HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1927.
PAGE THREE
What's Gone Before.
Frank Recson, from Albany, New York
reaches Denton, Wyomintr, then -1868
wetiiei-n terminus of the i'acinc Railroad.
He had been ordered by physicians to Beek
a climate "high and dry, He is robbed of
moat of his money in his hotel and Imes his
lant twenty dollars at monte in "The Big
lent, a dance hall and gambling resort in
the "roaring" town of Ltenton.
Edna Montoyo, companion of a gambler,
is believed by Frank to have cajoled him
purposely into the game. Broke, disconso
late over his discovery that "the lady of the
blue eyes," as he calls her, is what she is,
and finally humiliated over his glaring
"greennesB," Frank repulses Edna when
she begs him to go away with her, sobbing
ly telling him that she had made a mistake
In letting him lose his money. He goes to
take a job with
George Jenks, a teamster In a wagon
train about to leave for Salt Lake City.
Capt. Adams, a Mormon, is in charge of
the wagon train.
Kachael Adams, an attractive young wo
man, one of his wives, is in the train, as
is
Daniel Adams, his loutish son. When
Edna, who has shot, but not killed the
gambler, Montoyo, comes a fugitive in
"britches" to join the train, Daniel tells
his father that she is seeking Jenks and
Heeson. Capt, Adams shouts, "No husHy
in men's garments shall go with the train,"
CHAPTER VIII.
For a Woman's Smile
Jenks stiffened, bristling.
"Mind your words, Adams. I'm un
der no Mormon thumb. Aa for your
brat on horseback, he'd better hold
Lis yawp."
I sprang forward. Defend her I
must. . She should not stand there
alight, lovely, brave, aflame with the
helplessness of a woman alone and
insulted.
"Wait!" I Implored. "Give her a
chance. You haven't heard her story.
All she wants is protection. I know
the cur she's getting away from. I
caw him strike her. You've got wo
men there who'll cure for her!"
I felt her instant look. She spoke
palpitant.
"You have one man umong you all.
But I am going. Good-night, gentle
men." Captain Adams was frowning stern
ly, his heavy face unsoftened.
"Why come you here?" .
"My husband has been abusing me,
and I shot him!"
"You killed him, woman?"
"Not yet! He's likely fleeing the
public at this very moment."
"And those garments! " Captain
Adams accused. "You wish to show
your shape, woman, to tempt men's
eye with the flesh?"
She smiled.
"Would you have me jump from a
train in skirts, sir? But to soothe
your mind I will say that I wore these
clothes under my proper attire and
cloak until the last moment."
A new voice bounded.
"She shall stay, Hyrum? For the
night, at least? I will look after
her."
The Captain's younger wife, Ra
chael, had stepped to him. Pending
reply I hastened directly to My Lady
herself and detained her by her jack
et sleeve.
"Wait," I bade.
"You would take her in, RachaeJ?"
the captain rumbled.
"We are commanded to feed the
hungry and shelter the homeless, Hy
jum." "Verily that is so. Take her! But
in God's name, clothe her for the day
light in decency. She shall not ad
vertise her flesh to men's eyes!" i
"Quick!" I whispered with a push.
Rachael, however, had crossed for us.
"Will you come with me, please?"!
she invited. I
"Yes," sighed My Lady, wearily. I
Good-night, sir." She fleptingly umil-1
ed upon me. "I thank you; and Mr.
Jenks."
They went, Rachael's arm about
her.
Danie! pressed beside Captain Ad
ams, talking eagerly.
"She's powerful purty, ain't she,
paw! Gosh, I never seen a woman
in britches before! Did yu? Pawl
She kin' ride in my wagon, paw. Be
yu goin' to take her on, paw? If yu
be, I got room."
"Go! Tend your stock and think
of other things," boomed the father.
"Remember, that the Scriptures say:
"Beware of the scarlet woman'!"
Daniel galloped away, whooping
like an idiot.
