2
GAMBLIN® WITH FATE
By WILLIAM WALLACE COOK
Author of “The Cold Gleanerj: A Story of the Cyanide
TanK.j.” " Wilby'j T>an." “Hij friend the Enemy,"
“Hoflerj of Hutte,” Etc., Etc.
D
(Copyright, 1903, by William Wallace Cook |
» «*■*• ». <■ ^■Ccfhtfnucd from last week.)
Circumstances had placed Darrel in
his present unpleasant plight. From
now on he must pay due regard to cir
cumstances and at all times consider
them well.
Moodily he paced the confines of the
hut, the figurative terms of the doc
tor's letter running through his brain.
Gradually his face grew rapt and ec
static.
He could add something to the
tragic circumstances under which the
body would he found. In a moment
he had dropped down at the table.
Tearing a yellow scrap from the pa- :
per bag that had contained the lunch
eon, he fumbled through the unaccus
tomed pockets until he had found a
pencil.
Then he wrote:
Flight of star, or shivering beam
Falling athwart the storm-cloud's !
wrack, *j
Follow and find is it truth or dream,
Lamp of the gods or a glow-worm's
track.
N. d. ;
He was not a poet—he could not lay
tHat flattering unction to his soul. A
poet is not a man who feels but a
man who can write what all men feel.
This ijuatrain was as near as Darrel
could come to analyzing, in words, the
emotions of the moment. McCloud
had gone into the unknown of death
while this other fugitive was steering !
towards the unknown in life.
Over the head of the bunk Darrel
left his verse, impaling it on a sliver
of wood. Then he packed McCloud's
belongings in the traveling bag and
started from the hut. At the door he
paused and turned, his eyes on the
still form in the bunk.
“I leave you here, Nathan Darrel."
he said, "an innocent, well- meaning
man who fared ill at the hands ol'
others and who tried to he honest hut
could not be honorable. Now let us
see how well Junius McCloud retrieves
himself.”
Half an hour later he was riding
through the gray dawm, mounted on
the calico cayuse and with the old
traveling bag fast at the saddle-can
tle.
CHAPTER X
DARREL AGAIN AT THE HALF WAY
HOUSE.
Darrel tarried for breakfast at the
Half Way house. Here he had the
first opportunity of testing the ef
fectiveness of his disguise.
The shrinking personality of the
man in corduroys was well assumed.
In dismounting at the stable, Jimmie,
the hostler, wished him a brusque
“howdy,” then averted his face,
winked at a friend standing near by
and thrust his tongue in his cheek.
Dislike was written large in the pro
prietors face when Darrel entered the
office. Darrel gave small heed to this
and dropped into a chair with his eyes
on a second man who happened to be
in the room at that moment.
This man was none other than the
youth whose money Darrel had saved
at Hawkbill’s and who had so well re
paid the debt. The young man’s keen
glance swept the fugitive then turned
away without the slightest sign of rec
ognition.
"The sheriff went up War Eagle way
last night.' said the proprietor, resum
ing his conversation with the young
man.
“With the intention of investigating
the explosion?"
“1 reckon that's it. He wants to
make out whether the Sandy Rar chaps
told the facts or jest rung in a ver
sion of the Rabian Nights onto him.’’
“I’ve been up the trail and looked
over the ground and there can t be
the slightest doubt of what happened."
There was an undertone of regret and
sadness in the young man's voice.
“Here’s the pint,” returned the pro
prietor. argumentatively. "Is it pos
sible to snake a man off'n the earth
in that a-way?"
“•five hundred pounds of dyna
mite—"
“I know about that. There ain't no
question in my mind but that that
much giant powder it’d lay out a rigi
ment. but here: would it wi; e out the
remains of a ruiment, or of even one
man? It don’t em sensible, not ter
me.”
"There wasn't a trace of the wagon
left; and if the wagon was sponged
out so effectuall) why not Darrel?”
It was the same argument used by
Cliff and it was unanswerable.
"Well,” was the dogged answer, “I’ll
allers have my doubts, anyways. One
thing’s sure: Uncle Ah was in luck
ter git jounced out’n the wagon be
fore the blow-up, an’ the team was in
luck ter break away from the wagon
an’ git out o' range. The sheriff is
cornin’ back this afternoon an' then
maybe we'll know more. Wonder who
gets Murgatroyd’s thousand dollars?”
“It isn't likely that any one will get 1
It.”
“Hardly, that's a fact. It was quick
action, don't ye think?” The propri
etor laughed jestingly. “The Sandy
Bar boys were saved a bad job that
might have looked ugly for them be
fore they got through.”
