SEMI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE
THE EDD OF THE CODTE5T
Lord 5trar)eiqb Menkes a Gift and
Takes His Leave
By Robert Barr
Illustrations by J.T).Marcbat7d
They stopped their horses and mide the transfer of money where the stood
SYNOPSIS Lord Stranleigh. in quest of health and recreation,
journeys to the Armstrong ranch in Wyoming. Approaching
he ranch, he is shot by one of the ranch men, who suspects
him of having designs on a silver mine being developed on the
property. His wound is dressed by the charming and capable
daughter of the house, whose father is absent trying to raise money
to save his property from a rapacious lawyer, Ricketts. Stranleigh
joins forces with Miss Armstrong against the lawyer, but his
motives are misconstrued by the ranch men, who secretly take him
prisoner. He escapes, holds the men at bay, and rejoins the
astonished girl at the ranch house.
THOUGHT you lind gone to New
York," slio said.
"I merely traveled to the station
cast of Bleachers."
"You've not been stopping at that
lt T A . T-l 1
- wreicnen mvern in meacners ever
mmrzrz. i gineo?"
"Oh no, no. I received a pressing invitation from
friends, with n prospect of some shooting, so I've
been staying with them."
"I hope you have had a pleasant time."
"Yes; I heard more entertaining stories than ever
I listened to in n similar period."
"Good shootingj"
"Well; limited in quantity, but of fine quality.
Indeed, I may boast a record: I hit everything
I aimed at. Camp faro, however, left much to be
desired, so you may imagine
how glad I am to return."
"I shall be pleased to offer
you something better. How
would broiled trout, caught
this morning, suit you?"
"Excellent!" cried Stran
leigh. "Who caught the
trout?"
"I did. T must have had a
premonition that you would
return, famished for trout,
and I had quite an adventure,
or rather, plunged into a mys
tery which I havo not yet
solved. I heard the sound of
firing; first a single shot, then
a fusillade. I could not tell
from whence the sound came.
I hurried home with my bas
ket, but there was no one in
sight. After a time Jim enmo
in, very crestfallen, it seemed
to me, his ear tied up clumsily
in a handkerchief. He had
been shot through the car. I
nsked him how the accident
happened, hut Jim tells the
truth only when it suits his
convenience."
"Mnny of us are like that,"
said Stranleigh.
"Well, this time it didn't
suit his convenience."
"What did he say?"
rT'lIAT the boys were hav-
ing a shooting match. I
told him I had heard the firing.
He said it was the first shot
that 'did for hm.' They had
some bet on, ho said, ns to who
could fire quickest at a Hying
mark. In his hurry to get
ready he had mishandled his
gun, and sent a bullet through
his ear. The others had then
fired almost simultaneously."
"I fear you are too skep-
Why shouldn't that be a truo
tical, Miss Armstrong.
story?"
"You underrate my intelligence, Mr. Stranleigh,"
said the girl, banteringly. "The wound in Jim's
ear was not caused by any gun ho held. His ear
would havo been blackened with gunpowder, and in
all likelihood would havo been partly torn away.
Then, too, a mishandled gun would have fired up
wards. The bullet that wounded Jim was fired from
a distance, by some one higher up. The wound was
clean cut, slightly inclining downwards, while Jim's
bullet, coming from an old-fashioned rifle, would
havo made a bigger hole."
"By Jove! Miss Armstrong, you have worked it
out logically and cleverly. Did you note anything
else?"
"Yes; the handkerchief in which ho had bound his
ear was of a finer cambric than we havo hereabouts,
and tho corner was embroidered with a very deli
cately worked crest."
"A crest?" echoed Stranleigh, rather taken aback.
"I asked Jim where he had got the handkerchief.
Ho seemed confused, and said he had always had it.
Bought it at a five-cent store in Denver."
"You think it cost more than five cents?"
"It cost more than twenty-five' cents."
"Perhaps he stole it?"
"Jim might shoot a man, but he'd never steal."
"When you discover tho owner of tho handker
chief, you will havo solved tho mystery," remarked
Stranleigh, calmly.
"I think so, too," said tho girl. "Now I'm going
to cook your trout."
Tho three following days wcro nmong tho most
cnjoyablo Stranleigh had ever spout. He asked Miss
Armstrong to show him that part of tho river where
she had caught the trout. Heretofore, sho had tiscd
a baited hook when fishing, landing her spoil with
a stout pole; now, she was to bo initiated in tho
delicate mysteries of fly fishing. Stranleigh remem
bered the story told of an English ofilcial sent to
view the' debatable land adjoining tho far western
boundary of Canada, who reported tho territory
useless, because the fish wouldn't riso to tho fly. lie
wondered what luro tho ofilcial used, for hero they
rose readily enough, and fought like demons until
Miss Armstrong doftly lifted them from tho water
in Stranleigh's landing net, tho liko of which sho
had never seen before.
BUT in spito of tho excellent sport ho was enjoy
ing, Stranleigh became moro and more anxious
as time went on. Nothing had been heard from
Stanley Armstrong. His lordship began to fear that
the detective had failed in his search. On the morn
ing of the fourth day ho donned an ordinary tweed
suit, and put in his pocket an automatic revolver
of tho latest construction light, nceurnto and
deadly.
The day of tho auction was drawing uncomfort
ably near. Ho was determined that his journey
should not be interrupted, as his former ride had
been. Asido from this, ho expected to cany with
him a large amount of money, and if word of that
got abroad a hold-up was within tho rango of pos
sibility. The coterie confined in tho bunk house
would doubtless learn that they wcro their own
jailors, and with the gang onco free upon tho land
scape, he anticipated interruption which, if success
ful, would completely upset his plans.
"Do you mean to fish today?" asked Miss Arm
strong, when ho came in to breakfast. Ho had
appeared unexpectedly early that morning.
"To fish?" echoed Stranleigh, "Yes, in a manner
of speaking. Isn't there a text which speaks about
being fishers of men? I'm going fishing for your
father. We should have had him hero before this,
but now tho need of him becomes imperative. I
thinlc a telegram must awnit mo in Bleachers. If
not, I shall communicate again with New York and
wait for a reply."
Stranleigh walked up tho hill to the bunk house,
and rapped at tho door with tho butt of his riding
whip. Dean himself threw open tho door, nnd ho
could not conceal his nstonishmcnt at seeing tho
young man standing there, apparently unarmed.
"Good morning, .Tim," said Stranleigh, cordially.
"I want a few minutes' conversation with you and
your comrades before I leave for Bleachers."
"They're all in their bunks yet, except myself;
but I guess they're wido enough nwako to hear what
you say. Won't you como inside?"
"Thank you," said Stranleigh, stopping across the
threshold; then, to tho "bunkers": "Tho top of tho
morning to you! Has wisdom come to you since I
left you? Do you still intend to 'shoot up' Bleach
ers on auction day?"
"You bet!" said Dean.
Stranleigh seated him1"-'? in tho chair ho had oc
cupied when a prisoner.
"How did you proposo to get out?"
"By tho samo way you did," responded Dean, with
determination.
"An inconvenient exit!" said Stranleigh. "I
speak from my own sooty experience. Why not