The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, July 12, 1923, Image 2
. RED 0T.0OD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF CHAPTER XIII. Continued. 11 "Now, Stlllwell, out with It," she mhl, briefly. "Will, Mlsa Majesty, there's goln' to be n light somewhere, nti Stewart wanted to get ynu-nll In liuforo It come off. Up says the vnlley'H overrun by vaqueros m' guerrillas nn' robbers, an' Lord knows what pIrp." He stninped off the porch, his huge ipurs rattllnR, and Hturted down the path toward the waltltiR men. Stewnrt stood In IiIb familiar atten tive position, erect, silent, with a hand on potntnel and bridle, "Stewart, .you are exceedingly thoughtful of my Interests," she Raid, watitlnR to thank him, and not readily (IndlnR words. "I would not know what to do without you. Is there dun Rcr?" "I'm not sure. Hut I want to be on Ihe nfe side." She hesitated. It was no lonRcr easy lor her to talk to him, and she did not Inow why. "May T know tho special orders you tvo Nels and Nick und Monty?" she Isked. "Of course I'll tell you If you Insist. My orders were that nt least one of them must he on Riiard near you day and night never "to be out of hearliiR of jour voice." "I thought as much. Stpwart, you mill think Don Carlos tried to make oft with me may try It again?" "I don't think. I know." "And besides nil your other duties rou have shnrod the watch with these three cowboys?' "Yes." "It has been going on without my knowledge? How long Is It to con tinue?" "That's hard to say. Till the revo lution Is over, anyhow." She mused a moment, locking away to the west, where the great void was nillni' with red haze. She believed Im plicitly In film, and the menace hover ing near her fell like n shadow upon her present happiness. "What must I do?" she asked. "I think you ought to send your friends back East and go with them, until this guerrilla war Is over." "Why, Stewart, they would be broken-hearted, and so would I." He had no reply for that. "If I do not take your advice It will be the first time since I have come to look to you for so much," she went on. "Cannot you suggest something else? My friends are having such a splendid visit. Helen Is getting well. Oh, I should be sorry to see them go before they want to." "We might take them up Into Uie mountains nnd camp oit for a while," he said, presently. "I know a wild place up among the crags. It's n hard climb, tint worth the work. I never Ritw ii more beautiful spot. Fine wa ter, and It will be cool. Pretty soon It'll be too hot here for your party to go out-of-doors." "You mean to hide me away among the crags nnd clouds?" replied Made line with a laugh. "Well, It'd amount to that. Your friends need not know. Perhaps In a few weeks this spell of trouble on the border will be over till fall." "You say It's a hard climb up to this place?" "It surely Is. Your frlendR will get the real thing If they make that trip," "Thnt suits me. Helen especially wants something to happen. Very well, I nm decided. Stewart, of course ou will take charge? I don't believe I Stewart, Isn't there something more you could tell mc why you think, why .you know my own personal liberty Is In peril?" t, "Yes. Hut do not ask me what It Is. If I hndn't been a rebel soldier I would never have known." "If you hod not been n rebel soldier, where would Madeline Hammond be now?" she asked, earnestly. He made no reply. "Stewart," she continued, with warm Impulse, "you once mentioned a debt you owed hip " And seeing his dark face pale, she wavered, then went on. "It Is paid." "No, no. That never can ho paid." Madeline held out her hand. "It Is paid, 1 tell you." she repented. Suddenly he drew buck from the outstretched white hand that seemed to fascinate him. "I'd kill n man to touch your hand. Hut I won't touch It on the terms you offer." His unexpected passion disconcerted her. "Stewart, no man ever before re fused to shake hands with me, for nny reason. It It Is scarcely flattering," she said, with a little laugh. "Why won't you? Hecuuse you think I olTer It as mistress to fcorvunt rancher to cowboy?" "No." "Then why? The debt you owed me Is paid. I cancel It. So why not shake hands upon It, as men do?", "I wont. Tliut's all." "J fear 70U ara unxraclous. wtuitsver your renson," she replied. "Still, I mny offer It again some tiny. Good night." He said good-night nnd turned. Madeline wonderlngly watched him go down the path with his bund on the black horse's neck. She went InQo rest a little before dressing for dinner and, being fatigued