Show iv wv ww w w 1 l tab by ZANE GRET E 46 jc A ewt fh anither of riders 5 of the purple balfe ei ebu so wildfire etc copyright by harper brothers 1 LOVE NELL SYNOPSIS seeking gold in the th desert camaron Cai CA noron moron solitary goll tary factor forms a partnership with an unknown man whom he h later learns la Is bonu warren father ot of a girt whom cameron wronged but later married back in illinois cameron appease warron warren an the two proceed together taking refute refuge from rom a 4 in a cave cameron dis dl covers gold but too late both men are dying cameron leaves leaver syl evl dance in the cave ot of their discovery ot of gold bold and personal docu ments richard R oale cale adventurer in castle Blex mexican ican border town meed masts george thornt thorne lieutenant in the th ninth cavalry old college friend thorne tells teli dale cale he h Is I 1 there thera to as v a mercede arcede h gi girl ri his affianced wife alft from mexican bandit oale gale rough hounos rojas and hll his tang cans with tilt the help ot of two american cowboys cow boyt and he be mercedes anil and thorne escape cap A bugle call from the tort fort orders thorne to his rett regiment lie he leaves leave Mer cde under cales protection the pair aided by the cowboys cowboy charlie ladd anil and JI jim m lash iash arrive in safety ut at IL a ra ranch neb known as forlorn river across the th border the fugitives are at tom Bel beddings dings home homa held bold ing to Is immigration inspector Ing laving with him are his hi wife anil and stop daughter nell burton gala anile with I 1 add and lan take ervle with belding an rangers ra neeri gale telling delaine belding the cause causa of hla his being a wanderer a misunderstanding with his hi rather father concerning the tans sons business abilities mercedes keta gets word to thorne thorna of her safety tack also writes to hla his pa rents ln in forming them of hl him whereabouts nells nelli personality and her kind nee attract late dale riding I 1 the rans ran oala cale falls fall in with a party of three Ilex mexican lean ralden raiders encamped at t ft a water hole hola watching its a to oust them he moos two indiana indian ride into the camp one on ot of them a yaqui to ti evidently badly wounded and the mexican hex leans leete to kill him bim in a cruel way war dick drives them off conveying the mhd wounded yaqui to Beldin jes ranch the indian becomes become dicks ardent admirer gales admiration for or nell increases horses the pride of his hi life are run off by the 1 oale gale with aadil tash laih and the yaqui pursue tile raiding party finally comer comor lui lug them CHAPTER viii coh linued 9 the obber rangers tho the reins of plunging steeds and whirled to escape the unseen buttery battery oale gale slipped lipped a fresh clip into tho the mago tine of 0 lla ilia rifle lie restrained him self elt from useless oring anil gave bave eager eye to the duel duct below ladd hegan began to shoot hoot while sol was running the rang out sharply then again tho the heavy bullets streaked the dust duet all the he across tho the valley the raiders ro spurred madly in pur pursuit sult loading and ana firing they shot ten times while ladd shot once and all in vain lalni md and on ladds sixth shot a raider toppled backward threw tits his carbine rind fell with his foot catching in a stirrup the frightened horse plunged away dragging bilm mm in a path of dut dust ladd had emptied a magazine and now blanco sol quickened end ani length tried ned tits 11 lie ile ran away front from its ills pursuers then it was that the he rangers ruso ruse was wa divined br the rAl aalders ders they hauled sharply up tip and seemed to bo be conferring nut but that was a total fatal mistake blanco sol was seen cn to break ills his gait and slow down in several lumps jumps then square away and stand till ladd fired at the closely grouped rol raiders ders an instant posited passed then gale heard the tha spat of 1 abul lct out in front saw it a puff of heard the lead end strike the rock i ind ami away and it was after tills all that onest the he raiders tell fell prone from hla his saddle the steel jacketed had gone through gif him on its ita uninterrupted way to hum past pait calos position ali rOmal remaining ning two raiders baldera fran lenity spurred and fled up the valley ladd tent sent sol after them the raiders split one making for the eastern outlet the other circling back of the mes quiles ladd kept on after the latter then puffs of white smoke and rifle shot faintly crackling told of jim laahs hand in the game however lie be succeeded only ira in driving the roller back into the tha valley but ladd had bad turned the he other horseman and now it appeared the two raiders ral ilert were between lash above on the stony slope und ladd below on the level there was desperate riding on part ot of the raiders to keep from froin benj being hemmed in closer only one of them got cot awny away and he carne came riding for life doyn down under the eastern wall blanco sel mottled into hla his graceful beautiful swing lie ile gained steadily though he won far from extending himself some bonio few hundred roils boils to the left of gale anle the raider put his horse to the lie slope lie ile began to climb zigzag they went up and up and whon when ladd readied