Our group dispersed,, each man to
his blanket under the wagons or in
the open.
"Wail," Jenks uttered, in last
words as he turned over with a grunt,
'hooray!" If it simmers down to
you and Dan'l, I'll be there."
With that enigmatical comment he
was silent save for stertorous breath
ing. Vaguely cogitating over his prom
ire I lay, toes and face up, staring
at the bright stars; perplexed more
and more over tfye immediate events
of the future, warmly conscious of
her astonishing proximity in this
very train, prickled by the hope that
she would continue with us, irritated
by the various assumptions of Dan
iel, and somehow not at all adverse
U the memory of her in "britches."
That phase of the matter seemed
to have affected Daniel and me sim
ilarly. Under his hide he was human.
It was after Bun-up that a horse
man bored in at a gallop, over the
road from the east.
"Montoyo," Jenks announced, in a
crumble of disgust rather than with
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any note of alarm.
I saw him give a twitch to hia hol
ster and slightly loosen the Colt's.
As it chanced, our outfit was the
first upon ihp gambler's way.
"Howdy, gentlemen?"
"Howdy yourself, sir," answered
Mr. Jenks. Montoyo was pale as
death, his lips hard set, his peculiar
gray eyes and his black moustache
the only vivifying features in his
coldly menacing countenance.
He looked upon me with a trace of
recognition less to be seen than fell.
His glance leaped to the wagon
traveled swiftly and surely and turn
ed to Mr. Jenks.
"I'm looking for my wife, gentle
men. . Have you seen her?"
"Yes, sir. We'll not beat around
any bush over that," replied Jenks.
He meditated, frowning a bit, eye
ing us narrowly.
"I had a notion," he said. "If you
have staked her to shelter, I thank
you; but now I aim to play the hand
myself. This is strictly a private
game. Where is she?"
"I call yuh, Pedro," my friend ans
wered. "We ain't keepin' cases on
her, or on you. You don't find her
in my outfit, that's flat. She spent
the night with the Adams women.
You'll find her waitin' for you, on
ahead." He grinned. She'll be pow
erful glad to see you." He sobered.
"And I'll say this: I'm kinder sorry
I ain't got her, for she'd be interest
in' company on the road."
"The road to hell, yes," Montoyo
cooly remarked. "I'll guarantee you
quick passage. Good-day."
With sudden steely glare that em
braced us both he jumped his mount
into a gallop and tore past the team,
for the front.
I could hold back no longer, and
hastening on up, half running in my
anxiety to iace the worst; to help if
I might, for the best.
A little knot of people had formed,
constantly increasing by oncomers
like myself and friend Jenks who had
lumbered behind me.
Montoyo's horse stood heaving, on
the outskirts; and ruthlessly pushing
through I found him inside, with My
Lady at bay before him her eyes
brilliant, her cheeks hot, her two
hands clenched tightly, and the arm
uf the brightly flushed but calm Ra
chael resting restrainfully around
her.
Captain Adams, at one side apart,
was talking to the gambler.
"You see here," he said. "She has
had the care of my own household,
for I turn nobody away. She came
against my will, and she shall go of
her will. I am not her keeper! "
For Daniel had laughed loudly
over the leveled barrel.
"You Mormons have the advantage
of us white men, sir," Montoyo sneer
ed. "No one of the sex seems to be
denied bed and board in your estab
lishments." "By the help of the Lord we of the
elect can manage our establishments
much better than you do yours," big
Hyrum responded; and his face som
bered. "Who are you? A panderer
of the devli, a thief with painted
card-boards, a despoiler of the ignor
ant, and a feeder to hell yea, a
striker of women and a trafficker in
flesh! Who are you to speak the
name of the Lord's anointed? There
she is, your chattel. Take her, or
leave her. This train starts on in
ten minutes."
"I'll take her or kill her," Montoyo
snarled. "You call me a feeder, but
she shall not be fed to your mill,
Adams. You'll get on that horse
pronto, Madam," he added, stepping
forward (no one could question his
nerve), "and we'll discuss our affairs
in private."
