Snow-Bound at Eagle's

in the outer clearing. Zenobia rose lazily and strode to the window. It r

e that the party carried a permission from her father, granted at the lower station in view of such an emergency, checked her active opposition. "That's like Paw," she soliloquized aggrievedly; "shuttin' us up and s

omer, they were strongly inclined to resist the dissatisfied querulousness and aggressive attitude of these fresh applicants for hospitality. The most offensive one was a person who appeared

as the summons met with no response. "There are only two wom

ennicker had better sing smaller if he don't want his old den pulled down

er with yer," returned Rawlins. "He's a mild, soft, ea

apparently oblivious of the conversation, was blinking his cold gray eyes at the fire. Dropping his aggressive tone to mere queru

bbery, Colonel," he said, addressing Cli

from the fire, Clinch bri

mining into it,

h?" asked

e an ordinary package of a thousand dollars, and gave it to a friend, Bill Guthrie, in the bank to pick out

oked at Clinch. Hale, with the instincts of a refined, sensitive man, turned hot with the embarrassment Clinch should have s

h the name o' t

d what was said agin him he wouldn't

d agin him?" aske

our passengers inside, armed, and the driver and express messenger on the box. Six were robbed by THREE!-they were a sweet-scented lot! Reckon they must hev felt mighty small, for I hear they

him down with its paralyzing and deadly significance. Murder itself seemed to look from those cruelly quiet and remorseless gray pupils. For a moment he forgot his own rage in this glimpse of Clinch's implacable resentment; for a moment he felt a th

st run off in the coach as I came along. I reckon it'll show things up in a new light. It's time there should be some change. All the cussin' that's been usually done hez been by the passengers agin

d Colonel Cl

authorship, and his five friends, to whom the composition

us Passengers.' Sort of runs

the well-known courage of Yuba Bill, nor the experience and coolness of Bracy Tibbetts, the courteous express messenger, both of whom have since confessed to have been more than astonished at the Christian and lamb-like submission of the insiders. Amusing stories of some laughable yet sickening incidents of the occasion-such as grown men kneeling in the road, and offering to strip themselves completely, if their lives were only spared; of one of the passengers hiding under the seat, and only being dislodged by pulling his coat-tails; of incredi

ll," said Cli

anner, Esq.' (that's me), 'special detective agent to the Company, and his staff in town, is a guaranty that the mystery will be thoroughl

ing his face and his conversation to the fire, "ez far ez I ken see ez that no thr

m," rejoined Stanner, "and work up

ntly opened the door, removed the key, and closing the door again locked it from his side. Hale and Rawlins felt their hearts beat quickly; the others followed Clinch's slow movements and downcast mien with a

se gentlemen beside me are the other two." He stopped and looked around him. "You don't believe that three men can back down six! Well, I'll show you how it can be done. More than that, I'll show you

he had done so, but he was equally conscious, without knowing why, of fixing his eye on one of the other party, and that he should, in the e

, lifting his derr

-d-m it! I say-see here," stammered Stanner, with white ch

-five

duced the paper and

d hand it to m

the paper, and handed it to the Colonel. "I was o

s I dictate. 'I certify that I am satisfied that the above statement is a base calumny against the characters of Ringwood Clinch, Robert Rawlins

, seizing the opportunity of treating

've got business at Wild Cat Station with this paper, I think I'll go without drinkin'." He took th

he continued to identify himself with Clinch and Rawlins; the fact that they had professedly abandoned their quest, and that it was really supplanted by the presence of an authorized party whom they had already come in conflict with-all this urged him to remain behind. On the other hand, the apparent desertion of his comrades at the last moment was opposed both to his sense o

'em," he said sotto voce, and then turned to Stanner. "I'm going to take this paper to Wild Cat. If you want to communicate with m

age Company, not me," said Stanner,

itchen to the stables. The ostler, Dick, had alre

llowed your staying behind ef I didn't know I could bet my pile on you. Your offerin' to stay just puts a clean finis

rom a hurried conference with the old woman at the woodshed, "and trust to

rned to the room. A whispered discussion among the party ceased on his entering, and an awkward silence followed, which Hale did not attempt to break as

ned when he's got a little more than his

f you mean to imply that he was under the influence of liquor, it is my duty to undeceive you; he was so perfectly in possession of his faculties as to express not only his own but MY opinion of your conduct. You must also admit that he was discriminating enough to show his obje

, or whether it was a vague badinage or affectation to which any reply would involve them in ridicule. In a country terrorized by practical joking, they did not doubt but that this was a new form of hoaxing calculated to provoke some response that would constitute t

in conflict not with the criminals, but with the only party apparently authorized to pursue them. More than that, he was finding himself committed to a certain sympathy with the criminals. Twenty-four hours ago, if anyone had told him that he would have condoned an illegal act for its abstract justice, or assisted to commit an illegal act for the same purpose, he would have felt himself insulted. That

to join her. He rose carelessly as if going out, and, putting on his hat, entered the kitchen as the retreating figure of the young girl glided lightly towards the stables. She ascended a few open steps as if to a hay-loft, but stopped before a low door. Pushing it open, she preceded him into a small room, apparently under the roof, which scarcely allowed her to stand upright. By the light of a stable lant

talkin' a furrin' tongue all along, but I-sakes alive!-I hed to hump myself to keep from bustin' into a yell when yer jist drawed them Webster-unabridged sentences on 'em." She stopped and rocked backwards and forward

say that," interru

t I can say is that it's a d-d sight better than your company-'or suthin' like that! And then the way you minded your stops, and let your voice rise and fall just

aid Hale, not knowing whether to be pl

his cussin', and said yer believed you'd stay and take the responsibility of the whole thing-and did, in that kam, soft, did-any

ntended, and apparently uninterested compliment. Becoming at last a little embar

he stables?" he asked, glancing round

room"-pointing to a trapdoor beside the broad chimney that served as a wall-"but

udden foray or escape reawakened his former uneasy reflections. Zeenie, who had been watching his face, added, "It's no slouch, when b'ar

mean t

pt garment, half cloak, half habit, hanging on the wall. "I've been outer bed and o

robust physical contour that might have been developed through such experiences. On the contrary, she seemed to be lazily effeminate

sed YOU to take

prised to find that his explanation appeared stilted even to himself, and, he could not do

en't anythin'

Hale, smiling. "My proceedin

was the hi

I objected to-a principle that

s only HELPED, I reckon," said Zeenie wi

eless to explain.

the Kernel? There was suthin' else besides your wa

, of the eloquence of her dark eyes, at first tempted Hale to a reply of simple g

w," he retur

cotton to the Kernel and Rawlins much more th

blundered upon the thought

a constrained laugh, "I

rose and walked to the chimney. "It's very quiet down there," she said, stooping and listening ove

party he had left, Hale rose, but the girl passed him hurriedly,

ses are gone too. They've s

hould he take this as a justification of that impulse, or how? He stood irresolutely gazing at the girl, who turned and bega

n uneasy look at the troubled face of the girl. "For

rug of her shoulders, said half defiantly: "What's the use now? Oh, Maw! the