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(Copyright, 1902.)
CHAPTER I.
THE OREGON "DESERT."
From the north boundary line to
-tie south boundary line of the state,
there lies in Eastern Oregon a strip
.of territory about 400 miles long and
.ibout 200 miles wide, which was
.once known as the Great Oregon Des
ert, and through which ran the old
Oregon trail.
This desert, unlike most deserts,
tontains many oases. There are run
ning streams of pure water, and nu
merous springs boil from the sided of
the mountains and rise even from des
ert sands; and wherever this water
touched the fertile soil, beautiful mead
ows of native grass greeted the eye
.of the occasional adventurer.
But these seemed few and far be
tween In early days; and for lack of
knowledge of their location .many a
weary traveler lost his way between
them, and his bleached bones for
many years afterward marked the
last place where he laid himself down
to rest.
Even In these days when much
of the ground, accessible to water, is
occupied by the pioneer homesteader,
one may travel a hundred miles or
more without encountering a single
human habitation, or living thing.
The Oregon desert Is practically a
succession or mountain plateaus, it
Is at a high altitude at every point
To reach it from most any direction
one must climb a great mountain
range, and meander at intervals
among snow-capped peakB and through
rock-bound canyons and gulches; and
tn cross it, one must traverse wide
itretches of barren plains that never
taste of water, except from the melt
ing snows of winter, and must also
encounter lava beds and walls of rock
seemingly Insurmountable. These
plains remind one of a huge extinct
volcanic crater, although they cover
thousands of acres in area, and it
takes davs of travel to cross many of
Uiem. They vary In size, however,
from small plateaus of a few acres to
the Illimitable outstretched plains. But
they all bear the same characteristics.
The traveler, whether passing through
a small basin or a great plateau, is
(truck with same Impression. A wall
surrounds each of these ba-
llns or plateauB and seua-
rates one from another. These
walls consist of rocks piled upon one
Mother with masonic care, the Joints
being broken as perfectly and smooth
ly as If done by skilled human hands,
and they rise perpendicularly from ten
to two thousand feet into th air, and
to make them the more difficult of
ascent, a thick layer of flat rocks lie
lon,s the top of the wall extending
out on either side into wide eaves and
sheltering them like the rim of a hat,
or the eaves of a flat roof, and these
are called the rlmrocks.
While they appear to be a succes
lon of plateaus, Independent of one
another, and In nowise connected
whereby one might scale the walls
which separate them, yet, with sel
dom an exception, nature has come
to the rescue, and by the same pro
cess through which the great upheav
es were caused and these mountains
of lava rocks and plnins of volcanic
ashes were formed, serpentine-
sheped canyons and gulches had rent
t!.e walls, and through these the trav
eler may find his way from one basin
to another.
The smaller plains were the scenes
of many conflicts, and were often
places of great slaughter in early
days. Bands of deer and antelope
often wandered into them, and the
watchful Indians came upon them,
nd guarding the onlv places of out
let, would charge down upon the en
wged animals and slaughter a whole
bond. And these animnls were not
the only victims to Indian cunning
and bloodthlrstlness. Many an im
migrant train whose .members had
become exhausted and careless from
ant of proper food and water, to-
tcther with the care of their janen
n!mals. reduced to mere skeletons
trom plodding through the burning
ands and drawing heavy loads over
the flinty rocks, without feed or
Tater, while passing through these
canyons and beneath the rlmrocks,
came under a shower of poisoned ar
rows that left death along the trail.
The heaps of rocks in the gulches
and canyons, and tlu little mounds
scattered over the plains, are yet in
dexes to many of these sad stories.
Captain Jack had his territory, and
Md some principle, although he died
w the gallows, but the marauding
chiefs, Egan and Paulina, knew no
Bounds of territory and knew no
limit for crime and bloodshed. The
Peaks, buttes, streams and canyons
t'H bear their name? from one end
t the desert to the other, and there
i no landmark thattjiides the trav
eler through the plains Mint does not
recall some memory of the terrible
rlmes of these two chiefs and their
bloodthirsty warriors, and many of
ttose were committed even after the
rrlval of the bold and determined
General Crook.
