Show J JB 1 r w N or JR the aaa Y A ea asly I 1 0 A JV jacl 0 0 1 0 of foothill Footh h ilU 4 jeb I 1 atel YOU AND i I 1 Trans leya 8 hay 01 atter after blacking king t ditting ou onla to the it on its way tons S headquarters ranch 1 y I 1 and big 11 waster master of men inen lati Tr ausley H a under linder foreman t Tf fiaT I 1 but 11 t not self asser substantial stant 1 ut draak one of the t live aly aforge irresponsible chap who lar la is an irpeel he men woman to every fy C propos P es transit y and under linder dine is nt and his wife ya n and wit resolves resolve harzen 4 ham dauCh dau T clit tI zen instruct instructs t to t marry to zen cut cst the south YD te 1 an high wa water ter spite it oh landson ta named in fellow M and a and Is to zen ill ask I 1 W W pitches ecob ela and finds th the 8 gout L r t frosst in aa cutting hay den afon orant grant landson a manager ST ransley that lie he is t s work notifies a lease I 1 from botn the thelea thele legal 1 ing kenera nr under and wars warns tra Tran Bley y off owners all buoi of which means w war ar YD YD to tile the south and i zen yen ride natural al vamp not yet zen Z 1 and ripe for or mating broke hier w ilk I 1 n to trans trana ft taken a YD has ha fey ansTey oft off and i v ze zen a holds Trans Tr zon zen enjoys H under encourages WM n prospect of 0 a race between its for her favor a under linder or and H Tra naley H but secretly laughs at both H and more serious rf sh chaa has another YD mow encounter with draak H machines aro are ruined by iron ing stakes set t in the grass crass zen 7 en pre vanta open war with landson 71 half hak WRY way proposes and ott off drain sets a fire I 1 is I 1 turned that atta attacks c ks the landson stacks outfit hastens to aid the tha the Y YD D enemy enema zen rides off alone to help tile the wind changes and the ya YD people now have to fight the prairie fire zen rides into the river to escape clarn flames es draak tries to abduct her slie she drowns him or thinks she has grant overtakes her in trying to ride through fire zen to Is thrown and knocked senseless zen comes to after several hours of 0 ancon ocious odiousness clou gness ness to find herself in the dark with grant she bile has a sprained ankle and both horses have ru run n away so she and aarl grunt gran t sit on an a rock and tell their patt past lives live a grant it appears la Is a rich mans ans son who scorns wealth in order to live his own lire CHAPTER VI continued continue d well there was wai more talk and the upshot vas that I 1 got out accompanied by an assurance from my an fn father that I 1 never would ie be burdened with any of the alie family ducak dubats ducats roy succeeded to the worries of wealth and I 1 cante to the ranges where I 1 have lieen Ceen able to make n living anti and have baye incidentally been profoundly happy ill take tahe a wager that bodny bodna I 1 look ten years younger that I 1 can call lick him with one hand that I 1 bae more real friends than lie he lias bas and that im getting more out of life ife than lie Is im a man of whims wiler when they hey beckon I 1 follow GUM paused feeling that hla his en thu had carried him into hatfie r r fuller confidences than lie he hail had intended im sorry I 1 bored you with that harangue lie he sat said contritely you possibly he be interested in it on the contrary ary I 1 am very I 1 much interested in lt it 0 slie she prote protested sted it seems so much finer for a man to make MS ills own way rather than be lifted up by some soine one else I 1 am sure you are already doing well in the west soune soine day you will go back to your 5 our father avith more money than ile he harv has grant crant uttered an amused little laugh theres no sign of it yet 1 I he rala A ranch hand even n foreman need any adding machine to count mcclint his wages upsides I 1 am get ting other things that ar are e more worth having other things lings ti eliy tills alfe alts freedom its con fi dence and health I 1 when ones soul is 11 tingle what does docs all the rest mutter matter allt you need money too she bile added thoughtfully I 1 money Is 19 pow er it Is a anark of success success it aoud OP kopea up a wider life bior for you it would bring you into now circles some simie day y sou will 11 want to marry and setre re down and money n enable you to meet the kind of women she stopped confused she had gilld plunged farther fart lier than she had intended youre all wrong he said amused ly y it did not even occur to zen that he e was contradicting tier her she alir it had tit ot been accustomed to being contra ducted acted but then neither had she been to men anen like dennison Denn lson arar nt it nor to conversations such as bad ad developed d she was too interested tobe noyed annoyed youre all wrong miss bliss 1 I dont wonder that you cant nil 1111 ln in in y v name she said nobody knovs knos dad except as YD but I 1 card you call me ine zen that 1 ws when yon yoa were coming n ou t or of your unconsciousness 1 I apola oze ee for the liberty taken I 1 thought it t might recall you ell ini ill still coming ou out i t ab ohp r i nn nin beginning to feel tell that m I 1 1 have been unconscious for sl li very rf long time indeed grant was aware of a pleasant glow by her frank interest she ivil as together altogether a desirable