reached the edge of the tha slope they were high clone along the and once ladd raised the long rifle but each time he lowered it oale cale divined vint the rangers ranger restraint was not on an account of the but for that valiant and faithful falth ral horse up op bud and up he went and nd tile lie yellow dust dual clouds rose and ad sit an aja majed maw nad an 1 if 11 II mal N h yond belief that a horse burdened or 01 unburdened could find footing and am huld it upon that wall of narrow ledges and inverted slanting gullies dut but ho he climbed on sure footed a as a mountain goat and surmounting tin the lost last rough steps he stood a inomia moment silhouetted the white sky shy then he disappeared ladd sat n astride blanco sol gazing upward now haw tile the cowboy must have honored that raiders brave steed I 1 gale who had been too camb to tc shout the admiration he felt suddenly leaped up ond find ills his voice came with alth a shriek i look out laddys A big horse like a white streak was waa bearing down to tile the right of the ranger dingco A matchless rider swung with the horses horsek motion late gale was waa stunned then he remembered thu the first raider the one lash had shot at and driven an away ay from the outlet this fellow had made for the I 1 mesquite and had bad put a saddle on beddings Bel dings favorite in the heat of the excitement while ladd had been intent upon the climbing horse this last raider had como come down with the speed of the wind straight for the western outlet persapa Per bapa ps very probably he did not know gale was there to block it and certainly lie he hoped to pass ladd rind and blanco sol A touch of the spur made sol lunge forward to head off the raider diablo wits waa in tits Ms stride but the distance and anglo angle favored sol the raider had no carbine lie ile held aloft a gun ready to level it and ore fire lie he I 1 it the lie saddle as if it were a stationary seat gale cale saw ladd loan lean down and drop the in the sand lie would take no chances of wounding Bel beddings dings best loved horse then gale cale sat transfixed with suspended breath watching the horses thundering toward him blanco din blo was speeding low fleet as aa an antelope tierce fierce and terrible in his devilish action a horse for war rind and blood and death lie ile seemed unbeatable yet to see the magnificently running bianco sol was but to court a doubt plain it was the raider could not make the opening ahead of ladd he saw it and swerved to the left emptying his bis six of 1 na as lie turned hingco B inneo sol thundered ervi across then the race became straight away up the V valley a it was A fleet magnificent maga ent race late gale thrilled and exulted and yelled as his horse settled into a steadily swifter run and begun began to gala gain the gap between diablo and sol narrowed yard ard by yard all the devil that was in blanco diablo had its running on the downward stretch the strange cruel urge of bit find and spur the crazed rider who stuck like a burr upon him the shots end and smoke added terror to his natural violent temper lie ran himself oft off his feet but he could not elude that relentless horse behind him then like one white flash following another the two horses gleamed down I 1 9 7 only one of them got away and he came riding for fop lira life down under the eastern wall the bank of a wash and disappeared in clouds of dust dusl gale cale watched with strained and smarting eyes the thick throb in hu hij erra ears was nas pierced by faint sounds of gunshots gunshows gun shots then he waited in almost unendurable an spenge suddenly something whiter than the brick background ground of dust appeared above the low roll of valley floor gale cale leveled his glass in the clear cle ar ivle shone bianco lanco Il sols nomo noble head with its long black bar from care cara to nose sols hosl was drooping now another Ati second showed ladd still in the saddle the ranger was wag lending leading Il lanco dlallo spent broken dragging braggin ald r less CHAPTER 1 an interrupted Interrupt tc siesta yo no man ever had a more eloi nent and beautiful pleader for his cabie cau e than had dick gale cale to in mercedes nell lay in the hammock her hands behind her head with rosy checks and arch eyes indeed she looked rebellious rebellions dick mus inclined to bo be rebellious himself holding belding find kincl kept tile the rangers ran fiers in off the line anil and therefore dick had been idle most of the time and though he be tried fiord lie he had been unable to 0 o stay far from nells vicinity ile iio believed she cared tor for him lt it lie he could not catch her ter alono alone long enough to verity verify tits lila tormenting hope jie ile find long before cull enlisted sted the loyal mercedes in ilia his cause but in spite of tills this nell had been more than a match for thorn them both onlo cale pondered over an idea he had long revolved revived in mind anti and which now suddenly gave place to a decision that made his heart swell and his cheek burn lie ile went vent in search of 0 sirs mrs belding and found tier her busy in the kitchen the relation between late and mrs fielding belding had subtly and alively changed lie ile understood her less than when at first he divined an antagonism in her it if such it a thing were