But In early days wherever there
i8 water and natural meadows, ani
mals of all kinds flocked. Horses and
jattle were plentiful, nnd wild game.
"ira the monarch grizzly to the com
mon Jackrabbit, Including elk, deer,
fntelope, mountain sheep, mountain
Hons, cougar, coyote, wildcat and
Jiarten roamed at will, and were sel
dom ever disturbed by the hand of
""an. The flesh of the game animals
the tenderest and best, while
the furs produced in this section
ere considered the best In the mar
ket was the paradise of the hunter
tad trapper.
CHAPTER II.
THE LORD OP THE DESERT.
In the center of one of these
Plateaus containing hundreds or
thousands of acres of land, is a low
found mountain. From the distance
It looks like a mountain peak, and is
E& I A tell Yj
oase to its summit it Is only abm.t
cuerea with runty evergreen of thp
aTnukSVu"1 fr0W -hi themoun6
Inrt Si? ". while e summit
i;. Q nortn 811(1 et sides
nn rren and huee boulders lie
Piled upon one another and dpen can
yons cut their way dewn its sid?s
n the canyons on the south side
numerous springs boil forth and send
5 tneWnLT8 dK8S,h!ng 0Ver
which n"8 bel0W' the mol8t
of th.P meadow at the ft
of the mountain of several hundred
? Te of Urbed lre at-
w2L . ,un,pSp pot,,s' protert8 thls
meadow from the stock for which it
is not Intended.
At the font of the mountain, anc
surrounded by tall clusters of Junl-
inn"; '.".S Iar? """i'e-story hose.
tullt of the rocks that from time to
time have rolled down the mountain.
To the east are stables, corrals, hay
racks, watering troughs, and all the
appurtenances of an old-time western
ir.nch To the west Is a garden spot
Irrigated from pipes that run from a
reservoir fed by spriigs higher up
the hill, and In the rear is a nnn.
orchard where every indication points
to the fact that the trees are being
nurtured and cultivated for experi
mental purposes. In front of the great
oiumj uuuuing oeautirtu walks are laid
out, along which shrubbery, roses and
flowers of many varieties grow, with
a beautiful green lawn for a back
ground. Fountains play in the sun
light through the heat of the day,
and the Ice-cold spring water is thus
tempered for the tender roots of the
young vegetation.
The grounds about the house, In
cluding orchard, garden, stables and
cowsheds, are Inclosed with a rock
wall several feet high, with loopholes
here and there in the wall, which
show that the place was constructed
with a view of being able to defend
Itself In case an attack was made
from the outside.
But it is the interior of the house
BO
.
He sat in a high-bached home-made
chair.
i
that the reader should see. In th
front room there are easy chairs,
lounges, tables, books and writing
materials. On the v. alls there are
pictures. To stop hure one would
imagine himself in a cultivated home
In a thickly settled country, but in
glancing further one sees reminders
of the fact that one is in reality In
a frontier place of abode. By the side
of the outer doors stand the latest
manufacture of rifles, and guns of
all makes hang In the racks over the
doors and about the walls. Large
revolvers swing from points here and
there like ornaments, while numerous
varieties of this deadly weapon adorn
the tables in the room.
In the main bedroom this same
p.bundance of firearms exist, and in
this room, as in the front room, a
large table stands in cne corner and
upon It is fastened all of the latest
Improved apparatus for loading and
reload ne cartridge sneus, ana an
nlmndant supply of ammunition is at
hand to withstand nn ordinary siege.
The other rooms of the winning are
only ordinary bedrooms, showing the
luck of care and attention usually
found in batchelor's quarters, while
tfce dining-room and kitchen are large
and spacious, and a large supply of
provisions are stored away to keep
a large number for an Indefinite pe
riod. The front bedroom, like the
kitchen and dining-room, is kept in
perfect order. These and the front
room are frequently visited and occu
pied by the owner, and they must be
kept Intact, or the derelict may suf
fer more than a storm of words. But
the other rooms of the house present
a different aspect; the beds are un
made, and men's wearing apparel are
scattered about the floor; broken
matches, half consumed candles, and.
