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BRAVF. AND BOLD. 13
When he came to question concerning‘ his own f.=.;e,
...omething of the true reasons actuating Blessington
dawned on him; and, as they did so, he could not re-
press a shudder.
Taking it for granted that he was right in thinking
the two men, John Blessington and Pinto Bill, the cause
for his incarceration in the dugout was not far to seek.
He had been wholly mistaken in his belief that Blessing-
ton had not penetrated the disguise of tan with which
he had thought to hide his identity. Perhaps Blessington
had known him from the first. At any rate, it seemed
plain he knew him now.
If this surmise was correct. then the ranchman would
have every reason for wishing to get rid of him. by
fair means or by foul. If Park Dwight could establish
the fact that the ranchman was a pretender who was
falsely and criminally holding another's property, there
was no one on earth whom the ranchman would have
greater cause to fear.
But why, if all this was so, did not Blessington and
Pinto Bill slay the young man when they slew the mus-
tanger?
“They mean to make it appear that I killed Broncho!"
Dwight whispered, horrifiedly, cowering on the floor of
the dugout, and pressing his hands against his eyes as
if to shut out the fearful suggestion. “They will make it
seem that I killed him, and then they will come here and
hang me for the murder!”
He argued that it would be an easy matter for Bless-
ington’s tools to scatter the mustangs, or run them to
some other part of the hills. After which they could
claim to have found him in concealment in the dugout-
and the rest would not be a difficult matter.
He got up from his position on the Hoor, having
heard a shuffiing sound without.
On looking again through the aperture, he saw the
Shoshone, lVar Iiagle. take a turn about the place and
then seat himself indolently on a rock a few yards
away.
That the Shoshone had been sent there by Rlessington
to act as guard over the dugout. seemed most likely.
And if so sent, then “"ar Eagle and the ranchman
understood each other much better than had heretofore
been apparent.
The Shoshone scarcely moved from his lazy posture
until the breaking of day. He then arose in a shambling
manner, opened the door of the dugout, and looked in.
“Time for eat ?" he asked, with a repulsive grin.
He held the door with one hand. only swinging it
partially ajar, so that it was useless for Dwight to at-
tempt to escape.
Dwight did not answer the grinning inquiry, where-
upon the Shoshone drew a dirty bundle of food from the
pocket of his hunting shirt and tossed it upon the floor
of the dugout. After a time he made a journey to a.
spring a short distance away and returned with a can-
teen of water, which he flung to Dwight in the same
fashion.
It would have required keen hunger to force one to
partake of the food furnished by lVar Eagle: and Dwight
had no appetite. He drank of the water, and then
stationed himself at the aperture to see what he could
of the outer world.
He had no weapons. Properly armed. he might have
been able to dispose of the Indian, if sufficiently des-
, .......-4.... ., . . , ,. , .,
perate, and in some way manage to break out. As it
was he could do nothing.
The Shoshone, having exhausted his acts of hospitality,
stretched himself lazily beneath one of the trees, as if
to dispose himself for sleep. In this attitude he remained
hour after hour.
The confinement and the fears that beset him rendered
rest a thing impossible to Dwight. While the Indian
snored on in seeming oblivion, Dwight paced up and
down the confined area of the underground room, re-
volving the events of the night and morning until the
pressure upon brain and nerves was something fright-
ful. Unless relief of some kind came, he felt he would
go mad.
The day passed without any incident worthy of note;
and when night came, the Shoshone aroused himself.
Coming into the dugout, he drew the door to after him
and fastened it.
Dwight knew not what to expect, and nerved himself
for a struggle. Mentally he measured his strength with
that of the Indian. The latter overtopped him in height
and was almost twice as strong. Yet, notwithstanding
this disparity, Dwight had thoughts of flying at him and
making a gallant fight for freedom.
The Shoshone nipped the idea in the bud by presenting
a pistol at his head and motioning him to sit down on the
Hoot
It is useless to refuse. Such an argument is all-
powerful. Then, holding the menacing pistol in one hand,
he deftly proceeded to tie Dwight after the most ap-
proved fashion. And having accomplished this, he left
the cabin, fastening the door after him.
No doubt the Shoshone thought Dwight would essay
to break away that night, if ever.
Forced to remain for hour-after hour in a recumbent
attitude, Dwight eventually fell asleep.
He was awakened by the low creaking of the door
on its wooden hinges. Some one was stealthly descend-
ing the narrow flight of stairs. He could not restrain a
cry of fear. “as the Shoshone returning to murder
him, as llroncho Hob had been murdered?
He was reassured by low-spoken words.
“ ‘My name is Norval! On the Grampian hills, my
father feeds his tlock!"’
It was an exclamation characteristic of no one save
the queer old man, Al Ashton.
Dwight's cry of fear was followed by one of pleasure.
“Oh, Mr. Ashton, is it you .7" starting up in spite of
his bonds.
“Its no one else. I knew you were burrowing in here
like a mole gopher, and I've come to help you out. My
dear sir, to be a prisoner is to be miserable. Thats
why I never keep any pets. A canary in a cage, or a
deer with a rope about its neck. always makes my heart
ache."
Dwight could tell that he had drawn himself up in
the center of the room as if commencing one of his
interminable and wandering harangues.
"“'ill you release me, please? I am tied up here, and
can hardly move."
"Your pardon, my dear sir. Your pardon. ‘When
my heart is on the sea, my mind is somewhere else.
I am sure you will overlook it. Why. yes: that is what
I came here for."
He stepped to Dwightls side, stooped over him, fumbled