“They'd have lynched Darrel if they
had caught him.”
“Wouldn’t they, though? They’d
have hung him higher’n Hainan an',
'tween you an' me, it would have been
good enough fer ’im.”
“That’s where you're wrong," said
the youth, warmly; “no mob ever yet
had a moral right to lynch a man—”
“Oh, shucks!”
“And if the Sandy Bar boys had beeh
able to carry out their lawless de
signs they’d have hung a man whose
guilt had yet to be proved.”
“You're plum crazy!” declared the
proprietor.
Where the discussion would have
led the two is problematical. Just then
the Chinaman walked through the of
fice with his song.
“Breakfus’ leddy,” he announced,
and began hammering out the alarm
in front of the door.
When Darrel sat down at the table
the proprietor posted himself at the i
dining-room entrance and watched him
ominously. The fugitive’s identity
was not suspected, but the proprietor
had heard of the extra plate-cleaning
the day before and wanted to see if
the insult would be re. eated.
It was not. Darrel made a half
movement to take the plate from the
table, but dropped it again after a
quick glance at the man in the door
way.
The food was brought on, Darrel be
gan to eat and the proprietor went
away with a grim smile. Breakfast
over, Darrel asked for a sheet of paper
and an envelope.
In a few moments he had written the
following:
“For the Sheriff: If you will call
at the old cabin in the coulee to the
left, of the War Eagle trail, not far
from the mine, you will find some
thing that wull interest you.”
He did not sign the communication,
but put it into the envelope, sealed it
and addressed it to "The Sheriff, on
his way back to Anaconda.” and left
it with the proprietor for delivery.
When he rode away from the tavern
Darrel was reassured. His new per
sonality had withstood the test ami
he knew that, he could trust it until
such time as it ceased to be service
able.
But one thing made him uneasy.
That was the doubt, now twice ex
pressed, that giant powder could be
so comprehensive in its destructive
powers.
to settle nis question wnat couia t>e
better than to have the sheriff visit
the hut in the coulee? The body of
a smooth-faced man would be found,
but evidences would be at hand to
show that a beard had been removed.
Everything would point to a sudden
act of self-destruction. It would be
supposed that Nate Darrel, overcome
with the hopelessness of his case, had
done away with himself.
The fact that the fugitive had es
caped the explosion in some remark
able way would silence the doubters.
Shortly before noon Darrel rode into
Anaconda, turning aside and making
for the livery barn nearest the Black
foot trail. The hostler came grinning
out to receive the horse.
“The calico carried 2011 all right,
eh?" the man Inquired.
“Very well indeed. How much do
T owe you for him?”
The hostler stared.
“Why,” he answered, “you bought
him from the old man. Dc.i’t want
to pay for the brute twice, do you?”
Darrel was quick to take care of the
emergency.
“I mean for his keep,” be answered,
with a shade of annoyance. “Will you
keep him here for nothing?”
“You’ll have to see the old man
about that. He's gone home to dinner
now.”
Darrel untied the traveling-bag from
the cantle and walkec >. 'he i reet.
He passed the “Color.ei . uv. n, silent
and almost deserted, at that hour, and
was soon at the hotel where he had
put up during his brief stay in town
a short time before.
“How do you do, Mr. McCloud,” said
the clerk, affably. “You’re a little
ahead of schedule, aren't you?”
“A little.”
"I understood you to say you j
wouldn't he back until to-morrow.
Two ladies called to see you, this
morning, and left a card.”
Darrel took the card as the clerk
handed it over. “Mrs. Marian Gor- :
ton,” ran the printed text, and under
neath was written, in pencil: “and
Miss Elise Avery.”
“Did they leave any word?” asked
Darrel, quietly.
“Said they’* call to-morrow after
Esja.]?,.
IN THE AFTERNOON HE REA; \N
AO'Ol'NT OF HIS DEATH IN’ A
DAILY PAPER.
noon—I told them you'd he back then.'
This dilemma had been anticipated
and Darrel knew it was not to be
shirked. It, was the one point of weak
ness in his new armor.
“We’ve kept your old room for you,"
went on the clerk. “I'll have the boy
take up your satchel."
The boy was called and took pos
session of the traveling-bag. The clerk
handed him a key and then Darrel fol
lowed him up stairs.
CHAPTER XI.
DARREL FACES THE ISSFE.
There was a sole-leather trunk In
McCloud's room. It was locked but a
small key ring in a pocket of the cor
duroys held a key that gave access to
It.