In fact a general miscellany of un
important things make up the debris
of the rooms. But there is a deserted
appearance about the place Save a
slight noise from the cooking apart
ments, occasioned by the work of a
stout round-faced Englishman, who
might be taken for almost any age,
and who does the work of chef, cook
dishwasher, housekeeper and man-of-all-work.
in performing &18 utine
labors, no other sound is hear d.
But there are two ccuPnt8.L"J!
nlare at this time. In the front room
a man sits in a peculiarly-constructed
chair in deep meditation. An anxious
look occupies his countenance and
now and then a cloud seems to ob
scure his whole face. It lights up
with a beam of pleasure for a moment
bb If the way looked clear to the
thinker then the clouds again, fol
ded by gleams of light and grimaces
caused by a tortured conscience The
X up! which he sits is a home
made affair. It has huge posts and a
high back with long, awkwardlyon
atructed rockers that give it the ap
pearance of having been made for a
pearnu extend up
almost even with the arm-pits. and
aim irtn arms so broad that
8:iPPnV like ?alles. In the left
the,A , L man occupying the chair
hanBook b"t the thumb only marks
Is a book, Dl lne n n rpa,, Bn(1
the place to e e on thft tab1e-
fM'-,?.arin of tte chaIr. sits a goo
let half-filled with old Scotch whiskey,
the right hand clasping it gently. Al
though the glass is conveved to his
lips occasionally it is never permitted
to become empty, a demijohn within
easy reach being drawn upon at in
tervals when the fluid runs low in the
glass
i. !hel cJlalr does not only look as if
II had been made for a giant, but a
modern giant does occupv it Six
iPPt threp rKi i
hk j iuuihk, large
; limbs and spare hands, the man shows
wonderful strenrth. though his con
stitution has been battling with
I Scotch whisky and a remorseful eon-
nL.e ,re ror many years. A broad
mouth, long nose, deep set eyes, large
ears and high cheek bones show as
Plainly as does his brogue that he is
a Scotchman. Like bR servant of the
k.tchen, he might also be taken for al
most any age. His smooth-shaven face,
reddish complexion and close clipped
hair, give the casual observer the im
pression thnt he is not more than
forty, but the wrinkles in his face
and neck, the Inevitable markers of
time, and the solid grey that inter
mingles the light red hair, tell the
close observer that he is at lesst
sixtv. If not more.
"Will she make It here without a
mlsshap." he muttered, with an anx
ious look upon his face, and then in
almost Inaudible tones. "What will be
the result if she reaches this place
in Bafety? But she will never do it!"
and he took a quaff from th goblet
to relieve th terrors of his soul,
which were depicted In his face.
CHAPTER III.
"And how did you leave dear un
cle?" inquired a young woman In a
oice of innocence.
"Oh, In the very best of spirits," re
plied a rugged frontiersman, covered
with the dust of the plains.
"And how long shall it be before
we reach his place?" inquired the
same female voice.
"Within about two days that is if
nothlnp; happens to prevent it," re
plied the man.
"But nothing can happen to prevent
It. except an extraordinary event, can
It?" Inquired the girl assurlngly, and
continuing as If to remove all doubt,
"you look fresh, your men are all
freBh and your horses look as if they
were anxious to start on the return
Journey."
"That is all true, Madam, but in this
country we never count on anything
until it's accomplished, and the 'ex
traordinary' is likely to happen any
time."
"Oh. then are we to pass through a
dangerous section?" Inquired the
maiden with some alarm.
"No, not particularly, but when the
Snakes are skulking among the rocks
they are likely to strike at any time,"
replied the frontiersman.
"What kind of snakes are they." in
quired the young woman . "I have
read of your American snakes," she
continued, "and know that there must
he very many varieties, and that they
must be dangerous but never read of
them biting people on horseback."
"But these Snakes bite at any time
ond at any place," replied the man
T.-ith a smile. "They prefer the dark
however, and more often strike from
ambimh. To be plain with you, Mad
nm, and you must be a nervy girl to
have crossed the ocean and come this
far alone, the Snakes I speak of are
Indians, belonging to the tribe of
Pintes called Snakes for the very rea
son that they strike from ambush."
