Show Z 1 aia n of f kusne 0 v Mount cann 0 by FRANK H SPEARMAN copyright by charles scribners Scrib nert sou sons OARING DARING IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE DE SPAIN TELLS NAN THAT SOME DAY HE AND SHE WILL BE MARRIED SHE LIKE if henry de spain general manager of the stage conch coach una line running from the thief river kiver mines to sleepy cat a railroad division town in the rocky mountains Is trying to rid the region of a band of horse thieves cattle rustlers and gunmen known as the morgan gang they live in morgan gap a fertile valley 20 miles from sleepy cat and near calabasas Cala basas where the coach horses are changed de spain has killed two of the gang and has been seriously wounded pretty nan morgan niece of the gang leader has saved his bis life and he Is trying to make love to her but receives no encouragement CHAPTER XIII continued 9 take roe me away gale cried nan leave him here take me home I 1 take me homel home I 1 she caught her cousins arm stay tight right abere here you are shouted morgan pointing at de spain and following nan as she pulled him along when I 1 come back ill give you what youre looking for bring your friends said de spain tauntingly ill accommodate tour four more of you stop I 1 with one hand band gfell on liis his reN revolver olver he pointed the way go down that trail first morgan stay where you ore are girl till lie be gets domn doa that hill you wont pot me over her shoulder for a while yet move morgan took the path sullenly de spain covering every step he took behind de spain nan stood waiting for tier her cousin to get beyond earshot what she whispered hurriedly to de spain will you do covering morgan who could whirl on oil him a at auy any turn in the descent de spain could not look at her in answering looks pretty rocky it ile he will start the whole gap as soon as he gets to his horse he looked at the darkening sky they wont be very active on the job before morning morgan was at a sate safe distance de spain turned to nan her eyes were bent on him as if they would pierce him th through it if I 1 save your life still breathing fast she hesitated tor for words you wont trick me avei ever will you steadily returning her appealing gazo gaze de spain answered with deliberation dont ever give me a chance to trick you nan what do you mean she demanded tear fear and distrust burning in her tone my life he said slowly worth it you know he could see her resolute under hp pink bilth w ath fresh young blood quiver with intensity of feeling as she faltered you know what every man says of every girl foolish trusting easy to deceive everything like that may god either my tongue before ever it speaks to deceive you nan nam theres not a moment to lose she said swiftly listen it a trail around this mountain leads out of the gap straight across the face of el caal tan 1 I can make it A good climber can do it I 1 have done it il id even go with you it if I 1 could why T she shook her head angrily at what he be dared show iii in hla his eyes oh keep still listen I 1 1 I know go nan he declared lin unperturbed perturbed but believe me I 1 never would let you 1 I cant go because to do any good must meet you with a horse out ide he only looked silently nt at her and an d the she turned her eyes from his gaze see she said taking him eagerly to the back of the ledge and pointing follow that trail the one to the east cast you cant get lost you can reach el capitan before dark lva its very close creep carefully across el EI capitan on that narrow troll trail and on the other side there Is a wide one clear down to the road oh do be careful on el capitan I 1 rii be careful 1 I must watch my chance to get laway from the corral with a horse if I 1 tall fall it will be because I 1 am locked up at home and you must hide bide and do the best you can how much they will mil surmise of this I 1 dont know go now this minute he said restraining his words it you dont come 1 I shall know why she turned without speaking and fearless as a chamois ran down tho the rocks do da spain losing not a moment hobbled bobbled rapidly up along the granite walled passage that led the way to his bis chance tor for life CHAPTER XIV A venture in the dark pushing his way hastily forward when he could make haste craw crawling slowly lowly on his bis hands and knees when held by opposing rock rack flattening him palf isaf ilip copeli against the tace face ot of the precipice when the narrowing ledge left him only indies inches under foot clinging with torn hands to every favoring crevice and pausing when the peril was extreme tor for fresh strength de spain dragged his injured foot across the sheer face of el capitan in the last shadows of the days falling failing light spent by his effort de spain reached the rendezvous nan had indicated as nearly as the stars would tell him by ten tell it was only after a long and doubtful hour that he heard the muffled footfalls of a horse ire ho stood concealed among the smaller trees until he could distinguish the outlines of the animal and his eye caught the figure of the rider de spain stepped out of the trees and moving toward nan caught her hand her to the ground she enjoined silence and led the horse into the little grove stopping well within it she stooped and began rearranging tho the mufflers