No papers were found. There were
two suits of clothes—both of the best
quality—a supply of clean linen, cra
vats and other things usually found in
a gentleman’s wardrobe.
Darrel closed the trunk disappoint
edly and carried his search through the
closet and dresser drawers. There was
nothing there, all McCloud's belong- ;
ings, apart from what he had taken
with him in the traveling-bag, having
been put away in the trunk.
The eastener had told the clerk he
intended to return on the morrow, but
it was perfectly evident that he had
imagined he might be detained much
longer. Had he left Anaconda with the
deliberate intention of destroying him
self?
When he went down stairs to dinner
Darrel was revolving this question in
his mind. In the afternoon he read an
account of his death in a daily paper
and gave diligent attention to the grue
some details.
n wan a long article ana uegan wun
an account of 1 he murder of Sturgis,
the arrest of Darrel and his night es
cape from the Sandy Bar jail. Then
followed a summing up of all the
known facts connected with the ex
plosion on the War Eagle trail.
Nothing new was brought forward
but the author of the account was not
a doubter for he dwelt exhaustively
on the vicarious methods of justice and
pointed the whole affair with a moral. '
Next morning another paper had
more to say on the subject. Sheriff
Scatterly had returned from the hills
after a personal investigation and gave
it as his opinion that the escaped mur
derer had been hurled into eternity
in substantially the manner described
by the men from Sandy Bar.
Abner Gryce’s bronchos had run
away; the wagon had collided with a
boulder beside the trail, the horses had
broken loose and the shock of the col
li -1 had set off the crysialized giant
po ier. That explained the arrival of
the run-away team, practically unin
jurct . at the War Eagle mine.
A, or Gryce had been thrown from
the gon when it took the turn, but
the rderer had stayed with it. Con
sent . ly there was but one inference
to b drawn.
T' ; far Darrel read with amused
indi rence. The paragraphs that fol
lows however, startled him and filled
hir. . ith consternation.
T report went on to state that
Sen rly, in returning from the War
Ea; d> mine, had had a communication
liar ed to him at the Half Way house.
Usu illy he took no notice of anonv
mo ■ 1 ‘tr:s. but in this particular
• <• made an exception.
, i < iii.munication had requested
him to call at Kansas Joe's old cabin
in Lost Horse coulee. He had gone
there but, aside from evidences that
the hut had been recently used, he had
found nothing and no one. The letter
was, therefore, looked upon as a hoax
and Scatterly’s aversion for unsigned
messages was intensified.
Darrel threw aside the paper, lighted
a cigar and leaned back in his chair.
A throbbing fear was leaping along
his nerves.
The cabin empty! Had Scatterly
made a mistake and gone to the wrong
place?
While possible this was hardly prob
able. Yet, if the sheriff had made no
mistake in the cabin, what had become
of McCloud?
Darrel got up and walked out of the
hotel into the cooler air. His situa
tion had become greatly complicated
and the issue confronting him was
very trying even to his iron nerves.
Should he retreat? he asked himself.
It would be easy to close his account
at the hotel and proceed to some other
part of the country.
But to do that he must abandon his
designs against Murgatroyd. Murga
trovd, the real murderer, would be left
immune by Darrel’s withdrawal from
the scene.
That was the point that decided the
fugitive. He would face the issue, hop
ing that. Scatterly had made some mis
take, hoping that no interruption would
come before Murgatroyd’s guilt had
been proved, hoping that the ladies he
was soon to meet would request noth
ing of him that would lead to his dis
covery-hoping everything, in fact,
that seemed impossible.
When he re-entered the office he was
his same calm, resolute self and had
made up his mind to tling his defiance
in the very teeth of Fate.
Early in the afternoon the coming
of Mrs. Gorton and Miss Avery was
announced by the clerk. Darrel was
in his room and went at once to the
public parlor oil the second floor.
The two ladies were alone in the
apartment and were seated near a
window overlooking the street. One
was rather stout and with a tinge of
gray in her dark hair; the other was
young, slender and with a face of rare
loveliness.
Both rope and turned toward Darroi
as he entered. The elder advanced a
st r r.
“,\ . McCloud?” she asked.
"At your service, madam,” he an
swered with a bow.
"I am Mrs. Gorton,” went on the
elder lady, presenting her hand with
a cordial smile, "and my companion is
my niece. Miss Avery.”
There was a settled sadness in Miss
Avery's face which touched Darrel to
the heart and made him ashamed of
the part he was playing. The difficul
ties of his assumed role were to com
mence with this moment, as he knew
full well.
He barely touched Miss Avery’s small
white hand.