possible ilia had retained the antagonism while seeming to yield to some influence that must havo have been fondness for him film 0 gale ale had bad come to care caie greatly for nells mother not only was wa she tho the comfort and strength ol of her ter home but also of the inhabitants of forlorn river indian dext can american wore all tho the home to her in trouble or illness rind and then she was nurse doctor peacemaker helper she was good and noble coble and there was not a child or grownup gro in forlorn river who didiot did not lov love e and bless tier her i dut but mrs holding belding did not dot seem happy she seldom anil smiled led and never laughed there was always a soft sad bad hurt look in her eyes cale often wondered if there had find been other tragedy in her life than the supposed loss losi of her father in the desert I 1 mrs belding heard dicks step as he be entered tile the kitchen lil rind find looking up greeted him mother began dick earnestly belding call calle er that and so did ladd and li but bit it wits was the first time tor for die mother I 1 want to speak to you the only indication mrs mra beld holding ing gave of being startled was fans in her eyes which darkened shadowed with multiplying thou thought glit 1 I love loie nell went vent on dick simply and I 1 want you to let me ask her to be my wife sirs mrs Bel beddings dings face blanched to a deathly white gale thinking with surprise and concern that she was going to faint moved quickly toward her took her arm forgive mo me I 1 was blunt dut but I 1 thought you knew ive known for a long time replied mrs belding iler her voice was steady and there was no evidence ot of agitation except in her pallor then you you lou spoken to nell dick laughed ive been trying UL to let get a chance to tell her I 1 had tt it yet hut but she knows I 1 hope I 1 almost believe nell cares a little for me ive known that too for a long time said mrs belding low almost as a whisper you knowl know I 1 cried dick with a glow and rush of feeling Mo mother therl give tier her to me she drew him to the light find and looked with strange Bt piercing intentness into hla his face oale gale had never dreamed a mo matia eyes ees could hold such a world of thought and feeling it seemed alt all the sweetness of life was there and all tho the pain dick gale you want my nell you love her just as she Is 19 her her goodness just herself body and soul theres nothing could change you nothing dear mrs belding elding li I 1 toy love nell for herself if she loves love roo me ill be the hopp happiest lest of men theres absolutely nothing that could make any difference in the but your people oh oft dick you come of it proud family I 1 can tell youve become it ranger you love the ho adventure the wild life that wont last perhaps settle down to ranching I 1 know you ou love the west but dick theres your it if you went want to know anything about aboid my family ill tell you jou interrupted dick with strong feeling ive no secrets about them or myself my future and happiness are nells to make no one ona else shall lount count with meal me y then ithen dick you way ofay art a her aad 0 biec yo u both 11 mrs Bel holdings dings strained face underwent it a swift and mobile relaxation and suddenly she was weeping in strangely mingled happiness and bit berness ter ness why mother I 1 gale could say no more lie ile put his arm around her in another moment she had gained command over herself and kissing him she pushed it him in out of t the to door therel there t go tell her dick and have some spunk about iti galo gale went vent thoughtfully back to his room then remembering the hope ure mr belding had given him dirk lost hh bli gravity in a gash flash and something began to due duct and riu ale within urn un lie he simply could not keep his steps turned from the he patio every path led abe there illi its blood was throbbing his hop hopes mounting hla his spirit soaring now for some spunk I 1 he said under d er tits breath plainly lie ho meant tits his worry merry whittle whistle and lilg ills buoyant step to interrupt this first languorous binge atnee of the aleata which tile the girls always took during the hot hours hut but neither girt girl heard him mercedes lay under the polo palo verd verda tier her hend head dark and still upon a cu cushion lilon nell was asleep in tho the hammock liam mock her sweet red lips with the soft perfect curve had always fascinated dick und now drew hini him irresistibly lie ile had always beeh consumed with a desire to ilsa her and now ho he was wan overa in lined with his opportunity it would be a terrible thing filing to do but if she did riot not waken at once t no ko lie he would light the temptation that would be more than spunk it would she stirred salm d he feared she would awaken lie ile had dropped back erect when she opened her eyes they were sleepy yet surprised until site she saw him then she was wide awoke awake in a second bewildered lin uncertain certain why you herease here she ahe asked slowly largo as ilfeld replied dick with unusual gaiety gayety how flow long have you been hero here just got here tills this traction fraction of 0 it a be second 11 lie he replied lying shamelessly 1 I thought I 1 wits was dreaming she said 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