girl 1 I I 1 have observed ile he said poor people worry over what they thet Ill vent nt got and rich people mple worry T what they have it Is my inn not to worry over anything AP af for telling opening up a wider life what wader fe could there be than till this which I 1 vIl IcIl you nad and 1 I nr are e lI vInel i by ROBERT STEAD author olta cl puncher rho ra t gc OVY courim by STEAD mid she wondered why tie he had said you and I 1 evidently lie was wag wondering too for lie fell into reflection she changed her position to case tile the dull pain in her ankle which ills his talk hod had almost driven from her mind hillid the rock had find a fi perpendicular edge so tier feet hang over resting tile the injured one upon tilt alio other lie he will was sitting in it similar position the hi bi lenco lence of the night had gathered about them broken occasionally by the yap 1 ping of coyotes far down tile the vall v segments of dull light fringed fringe tilt the horizon the breeze was again blowing from the westi west mild and bi presently one of di alii e E s of grew and grew it was as though it were rushing up tip tile he valley thov watched it fascinated then burst ant into laughter as tile orb of tile atie moon he came recognizable I 1 there was avns something vory very companionable about watching lie moon rise as they did zen had a feeling of being very happy true a certain haunting spectre re at times would break into int 0 tier her consciousness but bill in the conica 11 of such a roan man as grant she could easily bent beat it off she studied tile the face in fit tile the moon and invited tier lier soul she was living through a n new ely experience an experience she could not understand lit in spite of tile tit als comfort of tier her injuries in n spite s of tile the events of the lie day slie she was very cry very happy if only unit that horrid memory of draak would not keep t tormenting or herl her I 1 she began to have anve some glimpse of what remorse must idean slie she did not noi blame blaine ller herself self slie she could not have done otherwise rind and yet it i was as horrible to think about and it would not stay silly away she felt A a tremendous desire to tell grant all about it she wondered how much lie he knew khew lit he must have discovered that her clothing had been wet she shivered slightly youre cold he said as lie he placed ills his arm about her im a little chilly she admitted 1 I had to swim my horse across the river today begot he got into a deep spot and I 1 got wet she congratulated herself that she had made a very clever explanation lie ile put ills his con coot t about her shoulders and drew it tight then he sat beside tier her in silence there were many things he could have said but this seemed to be neither the time nor the place lilace grant was not me lie had for tills this girl a delicate consideration which nature could never know grant was a thinker a doer grant knew that the chalip which enveloped him in this girls presence was the perfectly natural product of a set of conditions ile he was worldly wise enough to suspect that zen also felt that charm it was as natural ns as the bursting of a seed in moist soil as natural as the unfolding of a rose III ih warm warin air presently he felt tier lier head rest against ills his shoulder lie he looked down upon tier lier tn in awed delight iler her eyes had closed her lips were sn smiling illing faintly tier lier figure had relaxed ile he could feel tier her warm warin breath upon its his race face lie he could have touched tier her lips with ills slowly the moon traced its long are arc lit in the li cavens CHAPTER VII just ilist as the first flush of dawn bael lowed the epst enst grant heard the pounding of horses borses feet and the sound of voices borne yo tile the valley they tile rapidly I 1 lie le could 1 1 tell by the hard pounding of offie tile hoofs V that I 1 I 1 alie they were on trail which tie he tool toi to be tile the one he iad had followed before ife met zen it passed possibly a In hundred indred yards to ilia left lie he must in some wily make ills presence known knon n tile girl had licul slept t soundly atil lost stirring now lie must wake vl q tier lier ll 11 he shook her gently and catle called d tier her tiame name ON opened n ed li could see bliem strange and wondering in the thin arny light then with ii a sud slid den start she was quite awake 1 I have been sleeping she ex r claimed reproachfully you let me sleep I 1 ia I 1 no use f two watching t the ie moon I 1 lie e returned haht y have let me ille but y you ou sleep she reprimanded besides you lind had to stay awake You youline Youl bave had no sleep at aall all I 1 in tier her volee voice there was war it sympathy very pleasant to the e car ir hut could clotild not continue so dell delightful an indulgence nee 1 I had to wake you lie there are arc several people riding iii ip undoubtedly 0 set search eh ahe he alley valley party 1 must attract their attention they 11 listened and could collid now henr hear tile the hoof bOlits close nt lit hand grant loud OUt it seemed clIl called led not a hla hig speaking voice more than hut but instantly there was silence we for ohp echo eab 0 of the sound rolling roiling down then a voice olce bcd the lie valler ller ri or two of