from the day's riding nnd excitement, she fell nsleep. When she awoke It was twilight. She wondered why her Mexican maid had not come to her, and she rnng the bell. The moid did not put In an appearance, nor was thero any answer to th; ring. The house seemed unusunlly quiet. It was n brooding silence, which presently broke to the sound of footsteps on the 'porch. Madeline recognized StlllweH's tread, though It appeared to be light for him. Then she heard him call softly In nt the open door of her of fice. The suggestion of caution In his J voice suited the strangeness of his walk. With a boding sense of trouble she hurried through the rooms. He was standing outside her nfllce 3oor. "Stlllwelll" she exclnlmed. "Please come out on the porch." She compiled and. onco out, was en abled to see him. His grave face, paler than she hnd ever beheld It, caused her to stretch an appealing tinml to ward him. Stlllwell Intercepted It nnd held It In his own. "Miss Majesty, I'm nmuzln' sorry to tell worrisome news. Hut It can't be avoided. The fact Is we're In a bad lis. If your guests ain't scared out of their sktns It'll be owln' to your nerve an' how you carry out Stewart's orders." "You ran rely upon me," replied Madeline, firmly, though she trembled. "Wnl. what we're up against Is this: that gang of bandits Pat Hawe was chasln' they're blilln' in the house!" "In the house?" echoed Madeline, aghast. "Miss Majesty, it's the ninazln' truth, an' shamed Indeed am I to udmlt It. Stewart why, he's wild with rage to think It could hev happened. You see, it couldn't hev happened If I hedu't sloped the boys off to the gol-lof links, an' IV Stewart hedn't rid out 011 the mesa after us. It's my fault. Hut tiow we've got to face It to llgger. Now, listen. When Stewart left you nn hour or so ago he follered me direct to where me an' the boys was tryin' to keep Pat Hawe from teurln' the ranch to pieces. At that we was helpln' Pat all we could to find them bandits. Hut when Stewart got there he made a dif ference. Pat was nasty before, but sct'ln' Stewurt made him wuss. I reckon Uene to Pat Is the same as red to a (ireaser bull. Anyway, when the sheriff set tire to an old adobe hut Stewart called him an' called him hard. Pat Hawe bed six fellers with him, an' from all appearances bauilit-huutln' was some fiesta. There was a row, an' It looked had fer a little. Hut Gene was cool, an' he controlled the boys. Then Pat an' his tough de-pootles went on liuntln'. That huntln', Miss Majesty, petered out Into what was only u farce. House?" Echoed Aghast. Madeline, Pat Hawe wasn't lookln' hard fer any bandits; he wasn't dald set huntln' nnythln', unless It was trouble fer Stewurt. Finally, when Pat's men made fer our storehouse, where we keep ammunition, grub, liquors, an' slch, then Gene called a halt. An' he ordered Pat Hawe off the ranch. It was hyar Hawe an' Stewart locked horns. An' hyar the truth come out. There was a gang of bandits bid some wheres, nn' ut fust Pat Hawe lied been powerful active an' earnest In hi.-, hunt ln'. Hut suddeullke he'd fetchwl a pe cooller chr.nge of heart. He hud been some flustered with Stewart's eyes a pryln' Into his moves, an' then, meblie to hide somethln', mebbe Jest nut'rul. K-Jww mfvw hi got mad. He Hollered law. He pulled down off the shelf his old stock grudge on Stewart, uccusln' blin over again of that Greaser murder lust fall. Stewart made him look like a fool showed him up as belli scared of the bandits or hevln' sonic renson fer slopln' off the trull. Anyway, the row started all right, an it might hev amounted to u light. In the thick of It, when Stewart was drlvln' Pnt an' his crowtl off the place, one of them de-pootles lost his head an' went fer his gun. Nels throwed bis gun an' crip pled the feller's arm. Monty Jumped then un' throwed two forty-fives, an' fer 11 second or so It looked ticklish. Hut the bandit-hunters crawled, nn' then lit out." Stlllwell pnused In the rnpld deliv ery of his narrative; he still retnlned Madeline's hand, us If by thnt he might comfort her. "After Pat left we put our lmlds to gether," began the old cattleman, with a long respiration. "We rounded up a lad who had seen 11 dozen or so fellers he wouldn't say they was Greasers brenkln' through the shrubbery- to the back of the house. That was whllo Stewart was rldlu' out to the mesa. Then this lad seen your servants all runolu' down the bill toward the vil lage. Now, lieah's the wny Gene Ag gers. There sure wns some deviltry down along the railroad, nn Pat Hawe trailed bandits