Show JIt It i r I IY f i o BLUE T-A T LAKE iW RANCH i By JACKSON 1 i s 11 DY I II I r j i S C CHARLES 1 J iB s j I 1 i it CHAPTER XIII XIII-Continued XIII III Continued ont nu d dj j I 15 t f fr r Curse Ourse you u Ha Hampton said said In InI int I smothered mothered anger his his' to tone tone e ng t dear clear th the meaning of ot the Indistinct K mut mutter e But h he climbed Into IRto the Badi sad Bad d. d i die dle if 7 Come on Lee too Vas Vasi was i up ap his hand on on Hampton Hampton's s 's r runs reins Ins Were We're going up t to ca cabin ln k Youre You're going to ride herd on H I ton x I a Q so Ill I'll II I tell ten tell 3 you cT r when we e get there there So they rode Into the le night headed headed head head- ed toward the the narrow passes of ot the Upper End Hampton ampton and Lee side by side aide Tommy Burkitt staring staling after them as he followed No longer were Bud Lees Lee's ee tl ts with his captive S nor npr with t the herds heId Carsons Carson's men were driving back to the higher pastures They were entirely for Judith and they were were filled fined with fear She had b been n gone for for- three full days das she was somewhere In the clutch of Trev Trev- ors or of ot one oue of his cutthroats lIe He thought t tot of ot her her of ot onS on'S red- red and he he had not rimmed evil fI eyes ees as Iray prayed i In all aU tHe years of 01 his life ute Bud Lee c pra prayed ed that t night He left left- Hampton ampton securely bound and under Tommy Burkitts watchful eyes In the old cabin and rode ode straight back to O the ranch MarcIa was not y yet t In bed and he hc spade made his his his' first first call can upon upon her Marcia was delighted then vaguely vaguel perturbed as he made known his errand without giving an any reason He wanted to see seethe seethe the note from Judith Marcia brought it wondering He carried It with him to Judiths Judith's office and compared It carefully with scraps of her handwritIng handwriting handwriting hand hand- writing which he found there The result of his study was what he had ad expected the tle writing of of fh the note to Marcia was sufficiently like like Judiths Judith's hs to pass muster to an uncritical e eye c looking In fact what lm It It purported to tobe tobe be a very hasty scrawl But Lee decided def de de- de- de f that Judith had not not- written it He lIe slipped sUpped It Into his pocket TrIpp was waiting for for him hl pa dent tIent and worried worded when he camel came buck lck from the Upper End From Ir m Tripp lipp he learned that one of the men a fellow elow the boys called Yellow Yellowjacket jacket had unexpectedly asked l for for- his hits time Saturday afternoon a and d had left left the ranch saying t that he was sick Hes lies the chap who ho br brought the fake fake note from you said Lee Its It's open and shut shut- Doc Another one of Trevor's ors m men n that we ought to ave 1 long iong one cant can't fired ago The Time one thing I g get t is is wh why he lic didn't do a finished d j job tJ of ot It and hang bang around until Miss Sanford San San- ford Sord lord left then get get away ay with the not note It would have left no evidence behind him r I She must have locked her door and nd windows when she w went nt outs out out was TrIpps TrIpp's solution And A d probably bl he lae didn't t hang around wasting time and aud taking chances bo boyish face had lost its youthful look His Ills ey eyes s meeting J Lees Lee's s 's steadily had In them an an expression expression sion Ion like Leea Lees If lt It Its It's Quinnion- Quinnion Tripp began Then he stopped topped abruptly Lee and Tripp were to together ether In the theoffice theoffice office not not above c fifteen minutes Then Tripp left to return to the Lower End to get the rest of the thc men out out to helpin help in the big drive e of ot cattle and horses which must be returned to the shut shut-in alleys of the Upper End Ind Lee Lec went to the house bunk slipped revolver re and cartridges into his pockets pocks pock- pock ts c-ts s took a rifle and rode ng again ln to the old call cabin In Its big last play he told himself gravely over and over o Hell be backing hacking It up strong strong pla playing playIng play play- Ing his hII hand for tor all that theres there's In It and hell he'll have taken time and care to fill In his hand so that were we're buckS buck bud budIng bucking S ing a n royal roal flush And the theres there's es e's only one wa way to beat a 3 ro ar flush and that's with a gun But I cant can't quite see fee e the whole pIa play ors Tre I cant can't quite see it It There were enough nouh men to do the nights night's work without him and Tommy Burkitt and Lee gave aYe no thou thought ht noto no now I to Carson swearing In the thc darkness of some shadow filled d gorge He did not know what the morrows morrow's work ork would be for him but he made his preparations none the les less eager for forthe forthe forthe the coming dawn lIe He fried many slices of bacon while Hampton glared at nt him and Tommy watched him Interestedly Interestedly Inter In In- ter he lie made a II light compact lunch such as best sticks to a mans man's ribs wrapped rapped It In heavy paper and i slipped clipped the package Into th the bosom of If his shirt shit He Be completed Ms I equipment equip quip ment