Dr. Jack's Paradise Mine A Story of Love and Adventure.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 142, 15 June 1917, Page 8

Dr. Jack's Paradise Mine A Story of Love and Adventure.

By ST. GEORGE RATHMRNE. CHAPTER XXIX THE TENDERFOOT SCORES. It was Dr. Jack who laid Ills Band on the youngster's arm, and as Vivian turned there was whispered in his ear the low word: "Follow!" Fully expecting that they wore about to clamber through the openings and take the assembled Mexicans by surprise, Jones drew a long breath, and figuratively girded up his loins for fight. lie soon found that Jack's plans did not mature quite so speedily, for .while one man waa left behind at this point, the second, being Fitz, kept on. So it began to look as though a surround was intended, calculated to surprise and confound the group at the calling of the proper signal. This lent additional piquancy to the occasion, Vivian thought, always on the alert to discover dramatic possibilities in a game. As they silently crept along their forward progress brought them closer to those within the rude shelter, so that even the murmur of voices came floating to their ears, and Evans, who knew more or less Spnnish ns it ia spoken below the Rio Grando, smiled to catch some of the astonishing bellicose exclamations bursting from tlie patriotic hearts who took counsel with the late ruler of San Rosario. He was familiar with the bombastic nature of such fellows, and understood that the louder they boasted concerning deeds done in the past and contemplated for the immediate future, the faster would they fly when the whirr of battle was in the air. It was the silent men for whom he had the me— t respect—those fellows who made no promises, but. when tho time came faced the situation gamely. Fitzgerald was placed alao, and with Vivian at his heels tho doctor arrived at the door, which, unfortunately, was partly ajar, rendering their passage a little perilous, as some suspicious eye

within might just happen to be covering that opening, and note their flitting past. Nevertheless, it had to be. done, at least so far as the young chap was concerned, as his post was to be halfway around the other side. To return and come up the other way would probably consume too great an amount of time, and at any rate Dr. Jack preferred to take the chances. He picked up a stick, and finding it had a convenient crotch at the end that would servo as a hook, he slipped it gently in at the bpening, intending to fasten upon the door, which would perhaps he drawn inch by inch until a much smaller space resulted, and Vivian's passage be secured with less chances of discovery. In nine cases out of ton, perhaps, the game would have worked, but that fatal tenth was now against them, it appeared. Jack Tvaa feeling carefully with his stick, wondering why it should so perversely Tefuso to take hold, when he discovered that something had given way beyond, and the consciousness dawned upon him that all the time he had been prodding a fellow in the ribs. The aggrieved party had stood the sensation amiably for a time, doubtless believing it was some tomfoolery on the part of a comrade without; but when the prodding became more and more insistent and went beyond human endurance he began to squirm, and then reaching out a hand took hold of the stick.

Then Evans knew he had an elephant on his hands, and that only prompt action would carry them over the ticklish spot. The Mexican, fired by curiosity to discover who played practical jokes nt such a crisis in the affairs of th'c old regime, began to follow the course of the tracer, which naturally brought him through the half-open door and into the night air.

His eyes served him a nasty trick, for being partly blinded hy the light within the building, tbey were unable to discover more than a couple of dusky figures crouching there. In the heat of his resentment he made a pass at the nearest with his boot.

It was a poor move. Evans, quick as a flash to take advantage of an opening, clutched hold of the extended leg, and with a muscular twist, wholly unexpected by the fellow, brought him to the ground. In falling the astonished Greaser let out a whoop that reprcseented the existing confused state of mind under which he laboured. It was indeed very strange that a fellow could not step around the corner to ascertain the state of tho weather without being thus violently assaulted. If a joke, surely the humorous party carried it to excess.

Dr. Jack was in no joking frame of mind.

He knew that shout would render further concealment of their purposes out of the question, and that the moment had arrived for decided action.

First of all, he wanted to take this chump into camp. lie deserved rough treatment in persisting in blocking the passage of Jack's stick in on endeavour to secure lodgment along the edge of tbe door; and now he must forsooth give tongue in a villainous manner, just as if they were on a fox hunt, and he as leading hound had caught the scent.

The cowboy, accustomed to wrestling with problems that demanded instantaneous solution, was not going to waste a second more than could be helped. He pounced upon the don with the greed of a miner reaching after the nugget of his dreams, and having alighted upon his recumbent writhing body, let loose a few capers with his good right arm that quite satisfied the fellow concerning the sterling character of this tremendous joke—at least, if not thoroughly convine—d, he contented himself with maintaining a discreet silence.

Now Evans was on his feet again. He stood alone, for Vivian had made a bee-line down the other side of the long building, understanding that his place was in that quarter.

Jack mentally gave the boy credit for much acumen in grasping the situation with such readiness.

Meanwhile, inside the ranch there were signs of immediate confusion. Those worthy souls gathered there had undergone such remarkable adventures of late, and experienced the vicissitudes of fortune to such a painful degree, that naturally enough they were wrought up to an intensely nervous state; so that such sudden confusion clo9e by should only mean some continuation of their perils.

Evans gave a hello common upon the cattle range, which was to be the signal for the appearance of his confederates on the scene, simultaneously with his own entrance through the doorway.