up to the ranch. He hunts hard an' then all to onct he qiflts. Stewart says Tat Hawe wasn't scared, but he discovered signs of somethln', or got wind tu some strange wny that there was In the gnng of bnndltB some fellera he didn't want to ketch. Sabe? Then Gene, qnlcker'n n flash, springs hir. plan on me. He'd go down to Vatlre Marcos an' hev him help to find out all possible from your Mexican servants. I was to hurry up hyar nu tell you give you orders, Miss Majes ty. Ain't thnt umazln' strange? Wnl, you're to nssemble all your guests In the kitchen. Make n grand bluff an' pretend, as your help has left, that It'll be great fun fer your guests to cook dinner. The kitchen Is the snfest room In the house. While you're Joshln' your party along, mnkln' a kind of picnic out of It, I'll place cowboys In the long corridor, an' also outside In the corner where the kitchen Joins on to the main house. It's pretty sure the bandits think no one's wise to where they're hid. Stewart says they're in that end room where the alfalfa is, nn' they'll slope In the night. Of course, with me an' the boys wntchln', you-nll will be safe to go to bed. An' we're to rouse your guests early before daylight, to hit ,the trail up Into the mountains. Tell them to pnek outfits before goln' to bed. Say as your servants hev sloped, you might us well go campln' with the cowboys. That's all. If we hev any luck your frlends'll never know they've been slttln on a powder mine. Now, Miss Majesty, I've used up a lot of time explnlnln'. You'll sure keep your nerve?" "Yes," Madeline replied, nnd was surprised nt herself. "Better tell Florence. She'll be a power of comfort to you. I'm goln' now to fetch up the boys." Instead of returning to her room Madeline went through the olllce Into the long corridor. It was almost ns dark as night. She fancied she saw a slow-gliding figure darker than the sur rounding gloom ; und she entered upon the fulfillment of her part of the plan In something like trepidation. Her footsteps were noiseless. Finding the door to the kitchen, and going in, she struck lights. Upon passing out again she mnde certain she discerned a dark shape, now motionless, crouching along the wnll. Hut she mistrusted her vivid Imagination. It took all her boldness to enable her unconcernedly and natur ally to strike the corridor light. Then she went on through her own rooms and thence Into the patio. Her guests laughingly nnd gladly en tered Into the spirit of tho occasion. They trooped merrily Into the kitchen. Madeline, delaying at the door, took a sharp but unobtrusive glance down the great, barnllke hall. She saw nothing but blank dnrk space. Suddenly from one side, not 11 rod distant, protruded n pale, gleaming face breaking the even blnckness. Instantly It flashed back out of sight. Yet that time wns long enough for Mndellne to see a pair of glittering eyes, and to recognize them, as Don Carlos'. Without betraying either hurry or alarm, she closed the door. It had a heavy bolt which she slowly, noiseless ly shot. Then tho cold amaze that had all but stunned her Into Inaction throbbed Into wrnth. How dared that Mexican steal Into her home! What did he mean? Was he one of the ban dits supposed to be hidden In her house? She wns thinking herself Into greater anger and excitement, and probably would have betrayed herself had not Florence, who had evidently seen her bolt the door and now rwad her thoughts, come toward her with n bright, Intent, questioning look. Made Hue caught herself In time. Thereupon she gave each of her guests a duty to jierform. Leading Florence Into the pantry, she unbur dened herself of the secret In one brief whisper. Florence's reply was to point out of the little open window, passing which was a tile of stealthily moving cowboys. Then Madeline lost both anger and fear, retaining only the glow of excitement. The miscellaneous collection of dishes so confusingly contrived made up a dinner which they all heartily en joyed. Madeline enjoyed It herself, een with the feeling of a sword hang ing suspended over her. The hour was late when she rose from the table and told her guests to go to their rooms, don their tiding, clothes, pack whnt they needed for the long und adventurous camping tup that she hoped would be the clluiux of their western experience, and to snntch a little sleep before the cowboys roused them for the enrly start. Madeline went Immediately to her room, and was getting out her camping apparel when u knock Interrupted her. "Who's there?" she questioned. "Stewart." came