on the hoofs im afraid rin im too late she said now how long have you been here she faced de spain wi thone hand on the donys shoulder did you have any falls you see im here you tout I 1 how could you get here nt at nil all with a horse they are hiding on both trails outside watching for you and the moon will be upp up P she seemed very anxious de spain made light of her tears fears ill get past them ive got to nan dont give it a thought 1 I dont know nhat hat think of me lie ile heard the troubled note in her voice what do you mean she began to unbutton her jacket throwing back the revers she felt inside around her waist unfastened after a moment and drew forth a leathern strap she laid it in de hands this Is yours she said in a whisper lie he felt it questioningly hurriedly then with amazement not a cartridge belt 1 he exclaimed its your own where she made no answer where did you get it nan ho he whispered hurriedly where you left it now how she was silent when tonight have you been to calabasas Cala basas and back tonight everybody but sassoon Is in the chase she replied uneasily as it if not knowing what to say or how to say it IL they said you should never leave the gap alive they are ready math alth traps everywhere I 1 know what M NI 1 hate him to do I 1 bear after what you did for me tonight to think of your being shot down like a dog when you were only trying to get away 1 I have had you take a ride like that for forty belts 1 We mcalpin Alpin showed it to me tho the last time I 1 was at the stage barn hanging hangl nf where you lett left it lie ho strapped the cartridges around him hl you should never have taken that ride rida tor for it IL but since you have he had drawn hla his revolver from hla his waistband he broke it now and hold held it out load it tor for me nan what do you mean put four more cartridges in it your f a sell except for your cartridge the gun la is empty when you do that you will know none of them ever will be used against your own except to protect my life and it if you have any among them whose life ought to come ahead of mine name him or them now do as I 1 tell you load the gun he took hold of her hands and in spite of her refusal made her do his bis will he guided her hand to draw the cartridges oni on after another from his belt and waited for her to slip them in the darkness into the empty cylinder to close the breech and hand band the gun back now nan he said you know me you may have doubts they will till all die you will hear many stories about me but you will say 11 1 I put the cartridges in his revolver with my own hands and I 1 know he wont abuse the means of defense I 1 gave him myself there can never bo be any real doubts or misunderstandings between us again nan he waited tor for her to speak but she remained silent you have given me my life my defense he continued passing from a subject that he perceived was better left untouched who Is near nearest estand and dearest to you nt at home my uncle duke then I 1 never will raise a hand against your uncle duke and this man tonight this cousin gale nau nan what Is that man 1 I hate him thank god so do I 1 II 11 I 1 but he Is a cousin then I 1 suppose he must be one of mine unless he tries to kill you he wont be very long in trying that and now what about yourself what have you got to defend yourself against him and against every other drunken man 11 she laid her own pistol without a word in de hand he felt it opened closed and gave it back a good defender when its in reach when its at home its a poor one it will never bo be at home again except when I 1 am shall I 1 tell you a secret what Is it asked nan unsuspectingly we are engaged to be marriel married she sprang from him like a deer its a dead secret he said gravely nobody knows it yet not even you you need never talk again like that if you want io to be friends with me she said indignantly 1 I hato hate it IL hate it if you will its so and it began when you handed me that little bit of lead and brass on the mountain tonight to defend your life alfo and mine ill hate you if you persecute me the way gale does the moon Is 13 almost up you must go you told me he persisted how you got away at all they had walked out of the trees treed ile he looked reluctantly to the east tell me and ill go he promised after I 1 went up to my room I 1 waited till the house was all quiet then I 1 started for calabasas Cala basas when I 1 came back I 1 got up to my room without being seen and sat at the window a long time I 1 waited till all the men stopped bidlo riding g past then I 1 climbed through the window and down the kitchen roof and let myself down to the ground some more men came past and I 1 hid on the porch find and slipped over to the horse barns and found a hackamore find and went down to the corral and hunted around till I 1 found this little pinto ashes the best to ride bareback 1 I could ride a razorback why take all that trouble fourne fo for irne me if you dont start while you have a chance you undo everything I 1 havo have tried to do to avoid a fight the wind stirring softly set the aspen leaves quivering the stars chilled in the thin clear night air hung in the heavens and the eastern sky across the distant desert paled for the rising moon the two standing at th horses head listened a momen together