"Then are we in Imminent peril7"
Inquired the girl with self-possession.
"No. no, not that. Miss, we mtcht
make this trip a dozen times without
being molested, but the Snnkes are on
the warpath now, and while cattle
stealing and horse stealing is their
principle object, they are not averse
to bigger prey, esoecially when the
odds are In their favor. They go in
small bands, though, and our boys are
capable of holding their own with
most of them. As it is getting late
and we wish an early start in the
morning, I would advise you to retire
nnd get a good rest, for a couple of
hundred miles on the back of a cayuse
will prove a task for a tender young
hidy like you." and as the young wo
man walked away to her tent, Dan
Follett muttered to himself: "A
nretty fair flower to be plucked by the
Flutes!"
(To be Continued.)
Egyptian Girls at Play.
In her "Kecollectlous of an Egyptian
Prlucess" the author describes a little
game at rouipo in the garden of the
palace which discloses a very close
touch of nature. The princess was
seated near a little lake, which had
beeu constructed in a serpentine shape,
winding about under rustic bridges.
Bhe was laughingly scolding one of
her attendants, when the girl broke
away, crying out, "My mistress is an
gry with me! I'll drown myself!" and
rushed Into the water.
The princess culled out, "Oh. stop
her! Stop her!' and three or four fol
lowed Immediately. But the first knew
well enough that the water was not
more three three feet deep, so she bad
done it for a joke, and she turned
round and threw water In the faces of
ber pursuers.
The princess had seen the Joke di
rectly after the cry bad escaped ber,
and now Joined heartily in the fun,
and urged others to help hi the cap
ture. The general harem dress when
warm weather set In was white Indian
grass-cloth, mo-e or less flue, made
loose, and confined at the waist by a
colored sash, a ribbon to match being
usually worn round the throat, and to
tie back the hair.
The dress could not be hurt by th
Immersion, but the ribbons might b
spoiled. Some were seen to cast a
glance on their pretty ties, which was
a signal to those who saw the look to
rush upon them at once and push them
in. ,
There was nothing bat screaming
and laughing. Beveral disporting them
selves the water, others pursued all
over the garden, met at the cross
paths, turning and doubling on their
pursuers. The princess clapped her
bands with delight and laughed unre
strainedly, and the girls themselves
were luiLueiiu.il pleased with the joke.
CfDLSE) IF
r
I ----- TT
CHAPTER III Continued.
Bertha Lyle had come all the way
from Scotland to look after an estate
ciipposed to have been left her by
Ler father. He and a brother hail
come to America eighteen years be
fore, when she was a mere child. At
tbe age of two years she had lost her
mother, and her father bad placed her
In school and come to America to
drown bis troubles and make his for
tune. Before he had been here ten
years the report came that he had
been killed by Indians. This was
shortly after the report that he and
his brother had Inherited an immense
fortune from a brother in New York,
and while neither Bertha nor her
friends could ever get any information
concerning what became of this for
tune, her uncle in America had sup
plied her with plenty of funds to
complete her education and meet all
her wants. He wrote her that they
had invested their inheritances to
gether in American property and that
the speculation had proved a failure,
and that while her father had left as
sets above his liabilities there was
nothing to speak of coming to her.
Out of pure benevolence, however, he.
the uncle would see that his niece
should not suffer for the necessaries
of life.
Economizing the funds he had sent
her from time to time until her sav
ings amounted to considerable she
started for America, not informing
her uncle of her coming until she
reached New York City, from which
place she wrote him of the probable
elate that she would reach Boise City
Army Post.
Reaching the latter place she grew
Impatient waiting the arrival of an es
cort from ber uncle and started with
Bertha.
a pack train for the Interior. On the
night in which the conversion at the
beginning of this chapter opened, the
pack train had reached a point on
Snake river on the Old Oregon Trail
near the Oregon and Idaho line. For
tunately, on the same night, the es
cort consisting of cowboys, sent out
ruder the leadership of an expert
frontiersman, met her at this place.