with a fresh h bag baJ of ot tobacco o and man many mulches matches He loaded d his hh rifle added a plentiful supply of anu ammunition iuni tion to his outfit from the lie box boi on the shelf hel t. t l Im coming to you yon Judith girl Irl he h ll whispered over oer anI antl over to himself Somehow Dawn trembled d over o the mountain mountain- Int pale rose and warm pink and glorious red In the eastern sk sky and anti Bud Lee throwing down don his colled coiled rope which had hud been put Into service a n dozen times during the night said saId shortly Here we twe camp camp boys Ill I'll l leave ae you my fried tried bacon Tommy and md take the raw with me Youre You're not evento even een evento to light a fire And Anti youre you're to stick stick- here until I come for you ou They TIley had tra traveled deeper and deeper deep deep- er el Into the fastnesses o of the mountains mountains moun moun- mounting higher and higher until until un un- til now no Iii lii iii a n nest of ot crags and cliffs cHITs on a flank of Devils Devil's mountain they could look 1001 far to the w westward stward and catch brief glimpses of the river from Blue lake slipping out of ot the shadows shadowS' They had pone Con a way which Lee knew Intimately traveling a trail which brought them again agal an and again under tinder broken cliffs wl where ere they mu must t tuse use hands and feet manfully and abd now and then make male service of oC a a loop of ot rope cast up o over or r an crag follow tollow here her never neer us Tommy Tomm i he said confidently If It they do youve you've g got t the drop on them and youve you've oue got Jot a rifle You know what to do Tommy omI lY old old man man I l know Bud said Tomm Tommy his eyes shining For never nc before had Bud Lee called him that that old old man Long ago the gag had been removed from Hamptons Hampton's mouth Long a ago o consequently Hampton had said his hissa sa say had made his promises When he got out of ot this thIs glory glory to be wouldn't ws he lie square the deal though Did Lee know what was That were such things as laws lass such places as prisons Here said Lee not unkindly Ill loosen the rope about your wrists That's all the chances were we're going to t take ke with you Come be a sport my boy Youre You're the thc right sort Inside inside In in- side jU just as soon oon as RS this fracas is over oyer when you ou know that we ye were right and that all an this i Is a put up Job on you ou your friend pla playing you ou for or va ii sticker r and getting Miss l Sanford Sanio d out of the Way ay you'll say we twe were rI right ht and andI I know it it That so snapped snapped Hampton You Ton Just start start t now and lJ fI keep going goin BudLee Bud BudLee Lee if If you ou dont don't want to do time in inthe n 1 the the jug Burkitt staring back brick across the broken mU miles S' S of ot cm on mill arid forest his hIs' his his' eyes ayes es rr was Jas muttering Look hook Lo k n h at that n Bid d What lih do io o you YOt you make malce of ot I It For a little Iee did riot not ot answer He He- and Tommy Tommy f and IIi Hampton standing in among ng the the rocks turned their eyes e eyes e together toward the hills rimming In Inthe Inthe Inthe the no northern side of Blue Bute Lake r ranchI ranchI ranch n h I make out out said js that that th t means ti tipsiness ess' ess and nd that Car Carson Cpi son has got his his' historic work ork cut cull cutout out f for t hIm liim this this this' Tommy lo For the thing 1 lii wh which l had caught the boys boy's eyes was a blaze on th the ridge its flames leaping and mId licking at the thinning darkness Its smoke a black smudge on on the time horizon horizon staining the glow of ot the dawn And farther along the same ridge was a second blaze smaller with distance hut but growing as asIt asit asit it licked at the tile dry brush Still Stilt farther a u third If It that fire ever eyer gets a good start muttered Lee heavily its Its going goIn to sweep the ranch God knows where It will stop And ju just t how Car Carson oil Is going to fight fire with one hand and hold hold his his stock With the theother other I d dont don't nt know But Hut even ell then lie he turned hl his hill e eyes ejes cs away from the ranch sweeping s the ragged Jumble of mountains about him Judith Ju was as pone gone on Judith n needed ed J him and he lie did no not dare dale tr try to e estimate estimate esti esti- tI mate the lie soreness of her need What did It matter that Carson Curson Tripp and the tile rest ret had their problems to I face buck there There was only one Olle thing In all of or the wide world thai mattered And he did not even know know- where J she he was north south east or west Somewhere here In the these e mountains mountains moun moun- no doubt donut But where when a aman man nann ml might ht tide ride a a a hundred miles this WU way or that and nd 1111 have no sign If he passed within cullin calling distance of her hel In his heart Bud Bull Lee Iee prayed as ashe ashe ashe he land had prayed ed last hUlt night asking God that 11 he night might come comae to Judith And It seemed to him standing cli Close e to tn God Cod on nn time the rocky picky hII heights hs that his prayer er had hid been heard eard and answered For far off orr to the t mst cast lIst still farther In the