She cast about with swift beseech
ing look, as if for a friendly face or
sign of rescue. With a spring I burst
in.
But somebody already had drawn
fresh attention. Daniel Adams was
standing between her and her hus
band. "Say, Mister, will yu fight?" he
drawled.
Montoyo surveyed him.
"Why?"
"For her, o' course."
The gambler smiled a slow, con
temptuous smile while his gray eyes
focused watchfully.
"It's a case where I have nothing
to gain," said he. "And you've noth
ing to lose. I never bet in the teeth
cf a pat hand. Sabe? Besides, my
young Mormon cub, where's your
ante? For the sport of it, now, what
do yon think of putting up, make it
interesting? One of your mammies?
Tut, tut!"
Daniel's right hand stiffened at
lis side extended there flat and
tiemulous like the vibrant tail of a
rattlesnake. He blurted harshly:
"I 'laow to kill yu for that! Draw
you !"
We caught breath. . Montoyo's re
volver poised half-way out of the
scabbard, held there rigidly, frozen
in mid-course.
For Daniel had laughed loudly over
leveled barrel.
How he had achieved so quickly
no man of us knew. Yet there it
was his Colt, out, cocked, wicked
and yearning and ready.
"Haow'll yu take it, Mister?" he
gibed. "I could l'arn an old caow to
beat yu on the draw. Aw, shucks! I
'laow yu'd better go back to yore
pasteboards. Naow git!"
Montoyo, his eyes steady, scarcely
changed expression. He let his re
volver slip down into its scabbard
Then he smiled.
"You have a pretty trick," he com
mented, relaxing. "Some day I'd like
to test it out again. Just now I pass.
Madam, are you coming?"
"You know I'm not," she uttered
clearly.
"Your choice of company is hardly
to your credit," he sneered. "Or, I
should say, to your education. Saint
lme.ss does not fall well upon you,
madam. Of your two champions "
And here I realized that I waa
standing out, one foot advanced, my
ftsts foolishly doubled, my presence
a useful factor.
"I recommend the gentleman
from New York as more to your taste.
But you are going of your own free
will. You will always be my wife.
You can't get away from that, you
devil. I shall expect you in Benton,
for I have the hunch that your little
flight will fetch you back pretty well
tamed, to the place where damaged
goods are not so heavily discounted."
With that he strode straight for
his horse, climbed aboard (a trifle
awkardly by reason of his one arm
disabled) and galloped, granting us
not another glance.
Card shark and desperado that he
nas, his consummate aplomb nobody
could deny, except Daniel, now caper
ing and swaggering and twirling his
revolver.
"I showed him. I made him take
water. I 'laow I'm bout the best man
with a six-shooter in these hyar
arts."
"Ketch up and stretch out," Cap
tain 'Adams ordered, disregarding.
"We've no more time for foolery."
My eyes met My Lady's. She smil
ed a little ruefully, and I responded,
'-named by the poor role I had borne.
With that jubilating out to the fore,
certanjly I had cut small figure!
(To be continued)
Copyright, by Edwin L. Sabin.
MISS BENGE IS CHAIRMAN.
University of Oregon, Eugene, Mar.
14. Luola Benge, of Heppner, has
been appointed chairman of a com
mittee to raise funds for the bene
fit of the Fine Arts building in Hepp
ner during spring vacation, it is an
nounced by Edith Dodge, general
chairman. The drive is being con
ducted under the auspices of the Wo
men's League to raise funds for the
building, which is to house the valua
ble art collections of the University.
Entertainment in the form of dances,
teas, or simliar affairs are being
planned by the various committees.
Miss Bengc will select her committee
from the University students of
Heppner.
Hatching Eggs Place orders now;
i). A. C. strain Barred Rocks. Write
or phone Mrs. Ora L. Barlow, lone,
Ore. Phone 15x33. 51-65.
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