Both .parties had camped in a small
valley near the river, surrounded by
mountains, covered with rocks and
boulders. The pack train consisted
of thirty mules and two wagons, while
the escort consisted of ten men, be
sides its leader and a dozen horses.
one of which was used exclusively for
a pack horse, and another was brought
along for Bertha to ride.
Tired and worn out by the hard
ships of the trail, the packers had
hobbled out their mules, prepared
their meal, and gone to bed early. The
members of the escort, while not so
fatigued, had prepared for retiring
early also, partly to keep from dis
turbing their neighbors and partly to
be refreshed for the following day's
Journey, for from this point the pack
train would continue to the west and
Eertha and her escort would take a
course over the trallless plains and
mountains to the south.
After she had retired to a bed of
straw, this girl from a comfortable
home in Scotland had plenty to think
about before she fell asleep. This
barren plains and mountains over
which she nad passed during the past
few days, and the trackless desert be
fore her looked gloomy enough,
but the probable attack from
Indians and a long trip through a bar
ren country to her destination were
calculated to increase her anxiety,
while the reference of the leader of
the escort to the danger from Indians
nnd the same tribe who, it was al
leged, had murdered ber father thick
ened the mantle of gloom that hung
about her, and besides, she did not
ike the appearance of the man under
whose charge she had fallen. Wo-n-an's
intuition had properly aroused
her suspicions on this point.
How long she had been asleep she
did not know when awakened by the
fiercest yells that had ever pierced
her ears, and these Intermingled with
the discharging of firearms and a din
of oaths and shouts as if a thousand
demons were engaged In war. And
it was a war. and the men fought like
demons! Tbe packers and cowboys,
though outnumbered five to one. stood
their ground until the struggle be
came a hand to hand one, and not un
til she had been snatched from her
bed and dragged a short distance and
bound on tbe back of a horse, and was
being rushed out through a deep can
yen in the mountains, surrounded by
a band of Indian warriors, each seem
ingly claiming her as his prize, did
she fully realize that her people had
lost and that the red skins had won.
It was fortunate for Bertha that she
did not remove her clothing upon re
tiring that night, and that she placed
her shoes on her feet upon being first
awakened, for the chill night air of
that altitude even penetrated these.
CAPTER IV.
The Chase.
The following morting showed ths
effects of the Indian raid. Two of trie
packers lay dead upon the ground,
their scalps taken, while one of the
escort had been killed, and three mor
tally wounded. Not a horse or mule
remained In the vicinity. These, an
Important object of the attack, had
been driven away and treasured more
highly even, than the fair captive,
whom they had taken, for stook of
all kinds was scarce with them. They
had been forced Into the rlmrocks and
lava beds by the United States sol
diers, and the scanty vegetation there
had caused their animals to disappear
almost as rapidly as the pangs of hun
ger, which prompted the decaying
race in butchering and eating them.
While viewing the band of fat mules
and horses from the crevices of the
rlmrocks th previous evening, the
eagle eyes of old Egan. the chief, saw
Bertha Lyle in the camp and she was
indeed a rare picture In this section
of country, and especially so after the
proposition that had come from
the lips of Martin Lyle, the
Lord of The Desert. As It were,
it was the killing of two birds
with one stone with the chief. It was
the obtaining of animals for his hun
gry and hard beset tribe and obtain
ing a prize of far more personal value,
which meant more wealth for his tribe
and a white squaw for his wigwam.
After the surprise of the attack of
the previous night the men rallied to
defend the camp. But it was too late,
the work was done. While the main
body of the red men had charged on
the camp, detachments of the party
had not been Idle. They corralled the
horses and had them on the road,
ready to Join the main band with their
captive. They disappeared as silently
as they came and the handful of
whites that still survived knew that It
was useless to follow them In the dark,
besides, they did not know but thnt a
mlskin lurkel behind every boulder
on the mountain sides.
They had spent the remainder of
the night in ministering to the wound
ed, and preparing the dead for burial.
They were in a predicament Indeed.
