, back of the barber shop. Get old Fyler out the back door, tell him youll help em get away, him first. Hell go out with you because he knows you all youve got to do Is, throw him Into the river. Starbuck wants to rid of him youll get gt paid The old mans wiry, objected Bull, spinning out the talk. "I want my partner outside the back door, so the old man dont throw me In. Of course. HI try it alone If you aay so, but If my partner " An outburst from Barbanet cut short the talk; Bull had said all he wanted to say, anyway. But, still maundering on, he was unceremoniously pushed through the partly open door back Into the room. Selwood slipped around the corner to where Pardaloe, close to a window, was Impatiently awaiting action. Selwood repeated what be had heard, directed by Chsrle, Scribner's Soot. him to watch the back, door of the barber shop, take any necessary measures, and to detain Fyler till Selwood could get back to him. Say the word," said Pardaloe, and Ill fire the whole dashed joint Ive got everything laid right here, and good tinder to do It with. Dont set this place on fire till we get everybody out of It," exclaimed I must see the Inside of Selwood. the place. I cant plan anything in dark." tthe :f Heres a sash mumbled loose, Pardaloe, balked of his prey, right here. Why dont you " Splvvood, knowing the general layout of the Inside of the big room, Theres a jumped at the chnnee. curtain In front of If," continued Pardaloe.' . ,Out with the sash," said Selwood instantly. Easy, Bill." ' It needed no more than the prying off of a aash-stowhich Pardaloe managed with the blade of his bowie-knifwithout .making much noise. He lifted aside the sash. A curtain, tacked up Inside, covered the window opening; and while Pardaloe noiselessly set down the sash, Selwood caught an edge of the curtain In his fingers and peered Inside. It looked like a fair chance. The corner was not dark, but It was not brightly lighted, A table stood close to the side of the window through which Selwood was looking. On one side of the table sat a man leaning forward, with his head burled In his arms, as If asleep. His hat lay on the table. Selwood watched him pretty closely for a moment he was the nearest element of danger but reached the conclusion he was stupid with drink. The curtain . was short. Hung from hooks at the upper corners, It reached only to the window apron. Selwood could see men standing In small groups not ten feet away, but the entire room, probably for rea-foof aafety, was only mengerly lighted. The gambler thought he could make He whispered brief Instructions It, to Pardaloe. If yon dont hear any shooting, ll know Pm moving safe. If you hear one shot, Just pay no attention. Have your shotgun up here on the sill; the instant you heqr two shots, "fire one barrel at that big lamp. Selwood pointed to the lamp hanging In the front end of the room. Ixt the other barrel go Into the middle of the crowd that will give me a chance for the front door." "John, I might hit y objected Pardaloe In a ferocious whisper. If Im in that crowd. Bill, after two shots are fired, a few buckshot more or less wont hurt my feelings, said Selwood reassuringly. Just let go quick at that lamp thats the main thing. I'll make what noise I can with my gun to help you out Now set down your gun and give me a lift I must get In there with my back to the window and both bands free." The mule boss took him under the armpits, that Selwoods hands might be free, lifted him, and the 'next moment Selwood, watching the nearest men closely, stood Inside the room with his feet on the floor. Pardaloe quickly rehung the curtain. ' It was the work of the next moment for Selwood to reel to and sink into an empty chair .opposite the sleepy man, and, peering from under bis cap. to study the scene. The Interior of the place, of notord ious repute even among men, was not wholly unfnmlllar to Selwood, nor had It changed much in the long Interval since be had seen It. Neither Bunty nor Atkins was in sight, and Selwoods nervous glance searched the room vainly for a sight uf the one man he had taken a desperate chance to see Starbuck. Men came at Intervals out of the back room, but each one closed the door most carefully behind him. It was there, Selwood soon found reason to believe, that the leaders were closeted. To attempt the Inner room meant, he knew, a showdown. Whatever eyes might be fooled In the front room, those in the back room would not be long in discovering bis Identity. But with a fatality either temperamental or due to his chance-takin- g career. Selwood made ready to penetrate the second room In a search for Starbuck. lie pushed guardedly at the head of the iran opposite him and found after a little fussing that he was fast asleep. The man wore about his neck a bandanna kerchief, and this, Selwood, keeping tils eyes well on those about him, gradually disengaged with one hand twisting It around to where he could loose the knot and draw it from the mans neck. Ills victim having taken this liberty Selwood doffed McAlpltts queer-lookincap at a moment that no eyes were turned his way, and after another moment tried on the sleeping mans hat It fitted well enough, and he did not take It off: but proceedlngly slowly, keeping a clear eye on the men nearest, and handling hla right forearm as tf wounded, Selwood allpped one' arm and then the other out pf. the coat e, . good-naturedl- y, FOUND RELIEF t LjdiU J two-rthl- rd re-lie- - Callouses JDlScholTs Harry." BUI,-you- case-hardene- "this i70i.mii cast, among outcasts, Selwood would have risked his life that Bull, drunk or sober, would not betray him. The question that rankled In hla mind was: Had Barbanet in that brief, piercing glance discovered him? Was Taking After Long:Suffering by It Imagination that was already trickVefto- could He ing him Into thinktng so? Compound not be sure. Bqt some instinct told of the middle W est, must town and little him he had been detected In a woman. For four measure accordingly. The next mo- was a discouraged monthsahe had been ment Barbanet, now following Page, such poor health in passed Selwood