dl and brunt ea e a regions lons IT in a n minute or two several the horsemen loomed up through light said zen n s she tits alere r enre wl fire her fattier gone lame 0 on n off foot and held up for rep repairs mrs from tits saddle YD swung ing down are you sou all tight right ze zen it tip he cried ns he advanced advance with outstretched ached arms there was an eagerness and a relief in III ills voice which would have surprised ninny who knew YD only its as a shrewd cattleman zen yen accepted and returned tits his embrace with A word of assurance that she was really nothing the lie worse then slie mie introduced tier companion this Is mr dennison denelson Denn lson grant fo foreman te of tile the landson ranch dad grant extended liln hand but YD hesitated hesitate the truce trace occasioned hy by the fire alre did not hy by nn anny means imply permanent pence peace par from it with the valley in bulna YI YD ans stiffe stiffening aIng hut but ills his daughter a veiled averted what would in another adoth er moment havo have been nn an sit antion with a quick remark this Is no kinle even for Pi espenna lions slie she said except mat alint mr gannt saved my lily life last evening lit at the risk of tits ills own on and lias lost a slights sleep for lils ills pains haills that was it a mans work said YD it would not have been possible for or ills lips to have framed a greater compliment ment im obliged to you ou grant you know how it Is with us cattlemen we run mostly to horn tind hoofs hut but I 1 suppose we have some heart too if you can call find it they shook hauda hands as much cordiality as the situation permitted find then zen introduced arid and linder who were in the he party there were two or three others whom sh she e ltd lid not know but they till all shook hands bands what happened zent zen said Y with tits his usual directness give us the whole story then slie ilie told them what she knew from the point where she had met grant on the alre encircled hill two lucky people two lucky people was all comment words could not have expressed the jealousy len lousy lie he felt hut but ander was not too shy to place ills his hand with a friendly pressure sure upon grants shou shoulder i good work lie he said and with two words sealed a friendship two of the unnamed members of the party volunteers their horses to zen and grant and all hands started back M YD exploded in somewhat alya profanity to camp YD taked almost garrulously not even himself lind liml known knon how the annd of fite fate huil hm lain on lini through the lie night the Is nil fill off darter tip lip said we will trek buck back to tile the YD as a s soon ns as you cu see it fit the ste steers rs in will 11 hae a ve to tn take ke chances next net I 1 v inter the girl professed her fitness to make tile lie trip sit nt once and indeed alie tl lev did make inake it that very ery lay day YD pissed grant to remain for break rii t and tompkins th it demoralization of equipment oni and philles MIll st lies effected by tho the fire ega ogain in ec elied himself after breakfast the oll rancher found oc occasion caslon for a word wh grant you know liow it Is grant he sad theres a couple of things I 1 that j nt aint tin perhaps its as wall all nil fill round not to press for op opan bors I 1 dont know how the iron stakes got in my lily ine meadow alow enyou nn ou dont know liow the fire pot got in yours pours lut but I 1 rive alv you ou YD s word which goes tit at par except in n cattle trade and YD laughed lau glied cordially cord tally nt at life his owl oun limit i eions 1 I give you my word that I 1 dont know any more about tile 11 tire re than you do and I 1 dont know anything more nebout the etches than you ou tit do returned grant well allea hen let it stand at but mind lie 11 e kidded with returning heat im not conlin ittin myself to any thin in advance tills this grass li 11 grow again next year ell cu hy by lienens lie hett nuns yens if I 1 want ant it ill I 1 11 ll cut it I 1 no son soil of a sheep sheel cun milli adl YD I 1 grant did not reply ile he had heard enough of YD Is s bolst boisterous erous nature to nake some allowances an mind I 1 beatt it continued continue I YD whose chagrin over celii being baffled out of a thou thousand tons of tiny liny overrode temporarily at least lit his alp pre clation of grants sen services ices mind I 1 mean it no monkey doodles next te tean sn young man obviously YD worked up tip and it it to grant that the time had cume come to ia hero willbe will be none tie lie said quietly y if you conic came over ove the hills to out cut lwe t the south YD next nest sunil ner I 1 will ile personally escort you chonle again YD stood openmouthed open mouthed it was preposterous that this young upstart foreman forein nn on oil a second rate ranch like Lond sons should deliberately defy him 1 you oil see sec YD continued grant with provoking provoke pro vokn calmness ive seen tho the papers youve run a n big bluff in this country occupied arither inore territory lhnn was waa coming to you in n word youve been a good hit bit of a bully now let tile me breal break it to you gently those good old days n anro re over tit in future youre youie going to stay silly on your side of tha line it if you crowd over ile be pushed back you have no moro more |