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Already, with close to ten miles ahead of him, with Hume still a quarter of a mile to the fore, Wayne Shandon's face had turned white, his shirt was slowly turning red. The bullet from the heavy calibre revolver MacKelvey used had struck in the shoulder. "He's swerved out of his course," was MacKelvey's next thought. "He is losing ground right now.
But even the pain of nearly crushed fingers did not drive the grin from Ettinger's face. "You're on," he cried exultantly. "Shandon, we'll frame a deal that'll make millionaires out of us." "And man's work!" was the thought stirring Shandon's heart and brightening his eyes. They rode on, as Ettinger had planned from the beginning, and covered the two miles to Laughter Lake in a few minutes.
Wanda's cave became a dainty bower for a fair lady. Across the cliffs, by tortuous trail, it was a scant five miles to the little mountain town of White Rock. Many a dim morning before the shadows lifted to the rising sun the trail had echoed to the clanging hoofs of Shandon's horse as he rode down and back, bringing a surprise for Wanda.
There is not a man living who knows anything about the matter who does not believe that Conway bought at Shandon's orders and with Shandon's money; and that the Bar L-M is Shandon's now and was never in any real danger from me. Is it likely then, that any man who believes this is, after this length of time, even going to think to mention the matter to Shandon?"
Shandon's and talk to his negroes find out from any one of them what kind of a master I am, and then come back to me here before sundown and tell me if you want to live with me. If you don't want to live with me you can go free. Do you understand? "My father said it all over again. Aleck looked at the driver, then at the Sheriff, and then at my father.
There was the germ of a case against Hume he admitted, but it would have to grow considerably to be worth anything to a jury. Yes, the crooked work in the foreclosure of the mortgage would help a little; not much though. He would attend to the mortgage, taking Shandon's note for the amount, and would see that it was paid off immediately.
And Shandon, tossing back his head as he rode, rushed down towards them, shot between them, turned down the knoll after Hume. The gun in MacKelvey's hand spat flame and lead. The bullet, aimed high, hissed above Shandon's head. "Stop!" cried the sheriff lustily, driving his spurs into his own horse's sides and dashing across the line between Venable and Denbigh. "By God, Red, I'll kill you!"
She had been subtly pleading Shandon's cause for the past week, but it was no use. The last outrage had apparently sealed her fate so far as Deaneville was concerned. Now, straightening her cramped back and looking off toward the valleys below them, Mrs. Larabee said suddenly: "That looks like Shandon down there now." Mrs. Dinwoodie's eyes followed the pointing finger.
There would be much for Big Bill to superintend: choice beeves must be brought up for the barbecue; a rude platform must be constructed for the dance which was to conclude the day of festivity. In every detail Big Bill took his orders gravely and obeyed them to the letter. In another matter Big Bill had long ago acted, having been informed in the early winter of Shandon's wishes.
Sudden suspicion in Wayne Shandon's brain had sprung full grown into positive certainty. "If you can't get your property back one way," was the last thing he said, "I can get it for you in another. Helga Strawn, you had better leave Sledge Hume to me." Dart had been quite right concerning the actions of Garth Conway.
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