Show t tt tE E t I I r b 1 jt NAMELESS RIVER VE E ROE Of IW BY cu tt es I THE CANYON 1 fl SYNOPSIS Kate If at Cathrew C w-C w Cattle Kate K t owner ot of the th Sky SkyLine SkyLine Line r ranch on her way to Mc- Mc McKane's McKane Mc Karri Kanes Kane's Kane store tor at Cordova seem seem- seemingly Infuriated by the th ot of ota ofa a girl Ctrl plowing plowing- In a valley below b places place ce a rIfle rin bullet near the horses horse e feet The gIrl cirl takes no notice Kate Kat KOIS gOOlS go s on to town where her pretence presence brings brines on a tight fight between een McKane the th trader trad and Sheriff Selwood Nance Nanc rn AIlI- AIlI son Bon the th girl cirl Irl on who whoa whon Jl Kate Kute Cath- Cath Cathrew rew rew had h d vented her spite pile Ix Is with her widowed ed mother mothel and nd crIppled brother Dud Bud g land taken up by her father tather killed H a short time before In a mysterious ac- ac accIdent accident Ac Accident Hud Bud ud Is the th victim of ot a liberate attempt to maIm malm or kill him Kato Kate Kat Cathrew C w wants the farm tarm for tor pasture land and f Ie tryIng to frighten the Allison Into Into leavIng CHAPTER Continued III-Continued Ill Continued 3 For a n considerable space of ot time the woman sat regarding him I sent you to help In the breaking of morale she said fald coldly not to bring me back de- de de defiance fiance Nest Next time Ill I'll send a more tru trustworthy man She nodded dismissal and the youth went ent quickly his face lace burning At the far end of ot the veranda he be al- al almost almost al almost most ran Into Big lug Basford Basfor whose huge hUle like gorilla shape was made more sinister and repellant by the percept percept- perceptIble perceptible perceptible ible limp Basford was always some some- somewhere somewhere somewhere where near If possible when men talked with Kate Inte Cathrew Ills great strength and stature his small eyes black nn and rimmed with Ith red his unkempt head and flaring black blackb b heard ard e c about him suggested n a ea savagery agery and power with which few men cared care l to trifle trine He lIe scanned the boys boy's flushed S face with swift appraising I take it It he was grinning that the boss wasn't plea pleased ed with you Take 1 ke It or leave It said eald the other t with foolhardy daring Is It any ot of your business With n a smothered roar Big lg Basford leaped lapell for him surprisingly nimble on his lamed foot surprisingly light lie Ill caught hIm by the throat and bore him backward across the veran veran- veranda's veranda's eran- eran eranda's das da's edge ege so eo that both bodies fell heavily lIy on the boards of ot the floor find what's my business n d-n n you gritted Big Basford you you rou- rou roue ale ille e got to his knees and straddling the lads lad's body came down on his throat thront with nil all his weight In his terrible grip At the sound of ot the fall Minnie Pine leaped to a window v That black devil de Is killing the Blue lue BlueEyes Eyes she said In patois Spanish to Josera Josefa Give Olvo me roe that knife knife- knife But Hut there was no need of Minutes Minute's In interference t Kate Irate Cathrew w had hear heard 1 that heavy thunder of fulling falling bodies on boards and the fhe was quicker than her breed halt half for ehe she was up and away from the desk before Big Bastord Basford had risen on his knees and anti as ns she rose her left lefthand hand swept down the wall taking from Its two pegs the heavy quirt that al- al always al Ill always ways 35 hung there With the fir first t jab of the boys boy's bend back baele on the floor she was running do down don n the veranda eranda her arm raised high With the second she slie was between Big nJg Basford and the light like a threat of doom As he surged forward once more ab above e the blackening face tace In his throttling throttling g fingers she ehe flun flung her body bock back bockIn In n a stiff arc nrc to get more Impetus and Impetus drove e the braided lash forward and down like a fury It circled Big Basford's head from the back the bitter end snapping acrosS his face fuel with Indescribable force torce It curled him away awny from his victim tumbling back on his heels with his murderous hands covering his clIN checks ks For a moment he hun hung on the verandas veranda's edge balanced then slipped oR lurching on his bis lame foot He lIe hel held his hands over his Ills face for a tense tene moment mo moment ment Then he looke looked up through his fingers where here the blood was be beginning to ooze straight ht at the woman oman The rimmed red eyes were wore savage with rage and aud hurt but behind both both us was as a flaming passion which seemed to swell and burgeon with a perverted per ad- ad ad Ild admiration Ive e 1 told you OU before Basford said Kate Cathrew that I will deal enl with my men myself I dont don't need your o overly zealous aid ald Get out of ot m my sight and and stay out till you can herd t Ilat I sa say Minnie take this tills fool awny 11 pui i some wind Into him Give GI hIm bim some whisky She the boy contemptuously with the toe of or tier her buckled slipper Be e was rt eakly trying to get cot up and the Pomo girl Irl unceremoniously finished i the effort lifting him almost airport bodily In InH her H r