"It gives me great pleasure,” said he,
“to meet the friends of Lorry Ormsbv.”
“You have received Mr. Ormsby’s
letter?" queried Miss Avery.
“That came to hand several days
ago.”
"Here is another, Mr. McCloud.”
said Mrs. Gorten, tendering him a
letter; "after you have read it, if you
can spare the time we will tell you the
nature of our errand to this part of
the country. We are entire strangers
here and are very grateful to Mr. Orms
by for directing us to you.”
They resumed their seats and Darrel
drew a chair near and excused himself
while he read the communication from
Ormsby. The envelope was sealed,
which Darrel accounted strange if it
contained simply a letter of introduc
tion.
As he read, the eyes of the two la
dies stole furtively to his face. They
were not prepared for the sudden
whiteness they saw there, the sharp,
almost imperceptible compression of
Darrel’s thin lips, the convulsive move
ment of the slim, white fingers that
held the sheet from which he was read
ing. Puzzled and interrogative glances
passed between the elderly lady anu
her niece.
Darrel seemed abstracted. He held
the letter long enough to have read it
half a dozen times. The writing ran
as follows:
Dear Junius: This will be handed you
by Mrs. Gorton and Miss Avery. There
is something about the man whom they
are seeking which they do not know and
which I do not care to have them know—
yet awhile. In your own time and when
you think best you may give them the
information. Through private sources I
have learned that the man has taken an
other name, and when thes- tactics are
resorted to it Is clear that something is
w’rong. Miss Avery has experienced
much sorrow and I would tiot care to add
one straw to her burden, if it could he
helped You understand, do you not.'
You will help them, 1 know', and please
be a little tactful in what you do. The
name now used by the one they desire
to find is Sturgis, Jack Sturgis. He was
last heard of at Sandy Bar, near Ana
conda.
(To be continued.''
CUTTING DIAMONDS.
Wlutf a Jeweler Says of Discovery of a
New System.
‘T see in some papers that a new
wa v of cutting diamonds has been dis
covered,” says a jeweler. ‘‘There are
almost as many new ways of cutting
diamonds discovered as systems to
heat the bank at Monte Carlo, and
they are about as successful. As a
matter of fact, diamond cutting ha#
been reduced to an exact science. Tht,
two best-known systems are the bril
liant and rose cuts. To obtain the
greatest possible brilliance with the
least waste stones are brilliant-cut—
that is, cut with a flat top, or‘table/
as it is called, ltose-cut stones are
cut without the top table and are flat
in back. A bigger diamond can be
produced by rose-cutting than by
brilliant-cutting, but it will not pos
ters half the brilliance of the latter.
Hose diamonds are used largely in ui
jtwelrj.”
MUNICIPAL OKPICBKS
Mayor, J. II. Holderby,
Recorder, O. F. Craig,
Marshal, Walter Pascoe,
Treasurer, E. J. Madness,
Aldermen:—Hr. \ • L. Pascoe, W. r.
Madness, Morg Drennen, W. C. Mims,
and C. M. Edwards.
Council meets first Monday night in
each month.
CHITKCHKS
Methodist church, services at 11, a.
m and 7:30 p.m. the second and fourth
Sundays in each month. Rev. C. II.
Newman, pastor.
Baptist church, services at 3 p. m.
Saturday before third Sunday, and 11
a. m. third Sunday in each month.
Rev. .1. L. lirown, pastor.
Christian church, services lirst and
third Sundays in each month at 11 a.
in. and 7:30 p. m. Rev. .1. II. McDon
iel, Pastor.
KRaTKHNITI ks
Danneily Chapter If. A. M. meets
third Saturday night. I. (’. Nuckolls,
E. II P.; rI'. II. I tearing, Sec.
Newark Lodge !•'■ A A. M. No. 24S
meets second Saturday night, j. 1.
Sturdivant, W. M.;.l. rl'. Tharp, See.
Newark Encampment 1. O. <>. F. 42
meets second and fourth Tiiursday
nights. (}. A. Ashley. C. P: G. L. Fink
Scribe.
Newark Lodge 1. O. O. F. No. 263
meets the first and third Wednesday
nights <). (>. Moss, N. <i.; <i. L. Fink
Secretary.
Newark Camp W.O.W. No. 2SS meets
second and fourth Tuesday niglits in
each month. W. C. Mims, C. C.;
(>. F. Craig, Clerk.
Independence Lodge No. 2379 K. <fc
L. of II. im ets first and tuird Monday
nights in each month. <). F. Craig,
Protector; Zed Criflith, Secretary.
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