the reply. She opened the dom-. He stood on the threshold. "May I sjienlc to you?" ho asked. "Certainly." She hesitated n mo ment, then asked him In and closed the door. "Is Is everything all right?" "No. These bnndlts stick to cover pretty close. They must hnve found out we're on the watch. Hut I'm sure we'll get you nnd your friends uway before anything starts." "Do you have any Idea who Is hid ing In the house?" "I wns worried some at first. Pnt Hnwe acted queer. I Imagined he'd 'discovered he was trailing bandits who might tuni out to be smuggling guer rilla cronies. Hut talking with your servants, finding n bunch of horses bidden tlown In the mesqultc behind the pond several things have changed my mind. My Idea Is that a cowardly handful of riffraff outcusts from the border have hidden in your house, more by accident than design. We'll let fhein go get rid of them without even 11 shot. If I didn't think so well. I'd be considerably worried. It would make a different state of nffalrs." "Stewart, you arc wrong. I saw one of these bandits. I distinctly recog nized him." One long step brought him close to her. "Who was he?" demanded Stewart. "Don Carlos." He muttered I w and deep, then said, "Are you sure?" "Absolutely. I -, his figure twice In the hnll, then bis face In the light. I could never mlMul.e his eyes." Madeline was tiembllngly conscious that Stewart um'-rwent u transforma tion Mjyty. "Stewart, I Forbid You to Fight, Un less In Self-Defense." tion. She saw as well as felt the leap ing passion that changed him. "Call your friends get them In here !" he ordered, tersely, and wheeled toward the door. "Stewart, wait!" she snld. He turned. His white face, his burn ing eyes, his presence now chnrged with definite, fearful meaning, influ enced her strangely, weakened her. "Whnt will you do?" she asked. "That needn't concern you. Get your party In here. Har the windows and lock the doors. You'll be safe." "Stewart I Tell me what you Intend to do." "I won't tell you," he replied, nnd turned awny again. "Hut I will know," she snld. With a hnnd on his nrm she detained him. She saw how he bilted felt the shock In him as she touched him. "Oh, I do know. You mean to tight!" "Well. Miss Hnmninnd, Isn't It about time?" he asked. There wns weari ness, dignity, even reproof In his ques tion. "The fact of that Mexican's pres ence here In your house ought to prove to you the nature of the case. These vuqueros, these guerrillas, have found out you won't stand for any lighting on the part of your men. Don Carlos Is a sneak, a coward, yet he's not afraid to hide In your own house. He has learned you won't let your cow boys hurt anybody. Ho's taking ad vantage of It. He'll rob, burn, and make off with you. He'll murder, too, If It falls his way. These Greasers use knles In the dark. So I ask Isn't It about time we stop him?" "Stewart, I forbid you to fight, un less In self-defense. I forbid you." "What I mean to do Is self-defense. Haven't I tried to explain to you that Just now we've wild times nlong this stretch of border? Must I tell you again that Don Carlos Is hand nnd glove with the revolution? The rebels are crazy to stir up the United States. You ire u woman of prominence. Don Curios would make off with you. If he got you, what little matter to cross the bonier with you I Well, where would the hue and cry go? Through the troops along the border I To New York! To Washington! Why, It would menn what the rebels are work ing for United States Intervention. In other words, war!" "Oh, surely you exaggerate!" she cried. "Maybe so. Hut I'm beginning to see the Don's game. And, Miss Hammond, It's awful for me to think what you'd suffer If Don Carlos got you over the line. I know these lov-custo Mexicans. I've been among the peons the slaves." "Stewurt. don't let Do Oarloa set me, replied Madeline, la sweet direct ncss She snw him shnke, saw his throat swell as he swallowed hard, saw tli hnrd fierceness return to his face. "1 won't. That's why I'm golug after him." "Hut I forbade you to start a tight deliberately." "Then I'll go ahead and start one without your permission." He shook off her hand und strode forwanl. "Please, don't gol" she called, be seechingly. Hut he kept on. "Stew art 1" She ran abend of him, Intercepted him, faced him with her buck ugulnst the door. He swept out n long arm as If to brush her aside. Hut it wavered ami fell. Haggard, troubled, with working face, he stood before her. "It's for your snkf," he expostulated. "Let me out, Miss Hammond. I'm