solitude of the mountains rising rl ris I I lug ing front from a rugged peal peak a thin tine lne of or smoke ro rose rOC e Into the paling sLy sky sk It might he be that Judith was there It might be he that she was scores of miles mile from the beckoning smoke But Lee Lle had asked a 11 sign and there like a slender finger pointing to the brightening brightening bright bright- ening sky Ik was was' wasa a sl sign lI He lie stooped swiftly for tor rifle and rope and packet of ot bacon Where here you ou goin oin Bud asked Tommy i t To Tn to Judith ludith answered d Bud ud Lee gently I For In his heart was as that faith tl I I IP la born of ot love lo I CHAPTER XIV The Toot Tools Which Trevor Used To 10 Judith life lite had changed from fromn froma n a pleasant game In the sunshine to toa toa to toa a hideous nightmare In a few dragging dragging drag drag- ging hours she had bad come to know incredulity In In- credulity anxiety misery dejection black hopelessness and Icy terror She had come to look through a 11 mans man's eyes at that which lay In his heart to feel for tor the first time In her fearless fearless fearless fear fear- less life that the fortitude was slipping slipping slip slip- ping out of ot her bosom that the strength strength iwas was as melting In her She In lay on a rude bed bCd of boughs an utter Impenetrable bla knes like a palpable weight on her e eyeballs When It was silent about her her and and for forthe forthe forthe the most part silence reigned with the oppressive gloom sh she yearned so for a little sound that she moved moed her foot alon along the he rock floor under tinder her or snapped n a dry twig lg between her fingers or even en listened eagerly for the com coming In of ot the terrible woman who was her jailer G Gropingly again and again nga In she fhe we went t over Oer In h r thoughts the long Journey here seeking fruitlessly to know whether she had come north south or east ast from the ranch It was was was' one of ot these three directions for there were no no such mountains as these to the w west st no such mo monster ster cliffs no deep cavern reaching Into the tIe bowels of the earth The sense ense that even een were wele she treed freed she had no slightest Idea where she was which way she must mus go stunned her herWin her Win tl I I go O mad after a 1 while 1 she won wondered wondered ered miserably Am Am I already alread going mad Oh Olt God have merc mercy on m me From the Instant when Saturday night she had been gripped suddenly in a mans man's strong arms when another man had smothered her outcry she had hind known In hi her heart that Bayne Dane was taking his desperate chance In ha the game But In he the darkness darkness dark dark- ness she had had only the two vague blurs of oC their bod bodies leg to guess at They rhey lu had d been masked her own eyes were covered cored co red a bandage brought tightly tI over oyer them her mouth gagged her hands tied behind her her body lifted Into the saddle saddle all all In a moment Neither man had spoken Then hen tied In the saddle she only knew that she was riding that one man rode In front of ot her leading leadin her horse theother the theother theother other toll following owing close behind Time The I 1 ull I 1 H vr Her Eyes Were Covered Tightly sense sense of ot direction which she had bad lostIn lost lostIn In those first five minutes she had never neer been gh given en opportunity to re re- re gain She might even now be a gunshot gunshot gun gun- sh shot t from flom her o own ranch she might be lie twenty went miles from It For the greater part of that Saturday Saturday Sat Sat- urda night th they had ridden and when trails died under them and rocks rose roge steeply they the walked she and one man The other stayed with the lime horses Not once did she hear a aman's amans amans aman's amans aman's mans man's voice she did not know whether er It was himself or or Ol Quinnion QuIn- QuIn nion or 01 some utter miller stranger who who for forced ed her gee into thi thin hiding J They had l cliffs now going down Into chasms now following roaring roaring roar roar- ing creeks s or 01 making their wa way along the spine o of some rock ri ridge ge The rhe Theone one man mean with her H l' l was masked ed his eyes ens rather guessed guesse sit ur than seen SE-en through the time slits silts of or his bandanna handkerchief He Ill had jerked the bandage band- band age Inge from h her r e eyes es since blindfolded pd she Mould ullI make su such h pour poor H Or progress plO IC S But limit s still ill he guarded his tongue lie TIe would speak she thought hut but that I would reco recognize his voice Trev ors OIS or Qu Quinnion Which Feeling the first quick spurt of oC hope when she sa fI saw v that there was teas but one ne neman man to deal with she he was aquiver r to seize the first t opportunity for far It flight t. t But that t hopp di died tOll swiftly as ns slit site reco recognized tin no 0 such opportunity was to be bt granted her Once lace she lIc paused li holn linking oking to In a t possible leap I.-ap over a low lots ledge an and escape In tn a a hick thic hit bit of or Umber timber But Hut the Jh two IWo er eyes through Uh th the silts In the ita Improvised mask had hind been heen keen und and 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