toge thet lr IT the darkness ark de spain leaning for forward formara wara said something in a low laughing voice nan made no answer then bending he took her hand and before she could release it caught it up to his lips 0 0 0 0 for a long time after he had bad gone sh she stood listening for a shot wondering breathless at moments whether he could get past the waiting traps de spain true to all she had ever heard ot of his stealth had left her side unabashed and unafraid living laughing paying bold court to her even when she stubbornly refused to be courted and had made himself in tho the twinkling of an eye a part ot of tho the silence beyond the silence of the night the wind the stars the waste of sand and of nil all the mystery that brooded blooded upon it she would have welcomed in her keen suspense a sound of some kind some reminder that he yet lived and could yet laugh none came is 0 0 0 0 0 day dav was breaking when the night 1 boss standing in the doorway at the calabasas Cala basas barns saw a horseman riding at a leisurely pace up the thief river road the scrutinized the approaching stranger closely there was something strange and something familiar in the outlines of the figure but when the night rider had dismounted in front of the barn door turned his horse loose and limping stiffly walked forward on foot the man rubbed his eyes hard before he be could believe them then he uttered an incredulous greeting and led henry de spain into the barn office theres There 3 friends of yours in your room upstairs right now he declared declare bulging with shock do spain sitting down forbade the bardman to disturb them ony only asking who they were when he had asked half a n dozen more leisurely questions and avoided answering twice as many the at de request helped him upstairs beside himself with excitement the night boss turned grinning as he laid one hand on the doorknob and the other on de shoulder you have come he whispered loudly at a better time the entryway was dark and from the silence within the room one might have thought its occupants if there were such wrapped in slumber but at intervals a faint clicking sound could be heard the night man threw open the door by the light of two stage lamps one set on the dresser and the other on a window ledge four men sat about a rickety table in it a life and death struggle at cards no voice broke the tense silence not even when the door was thrown broadly open no one neither lefever scott frank elpaso nor mcalpin looked up when de spain walked into the room and with the night man tiptoeing behind advanced composedly toward the group even then his presence would have passed unnoticed but that bob scotts ear mechanically recorded the limping step and transmitted to his trained intelligence merely notice of something unusual scott picking up his cards one at a time as lefever dealt raised his eyes startling as the sight of the man given up for dead must have been no muscle of bob scotts body moved nia ilia expression of surprise slowly dissolved into a grin that mutely invited the others as he had found out for himself to find out for themselves lefever finished lik his deal threw down the pack and picked up his hand ills suspicious eyes never rose above the level of the faces at the table but when he had bad thumbed his cards and looked from one to the other of the remaining players to read the weather signals he perceived on scotts face an unwonted expression and looked to where the scouts gaze was turned for an explanation of it lefevers own eyes at the sight of the thinned familiar face behind ellasos El pasos chair starting opened like full moons the big fellow spread one hand out his cards hidden within it and with the other hand band prudently drew down his pile of chips gentlemen he be said lightly this game Is interned ile he rose and put a silent hand across the table over ellasos El pasos shoulder henry he exclaimed impassively one question it if you please and only one how 1 in I thu thunder U der did you do it CHAPTER XV strategy one week went to repairs to a man mail of action such a week Is longer than ten years of service but chained to a bed in the sleepy cat hospital de spain had no escape from one week of thinking and for that week he thought about nan morgan and the impulse that moved him the first moment he could get out of bed and into a saddle was to spur his way hard bard and fast to her to make her against a score of burly cousins his own and never to release her from his sudden arms ag agius Cin with de spain to think was to do at least to do something but not without further careful thinking and not without anticipating every chance of failure and his manner was to cast up all difficulties and obstacles in a situation brush them aside and have his will II if the heavens fell and he now set himself while doing his bis routine work every day to do one particular thing to see talk to plead with struggle with the woman or girl rather child even to his thoughts so BO fragile she was this girl who had given him back his life against her own ma relatives ills his friends saw that something was absorbing him in an unusual even an extraordinary way yet none could arrive at a certain conclusion as to what it was the one man in the country who could have surmised the situation between |