going to take the boys und go ufter these guerrillas." "No!" "Good Heavens 1" exclaimed Stew art. "Why not let me ro? It's the thing to do. I'm sorry to distress you nnd your guests. Why not put an end to Don Carlos' bodgerlnR? Is It be cause you're nfrald n rumpus will spoil jour friends' visit?" "It Isn't not this time." "Then It's the Idea of a little shoot ing nt these Grcnsers?" "No." "You're sick to think of n little Greaser blood staining the halls of ..' i, your noinu; it"? "No," ' ' 3',i",E"ri 'Well, then, why keep me from do Iiir what I know Is best?" "Stewart. I I" she faltered, In growing agitation. "I'm frightened confused. All this Is too too much for me. I'm not a cownrd. If you have to fight you'll see I'm not a cow ard. Hut your way seems so reckless thnt hall Is so dark the guerrillas would shoot from behind doors. You're so wild, so dnrlng, you'd rush right In to peril. Is thnt necessary? I think I menn I don't know Just why I feel so so about you doing It. Hut I be lieve It's because I'm afraid you you might be hurt." "You're afraid T I might be hurtr he echoed, wonderlngly, the hnrd whiteness of his face warming, flush ing, glowing. "Yes." The single word, with all It might mean, with all It might not mean, softened him ns If by magic, made him gentle, ninnzed. shy ns a boy, stifling undpr a torrpnt of emotions. Madeline thought she hnd persunded him worked her will with him. Then nnother of his stnrtlingly sudden moves told her that she had reckoned too quickly. This move wns to put her firmly aside so be dould pass; -nn Madeline, seeing he would not lies' tnte to lift her out of the wny, surren dered the door. He turned on the threshold. Ills face was still working, but the tlnme-jiolnted gleam of his eyes indicated the return of that cowboy ruthlessness. "I'm going to drive Don Carlos nnd his gang out of the house." declared Stewart. "I think I mny promise yon to do It without a fight. Hut If It takes a light, off he goes!" CHAPTER XIV The Mountain Trail. As Stewart departed from one door Florence knocked upon nnother; and Madeline, fur shaken out of her uslinl serenity, admitted the cool western girl with more than gladness. Just to have her near helped Mndellne to get bnck her balance. She wns conscious of Florence's sharp scrutiny, then of a sweet, deliberate change of manner. Florence might hnve boon burnlnc with curiosity to know more about the bandits hidden In the house, the plans of the cowboys, the reason for Made line's suppressed emotion ; but Instend of asking "Mndellne questions she In troduced the Important subect of whnt to take on the cnmplng trip. For nn hour they discussed the need of this and thnt nrtlcle. selected those things most needful, nnd then packed them In Madeline's duffle-bngs. That done, they decided to He down, fully dressed ns they were In riding costume, and sleep, or at least rest, the little remaining time left before the cnll to saddle. Madeline turned out the light and, peeping through her window, saw dark forms stnndlng sen tlneMIke In the gloom. When she lny down she henrd soft steps on the path. This fidelity to her swelled her hpart, while the need of It presaged thnt fearful something which, since S'ew art's passionate appeal to her, haunt ed her as Inevitable. Madeline did not expect to sleep, yet she did sleep, nnd It seemed to have been only 11 moment until Flor ence called her. She followed Florence outside. She could discern saddled horses being held by cowboys. There was an air of hurry and mystery about the departure. Helen, who enme tip toeing out with Madeline's other guests, whispered that It was like an escape. She was delighted. Tho others were amused. To Madeline It was in deed an escape. She henrd low voices, the champing of bits ami thumping of hoofs, and sm recognised Stewart when he led up Majesty for her to mount. Then came a pntterlng of soft feet and the whining of dogs. Cold noses touched her hands, nnd she saw the long, gray, shaggy shapes of her pack of Russian wolf-hounds. That Stewart meant to let them go with her was Indicative of how he studied her pleasure. She loved to he out with the hounds and her horse. (TO PR CONTINUED.) Signs of Wisdom. These are the signs of 11 wise man: to reprovo nobody, to praise nobody; to blame nobody, nor even to speak of himself or his own merltx Ealctttna. nrr, WRIGLEYS and give your stomach a lift Provides "ttie bit of weet" In 6nric'al ferai. Helps te cleanse Ike teeth and keep them healthy. 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