orm arms nd I b Ippo him the door Into the kitchen The took look the fhe turned oter O o cr her shoulder at Big olford J afford w WUK is venomous venomous- The Thc owner of Sky Line walked down the veranda to her room living door At Its lintel she ehe stopped and stood Mood drawing the heavy y quirt through her fingers finers looking back at Big Baston Basford lIe Ile had watched her progress and now the hard bright sparkling gaze of her dark darle eyes ces seemed to force him to movement mo so that he picked up his hat set It It on his head nn and turned away towards the corrals at Rainbows Rainbow's toot foot swinging ln with a rolling gait that further made one think of jungle folk But the lips In the flaring beard were twitching Kate Cathrew went in n and hung the quirt on Its smooth pegs then sat down and took up her Interrupted work just where she had left lL It It CHAPTER IV V The Th Mystery of Blue Stone Ston Canyon On the rich flats tints of ot Nameless Nance Allison tilled her soil and her blue blueeyes blueeyes blueeyes eyes caressed the land lond The Tir home home- homestead homestead homestead stead was a n fetish with her It had been her puppy's dream of ot empire It was hers He lie hn had 1 stuck by and tolled hall had secured his patent made the good start She asked nothing better than to carryon carry on to see It prosper and endure But strange strone disasters had befallen her one after the tile other first other first and bit bit- bitterest bit bitterest terest terest the hidden rope stretched In Q a cattle trail two years ears back just after John Allison's mysterious death which I sent jent young Buds Bud's pony tumbling to the gulch below and ond left lert the boy to walk lopsided ever er after At that the girl had almost weak weak- weakened weakened ened In her stubborn purpose She had held the young head hend In her arms many n a weary hour when ben the pain was worst and tried to build n a plan of a 0 future away from Nameless valley but Bud liuti would not listen The bare thou thought ht made him fret and ond toss sent the red blood burning In his cheeks Well ell never ne let em cm beat us out Nance he would pant with his hia hot bot breath the th land Is ours safe and le Ie le- le legal legal gal and no bunch o 0 throats cut Is goin to get It from us Not while we con can stand not stand not while we can ride or plow plow-or or use a n gun l 1 I But nut Nance Nonce would stop him always alays there Tiny IllY rod and an Thy staff they com com- comfort fort tort me she he would say gently we have no need of guns puns Bud nud i However ns as the seasons passed each ach with Its promise and Its Inevitable table lable blight her face tace had become graver gra less smiling There had been the hay fire then the then the fire In the night where no fire was or had been There ha had been the six fat tnt steers that disappeared disappeared disappeared from the range and were never ne heard of ot though Bud nud rode Buckskin to ton toa toa n a lather In a fruitless search for tor them There had been the good harness cut cutto cutto cutto to pieces one night when Bud nud had hud for lor forgotten for cotton gotten to lock It up All these had been heen disasters In n a areal areal real sense to these people living so meagerly with their scant possessions And this year they were more than poor they were In debt to McKane McKone for forthe forthe forthe the new harness that had to lie he bought ht to replace the other oilier But nut Nance looked at nt her field of ot corn coming In Ion long rows of ol tender green on the brown floor of ot the worked well-worked land and hoped hope 1 She was prone to hope hop It II was part of ot her lier equipment for tor the lie hat bat battle tie hat the tle of ot life her her shield before the lance o of her courage e her tier buckler of ot e energy i It looks like a n heavy crop Me- Me Me Kane she tol told the trader honestly and Ill I'll have ha tar far and away more than enough nouh for you you-I you ou I I think Ill I'll have enough left for tor my winter stake Hope you OU do said suhl for though though he was none too scrupulous wh where re Ills hits own Interests were con con- concerned concerned he felt a vague admiration for tor forthe the gume game girl working her tier lonel lonely homestead In her dead fathers father's place So with the crop spreading Its four delicate blades bindes to the coaxing sun and the hay liny knee deep In the big 1111 fenced tint across the lie river Nance Allison on laid h by her lier labors for a 0 while to rest her bod body and refresh her lier soul Ive Ie just got to ride the hills Mammy she slie said ald smiling got to fish the holes In Blue Stone canyon on to climb the slopes for tor n a little while wllIe It will be he my only chance you ou know know- know theres there's the hay liny to cut soon an and the corn to cultivate lIte and the lie cattle cattIe to look after later I 1 cant can't work all nil the Mammy without n a little play At which the mothers mother's eyes eys filled with this tears tears this for her daugh laugh daughter's daughter's ter's lers only play the play riding rifling In the lone lonee lonesome lonesome some hills tire hills the Halting fishing for trout In a shadowed ca when canyon when when her young feet flet should b have