without noticing him that she could not and so dose on his left that be stoop to put on her an Impatient own shoes. Unable brushed f him with to do her work, shoulder. unable, to go out of It needed only an Instant for Seldoors or enjoy a wood to reason that this was predsely chat with friendly acted the way he himself should have lifo her neighbors, If positions were reversed; and he seemed dark indeed knew Barbanets astuteness too well to Mrs. Daugherty. - Then one day, n to believe he would act. In the cirbooklet was left at cumstances, any differently. she turned tho Without hesitation, Selwood, taking her front door.sheIdly was reading with Soon shouldpages. broad advantage of Barbnnets quickened interest The little booklet er, turned promptly to tbe left, and, was filled with letters from women in falling Into step, walked on directly conditions similar to hern who had and last man found better health by taking Lydia E. behind' the In a procession heading straight for Plnkhams Vegetable Compound. IT began taking the Vegetable Com the lower end of the bar. Mrs. Daugherty writes, and It seemed strange to find himself pound, took f. the third bottle, I found I after heading so briskly In such company on my eleventh bottle and am I and at such a businesslike gait for I dont have that trouble any more, a corner of the room that he had so and feel like a different woman. I The old recommend the Vegetable Compound to good reason to remember. archway had been hoarded up, and everyone I see who has trouble like a batten door had been set roughly mine, and you can use these facta a willing to answer Into It to lead Into the barber shop; a testimonial. I am women asking about from letters any It was for this door that Barbanet tho Vegetable Compound." Mas. En. was heading. 1308 Orchard Are., MuscaDaugherty, Nothing could have suited Selwood tine, Iowa. better. But Just before reaching the door, Barbanet caught Pages arm. told him to stop, and attempted to turn In behind the bar. At this JuncCorrect Classification ' ture Selwood. In turn caught Barba-net'- s He Remember, you were no spring arm and stopped him. chicken when you married me. Dont bother, Harry; you wont She Well, I guess not !l was a need that gun. Face about keep goose. straight ahead." Barbanet felt the quick and unpleasant sensation of a revolver muzzle held to the small of his back. A Quick, safe, sure relief from hand with fingers like steel slipped painful callouses on tbe feet At all drug and shot ttora down his forearm and over his left wrist. Without trying to turn his PW one oh the body, he looked back over his shouldZino-pad- s pain (scone er, surprised, but making no pretense of not knowing who spoke. "First time Ive seen you tonight, John," he remarked, quite undls-lurbe- d by, this situation. retorted Selwood In like No, this Is the second time, tones, I Selwood r . Watched Him Pretty Closely for a Moment. I noticed you had a long arm on when I passed you," responded Barbanet, less amiably. Not for my friends, Harry theres a good many strangers In town todoor, night Open the barber-sho- p Harry do it quick. Theres two men behind It with shotguns." Theyre friendly youre walking right In there ahead of me. Go on! The way we stand now, theres not a man in this room that could tell whose gun went off If you got hurt Harry. Open that door. No frontier crook In his senses would choose certain death before a fighting chance"! Barbanet knew perfectly well the alternative. Selwood might not himself escape, but his fate would no longer Interest Harry.. With 111 grace, but without Imprudent delay, Barbanet advanced to the door, his left wrist gripped in Selwoods left hand. d Keys In my pants pocket. Let loose my wrist man doing Whats a 'right-han- d with a key In his pocket? asked Selwood. Page," he added, pulling Barbanets arm back, take the key out of Barbanets right pants pocket and unlock that door, quick." Page, lnterjeded Barbanet, Jerking the words out viciously, youd better keep out of this. Bull Pnge grinned brokenly. Perhaps the remembrance of old pbuse at Barbnnet's hands the times he hnd come thirsty and broke, and gone from Barbanets bar thirsty and broke, deckled him. At all events, after a rapid search, Bull found the cartridges Into various pockets, others adjusting ammunition belts trading tobacco, boasting, and telling stories; but while Selwood recognized more than one of them either as Calabasas worthies or River quarter rats, none of them uncovered him. His apprehension thus fairly well allayed, he made his way In easy measure toward the rear end of the room, where the crowd was thicker. He had approached within a dozen feet of the back-roodoor and was thinking of Just how he should maneuver an entrance, when it was suddenly opened, and out walked Harry Barbanet. followed by the redoubtable Bull Page, whose eyes showed mild stimulation. , The moment was delicate. To turn quickly away would only be, he well knew, to excite suspicion and even Incite particular Inspection; the ntmost Selwood could do was-t- o Interrupt a conversation near at hand and ask whether the doctor hnd come. Had Bull, the derelict, sold him out disclosed Selwoods presence and told what he knew of his Intentions? key In Burbanets right-hantrouThe gambler did not believe It.. Men pers pocket, unlocked the door, pushed on tbe Rocky mountain frontier It open, and followed by staked their lives at times on what Selwood and Barbanet, Bull, passed tbrongh would seem very slender chances. Into the harber-shnBut drunkard though Bull was, out (TO BE CONTINUED.) For Indigestion, Dyspepsia, etc. Relieves Distress after Hurried Meals or Overeating. Being a gentle laxative, It keeps the di- gestive tract working normally. 30c & 90c. At all Druggists. Inc. G. G. GREEN, N. WOODBURY, B) E&TlsWOirENEENDOfl J. S Absorbing will reduce inflsmad, strained, swollen tendons, lifaraents or muscles. Stops the lameness and pain from a splint, side bone or bons spavin. No blister, no hair rone, and horse can be need. $2.60 at druggists, or postpaid. 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