They hsd neither horses to pursue the
marauding band of Indians, or to con
tinue their Journey. While some of
the members of the party aroused
at the fate of the white girl,
were willing and anxious to pur
Bue the Indians on foot, all
saw the futility of such an attempt,
and the leader of the escort showed
no concern about her capture and no
Inclination to follow her captors, but
rather cursed the fate of being left
afoot. The morning was consumed In
burying the dead and the afternoon In
reconnoltering. The trail of the In
dians was discovered, which showed
that they had gone in a southerly di
rection, a course that led to the east
of the stone house, on Mount Juniper.
Fortunately, that night another pack
train arrived from the west. It had
a few surplus horses, and as these
men of pioneer days were always will
ing to lend a helping hand to the dis
tressed, they supplied the stranded
party with a few horses. The strand
ed packers returned with this train
to Fort Boise, while four members of
the escort with the daring equal to
those times, and against the admoni
tion of their leader, entered Into a
solemn oath that they would follow
the Indians and would never return
until they had recaptured Bertha Lyle
and placed her In the Btone house with
her uncle. Early the following morn
ing, armed and provisioned and
mounted these four started out on
the trail of the bandit Indians. Tbe
packers moved on, taking the wound
ed cowboys with them, all of whom
died and were burled at Boise
City. Dan Follett and the others
started for the Stone House.
The four cowboys who went In pur
suit of the Indians were familiar with
that part of the desert, and being on
ctest of the mountbta overlooking tk
plain in which the Indians had cma
ed they turned down a gulch, and con
tinued, cautiously, traveling la a di
rection parallel to that taken by the
Indians.
As already described, travel among;
the rlmrocks is difficult. Opening In
the wall are few. and stiwalls lead
off In many directions. The traveler
must needs go a ilgiag course and fre
quently travel many miles out of hi
course to reach a given point, so that
when night came the little pursuing
party had lost sight of the objects of
Its pursuit, and the succession of walla
of rlmrocks and level plains lay alike
In every direction.
There was but one hope and that
was when it grew darker to abandon
their horses and climb to the top of
the highest rlmrocks and try to dis
cover the campflres of the marauders.
Selecting a spot near where a seep of
stagnant water flowed from the rocks,
with which thev were compelled ' to
quench their thirst, they pitched a
temporary camp and waited.
A the night grew darker the Ptara
grew brighter and the wild howla of
the coyote rang In the distance,
interspersed now and then with the
weird cry of the hungry mountain
lion.
Old Eagan saw Bertha iu camp.
Comparatively fresh horses made bet
ter time than the Indians, so that by
night they came to where the rod
men had stopped to prepare their din
ner the same day. Each camping
place of the Indians was marked by
the carcass of a mule, for hungry as
mey were, ana their party was o
large that It required a full grown an
imal for every meal. Arising bright
and early the following morning they
soon reached the camp of tbe Indians
of tbe previous night and came upon
the Indians at noon. The latter were
conscious of their power and boldly
ate their dinner in full view of the
whites, and took their time about
moving on, shouting out words of de
fiance as they went.
The brave four were rewarded by see
ing Bertha from the rlmrocks, still well
and unharmed, but It was with a shud
der that they beheld the attention that
she received from tbe leader of tbe
band.
The Indians numbered about forty
warriors and were a set of as ugly
and vicious looking fellows as ever
won the unenviable name of their
tril. The whites could do nothing but
follow at a distance with the hope
that something might transpire by
which they would be enabled to re
lieve the young woman from her di
lemma. But now that they were dis
covered by the Indians their prospects
seemed far less flattering than when
they first started out.
Strategem was their only hope. To
make tbe Indians believe that they
had abandoned the chase and, thus
throwing them off their guard, ap
proach the camp by stealth at night
and rescue the woman was the plan
they formed.
So In full view of the Indian thev
saluted them as If bidding them good
bye, and turned and rode away as if
they bad abandoned the chase.
But as soon as they were falrlv
bidden behind the rlmrocks at the
CHAPTER V.
Two Villains.
It is the fourth night after tbe In
dians attacked the puck traln. At the
Stone House the Ixml of The Desert
sits at his accustomed place, sipping
from a goblet of old Scotch whiskey.