c been hlen tripping to time tile lilt of when fiddles when she fhe should have had bad ribbons and muslin flounces and nn a sweetheart the things of or youth er ere her youth should hould pees pass Pass Pass tolling at tile the handles of ot a u plow I It was u a poignant pain Indeed that brought hose Insistent teas tears that withheld the urged fear urged protest So In the golden olden mornings Nance began e to saddle Ruc Buckskin and ond ride away a a snack mack of ot bread and bacon bocon tied tle behind the tile cantle to come ambling home at dusk happy sweet RI filled with the joy of ot life sometimes n string ot of speckled beauties dangling at her lIer knee sometimes handed empty Sometimes Bud went with t her but bulIt It was not fair to Dan Dnn and ond Molly the henry heavy team to cheat them of their share of rest since Ince Bud Dud must ride one on onor or tho the other of ol theta them and ond so ao Nonce Nance rode for lor the most part alone She lifted up her eyes eJes to the hills In nil all truth and drew from them n ivery Cr very pi plesent strength The dark blue blue- green reen slopes lopes of ot the tumbling ridges covered with a tapestry of or finely picked out points of pine und and fir Or trees filled her with whit the jO joy of the nature lover the awed humility of the lie humble heart beart which considers the handiwork of Go God She lay Iny for hours on some Mme lo log high h hIn In n a BUnn sunny glade her hands under her fair tread head her lips smiling unconsciously unconscious unconscious- ly her tier long blue eyes dreaming Into the lie cloud flecked heavens and ond some some- sometimes sometimes sometimes times she wondered what the tir future held for tor her after the fashion of maids since the world began She recalled the restless wanderings of the family In her earl remembered early I years ears vague ague vaguely ly Iy the home and time the school In old Mis- Mis sour her fathers father's urge for tor tori i travel And then had hall come their jour jour- journey's journeys journey's nes ney's end here In the austere loneliness loneliness ness of Nameless valle valley where his nomad heart hall had settled down and had been at home She thought or of o these familiar things and of others other not familiar such as ns picturing the th house site she and Bud nud would one day build on the tho bl big meadow mendo with running water piped from the rushing stream I itself with carpets carpets Mrs Mrs Allison was already sewing Interminable halls ot of rags for the and fabric with such simple comforts as seemed to her noth- noth nothIng ing In short eholt of luxuries She knew of ot n a woman In Dement Bement who wove carpets a 11 Mrs Irs Porter at the reasonable prIce of thirty cents a n yard warp Included The warp should be bo brown white brown brown and and white she at decided decided at least she sir had hod so de- de decided decided decided long back after many confer entes with her mother Dro Brown Dron n and white running softly through the dim colors of ot the rags rags- rags nothing nothing new enough to be bright went Into the balls the the- balls though there would be ben bea n a soft golden glow all nil through the hit i if ir r f w 4 I I J 1 1 rl Find What's My Business n D-n n You Gritted Big Basford You I I miss and fabric from the hanks dyed with copperas copperas brown brown and white Nonce thought would make It seem like the floor of ot the hie woods In fall weathered and beautiful She Slie could scarcely watt walt the time or of orthe the fulfillment of this dream when the cabin floors should be soft sott under underfoot underfoot toot foot Longing for the refinements wo was was-trong vas tang tron in her Ler though h limited painfully Io 10 such simple le scope as ns Cordova sup supplied plied or as us she remembered dim dimly from the days dos of ot her childhood In Mis Mlis- MI Missouri sour I But the glory of the land was too compelling for Idle dreams of ot the future fu- fu ture lure Here nt ot hand were carpets of brown pine needles shot through with scarlet bleeding hearts there Here were muses mosses soft an and wonder wonder- wonderful wonderful ful when hen one bent close enough h to study their minute and Intricate pat pat- patterns patterns pat patterns terns there Here were vast distances find amid dropping slopes veiled In pule pale blue haze so delicate ns as to seem a hallu hallu- hallucination there Here al also o were the mysterious fast rust fastnesses fastnesses nesses of Blue Stone canyon lInon Its lis per per- perpendicular walls alls nf or eroded roiled rock cut hy by seam nn and fissure Its hollow aisles re resonant always of or the stream that tumbled humbled through them Nance loved the lie canyon canon She liked to climb among amon Its boulders to whIp its lis frequent pools for fur the lie trout that hun hung In their moving smoothness to listen to tile the thousand voices lint seemed d ays whispering and talking They were made of ur fairy stuff sturt and d n S 'S these voices If on one sat Oat still and ll listened long enough nouh lie 11 could swear that they were real that p concourses discussed lI the secrets of or the I he spheres On the hott hottest t days dos of or mer the canyon was coo cool for n a wind drew ns III through It from Its un known head |