It must have been very impressive when three heads popped into view at as many windows, just like a trio of Christmas Jack-in-the-box toys; but, strange to say, some of those for whom this little entertainment was especially gotten up

failed to properly appreciate its salient features; they even uttered strong words in the Mexican tongue, and looked desperately on all sides as though measuring the chances of a bold dash toward some of tlie unguarded windows. . Evans had advanced within the room, and stood there with a weapon in. each hand, forming a striking tableau, though he gave no thought to such a thing. |

He was working for the smiles of fortune, and did not mean to let any whim or freak turn him aside. Cortina was the most important object upon his programme at present, <and Cortina was] present in the flesh to give an account of himself. He fully suspected that the old wolf of the mountains would make a break for liberty, and have to be shot down, for he had seen him in battle and knew the proud spirit that animated his purposes. Cortina was surprised and furious at being thus caught so neatly in a trap. Even a racoon will snap and show a wicked temper when oprnered in the steel jaws set in his path; and the guerrilla chief glared around him, as though he wished to select the victim, upon whom he should vent his wrath. His plan of campaign was so sudden, and of such a tricky nature, that even Dr. Jack was taken aback, not being accustomed to seeing men who had any respect for their valour seek shelter behind a woman—for Cortina suddenly laid hnnds on the dancing girl, Lola, and using her body for a shield began to push his way toward one of the umsupported windows far lieyond Vivian, just as if he had noted that the youngster guarded that side alone, and to cxpres* bis contempt for such a tenderfoot. So closely did lie crush the form of Lola, against his own, that not one of the three sharpshooters dared fire, for fear lest tho bullet take the life of the dancer, even it if struck the man at the same time. Jack was iv a temporary panic lest either Fitzgerald or the other soldier of fortune let loose, regardless of consequences, wilien the chances ■ were the poor girl must pay the forfeit. He would have had Cortina escape ten times over rather than allow sueti a needless sacrifice to be wrought, for there were various traps whereby the old fox of

the hills could ,be caught later on. There was considerable confusion, within the ropewalU, some of the inmates taking advantage of the dietraction caused by this movement of their leader to also make a. bolt for various oponingß, through which they plunged headlong, regardless of consequences. A broken arm or dislocated collar bone would heal in time, but a bit of lead around the region of the heart or a volley from a tile of soldiers—ugh! that meant annihilation. Fitt took a couple of sAp* at some fellows who appeared fo mivc particularly excited his animosity; but for the most part the bounders were allowed

to continue their gymnastic exercises unmolested, all attention being fastened upon the central figures.

Pepito had been convulsed by this move of the colonel. He hovered close by, a stiletto in his hand, his wolfish orbs glued upon Cortina, and at the first Bign of »ijury to the girl the fellow looked as though prepared to leap upon the gcurrilla and bury the blade between his shoulders.

Altogether it was a rsmarkable scene tho«e who looked on witnesßed, and well worthy of applause on a Bowery stage. Lola struggled with all her miglrt, and even bit venomously, the jade, at the hands which clasped her in such an anaconda squeeze. Under festive occasions she may have enjoyed a little of this same thing in the warm dance of the country, but this bear-like hug was going too far. Cortina minded neither shrieking protests nor the wounds produced by her pearly teeth, for the ambition of his heart had almost been realised, Bince they were now close beside the coveted opening. He dragged the frenzied girl up close, Lola struggling desperately the while, evidently under the impression that at any second some one would shoot and of course hit her instead of tho brute who had her his shield.

Now they pressed ngainst the wall, and the opening was at hand.

Cortina gave one last look round. He saw that Dr. Jack covered them with one of his guns, and a shudder crept over the frame of the guerrilla, for he had good reason to know with what wonderful accuracy the cowboy doctor could shoot, arid a body in motion, leaping t_rough the air, would only prove a soft mark for his practice.

There were two others be—ides, Plainly then it would never do to leave hie barricade, even for the space of two seconds, when one waa amply sufficient to seal his doom.

He leaned back until he was actually sitting in tho window, fired his pistol twice, thrice, putting out several of the lights with tbe dextrously aimed bullets, and then of a sudden toppled over backward.

Evans thought it was a cleverly executed exit, and found no chance to blaze away without running a chance of striking the girl, who had been given no opportunity to jump aside.

Well, Cortina had gono and -while it seemed utterly useless trying to come up with the' fugitive, Jack could not resist the temptation of running around in the faint hope that in executing his brilliant coup de main he might have struck his head so heavily that for the moment he would be stunned.

He thought lie heard some one running away, and fireid ' several shots at random in the direction of the sounds; but' no shout announced success, and he waa about to turn back, -when from tilie darkness close by came a voice.

"T say, is that you, Dr. Evans!" He reoognisi— the tones a_ belonging to his ward, young Jones, and to his surprise, they seemed to spring from tlie ground under the wall of the shed.

"Not hurt, Vivian, I truet?" he called, a suspicion flashing through his mind that the out few might have shot the lad in dashing past.

"No, I think not; he tried to bite mc once or twice, 'but he's getting more calm and quiet now. You see I'm trying that hackamore twist you told mc about, only in this case, in stead of being around a bronco's nose, it's about a titroat," observed the young man in jerks that were accounted for by -the spasmodic movements of 6ome object which he sat upon and was 'holding down, as Jack had explained the cowboys did witb a horse thrown with the lariat.

"For Heave—'s sake, what have you got there?" demanded Evans, aghast at the terrible groans that proceeded from the spot as Vivian, perhaps unconsciously, loosened his grip a bit.

"On'y Cortiil_ —paying back old scores ■ —I snatched him out of the window— didn't you see his heels go through? I guess I didn't play quarter-back and left tackle in Princeton for nothing," chuckled the youngster.

"Great Scott! was that your doing? My son I take off my h_t to you; it , was m— cleverly done. Attd to think

lie should owe his capture to the kid, after all! I'll take him in tow now, thank you, my young hero." "Perhaps it was a good tiling for your plans, but I'm afraid it may work the deuce with my own; for when Yolande hears how I've ibeen the one to send her papa to the dead-wall, I guess my cake will be dough,'' sighed the lover, disconsolately, as he allowed Evans to take his seat upon the recumbent terror of all Chihuahua. (To be continued.)