Of late years he bus done but little
besides drink from the flowing bowL
One day he deadens all sense of feel
ing, to rise the following with a keen
er appetite and a conscience more
stinging. On this night his eyelids
are heavier than usual, his eyea look
more glassy and the grimaces are
deeper in his face.
No wonder. If Dan Follett. the
Canadian Frenchman, has followed his
Instructions and old Egan, the Indian
chief, has kept his eyes open and
been prompt In action, another crime
has been added to his life. He stare
into the vacant darkness and this, to
still and gloomy on the desert, re
minds him of a distant rave tn tbe
rlmrocks, and the picture there causM
a shudder to come over the great frame
of Martin Lyle, the Lord of Th
Desert.
The welcome hark of the dog, an
nounces the arrival of one who la not
a stranger. In his eagerness, the Lord
of The Desert rises and paces the
floor, now and then stopping at the
arm chair and taking a sip. from the
goblet. Presently a lank form enter
the door. His dark heavy eyebrows,
and the natural scowl upon his fare,
his careless ambling walk, depict the
character of the man at a glance. But
nothing ever tells the Inmost thought
or Dan Follett. Whether after victory
or defeat, or during anger or In a hap
py mood, the oily blnck eyes of this
man never change. It Is only when
he speaks or acts that bis mood Is
known.
Upon entering the house, and after
greeting its Lord, he soon unburdens
himself.
"I saw from the smoke above the
distant rlmrocks the evening before
said Follett, "that old Egan was ready
for action, but In spite of my efforts
the clash came In a way thBt several
lives of our men were lost. I tried to
have the surprise so complete that the
girl and animnls should be taken away
without the loss of a life, but our boys
were on their feet Instantly and fought
bravely, and It was certainly a mir
acle that any of them escaped after
they engaged such odds." Then h
detailed the circumstances of tbe fight
as the reader knows them.
"Do you think there I ajv chanes
of those four dare-devils rett'ulnf the
girl?" inquired Lyle.
"None In the world." replied the
Frenchman. "They will either lose
their II ves by their foolhardlness or
come In In a few days starved out, as
I saw to the fact myself that they tools,
but few provisions with them."
"How did the girl take her eaptlew
Ity?" Inquired the Lord of The Desert.
"I only saw her for a moment by
a flash o the rampflre after she was
secured, and she wore a bold look of
firmness and defiance, as If she feared
not even the devils Into whose hands
she had fallen."
"She's a Lyle!" muttered the Lord
of The Desert.
"This Is a costly affair, Martin,' In
sinuated Follett.
"Yea, I know." renlled the man of
wealth, "but old Egan wanted ani
mals for his men and would not do
the other work, you know, without ths
horses as he said bis men would not
be sntlsfled with taking the airl
alone."
"The twentvflve head which I am
to deliver at Gray Butte and the for
ty head they got the other night."
said Follett, "are a pretty heavy tas,
besides the men we have lost. Better
If you had let the girl come on and
made away with ber as I did with ber
father."
"That would never have done." re
plied Lyle. "The notoriety of ber vis
it here would have led to en Investiga
tion, hut now that the Indian have
done the work It Is a natural turn of
affairs tn this country and the Ameri
can's 'Uncle Sam.' will reward
Egan and his warriors by rtvtna;
them a reservation and feelna;
nd educating them. The Ena
llsh would reward the whole rang
by hanging them. But enough of this.
Tomorrow arrange to deliver ths
twenty-five cayuses to the old brnte,
but before you do it require positive
proof that he's performed Ms part of
the contract, be has to kill ber. you
know!"
"And the deed to the Snrlns (h-eeH
Valley," replied Follett. "don't forret
that. While Feon must be rewarded
for his damnable deeds. I must be paid
for my bloody ones!" and he eave the
T.ord of The Desert a piercing look
that made that man of nerve shrink
like a coward.
At this time Follett's companions
rame tn from attending to te homes
and the three repaired to the dining
room, while the owner of the Stone
House sat down and drank and
thought, and drank and thought
(To be ConllnuedJ