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Show -"""S NAMELESS RIVER 8 B? VINGIE E. ROE I 1"" WNTJ Service. K CHAPTER XVIII 16 The Flflhtlna Line at Last. Brand Fair haunted the Selwood fundi. He hung to the side of the unconscious un-conscious uuiu almost night and day. "What do you think, doctor?" he asked anxiously of the niedlcul runu brought In from Bement. "Frankly, I don't think," said that worthy, "these lapses, superinduced bj concussion, are treacherous things. Be may recover suddenly, or he may die without regaining consciousness. It's a gamble." But anxious as he was to know the lecrct locked In the unconscious brain of Price Selwood, Fair had not been Idle. He and Bosslck had been very busy. Many tilings had been done, a plan arranged, secret conclaves held at which grim and determined men sat tlielr horses and pledged themselves to do a certain thing. Then Fair went to the cabin on Nameless, for the longing In his heart to see Nance Allison grew with every passing hour. He held her In his arms and kissed her forehead and her smooth cheeks, touched the shining coronet of her hair with reverent hands. "Sweetheart," he whispered, after the age-old fashion of lovers, "there was never a woman like you ! You are my light In dark places, my rain In the desert. Oh, Nance, what if I bad never found you !" And the girl leaned on his heart in an ecstasy of love that was shot with sadness, holding fast to her trust with desperate hands. "It's bound to come soon now," he told her, "we are organized and ready only waiting for Selwood, poor fellow, fel-low, to regain his reason that he may tell us where to strike." "There'll be gun play and blood," said Nance miserably, "and I pray God that you will not be taken. I I couldn't lose you, Brand, and live. I wouldn't dare to live for if they kill you Oh, that black hatred which has stirred in me so long, Is getting beyond be-yond my strength to hold It I I'll go mad and turn kiUer, Brand if they kill you! I know it I feel it here " she laid eloquent hands on her heart "and then my soul will go into the pit of damnation." "Buck up," scoffed the man playfully, play-fully, "we'll all come through with colors flying and see this nest of vipers caged. Then think of life on Nameless, Name-less, Nance safe nnd happy, with our fields and our herds and peace in all the land. I shouldn't have suggested anything else. Come be my brave girl again, my good fighter." Obedient to his words, Nance straightened and tried to smile in the starlight. "That's it," he said, "you're resilient as willow wood ready with a comeback. come-back. You'll never leave the line, sweetheart, never In this world!" It was late in the night when Fair rode away. He went south, going back to look again on the quiet face of Sheriff Selwood, Sel-wood, then on to the Deep Heart fringes to meet Bossk-k and Jermyn. As for Nance Allison, she was seized with a great restlessness that made inaction in-action unbearable. "I think I'll ride the lower slopes of Mystery, Mammy," she said next morning, morn-ing, "and look for that black shoat that's missing. I can't afford to lose it." The mother looked at her with worried wor-ried eyes. "You take your pappy's gun," she suid at last. "I feel to tel) you so. Th' time has me." Uut the girl shook her head. "I don't care," she said, "I can't 'rust myself of late." She kissed Sonny, ran a hand over Bud's bronze I'alr, and went out to the stable where the saddled Buckskin and rode away. In every likely place she looked and listened for the black shoat, but It seemed to have disappeared from the fnce of the earth, like the six fat 'teers. She followed a small ravine for longer than she had intended, sat for a while In a sunny opening high along the breast of Mystery, and sidled back toward the west again. And here It was that two men far above looked down and saw her with ejaculations of delight. "Well, If this ain't luck !" said Profile Pro-file grinning, "then I'm a liar! I thought this morning when Arnold banded us that last bunch of instrue-'. instrue-'. tkms that he was due for once to come j out th' little end of th' horn. I didn't j eee how any human was goin' to he ! able to carry them out. I didn't think : we'd ever get near enough to get her I and do it on th' q. t. But she's brought i herself to us !" ! "If she's armed," said Caldwell i shortly, "it's not time yet to crow. 1 ; tnnk she'd fight." "Fight, h 1 !" said the other, "she dnt believe In fightln'. She's re-i re-i ligious. We'll pick her up too easy an' Present her to th' boss with our coni- PUnienU." An hour later Nance, riding along n j flm trail made by the traveling hoofs j deer, came out above a spring in a ! ehe warm and thirsty, so she mounted nd pushing back her hat from her sweated forehead, knelt on the spring's lip and putting her face to the limpid water, drank long and eagerly a foot from Buckskin's muzzle. As she straightened up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she caught a sound where had been silence before the sound of something moving, mov-ing, the rattle of accoutrements, and turning quickly, still upon her knees, she looked up Into the grinning face of Sud Provlne, the frowning one of the Sky Line foreman. "By Jlng!" eald Provine wonderlng-ly, wonderlng-ly, "never havin' seen you outside that there ol" bonnet of yours I didn't know how purty you was! Them eyes now they're right blue, ain't they? An' that wide mouth all wet where you stopped wipin' it " "You d n fool!" said Caldwell disgustedly, dis-gustedly, "shut up and mind the business busi-ness entrusted to you. Miss Allison," he said to Nance, "you're just the person per-son we wanted to see. We were sent this morning to fetch you to Sky Line, so you may ns well go along sensibly, for we'll take you anyway." Nance rose to her feet. "Then you'll have to take me," she said curtly, "for I'll not ride a step with anyone from Sky Line." She swung Into her saddle and struck her heels to Buckskin's sides in a forlorn hope of escape little Buckskin, stock, slow and faithful. Provine laughed aguin and dashed forward with a leap of his gray Silver-tip Silver-tip that put him alongside in a second. "Ain't no use, purty," he said and caught her rein. He turned the little horse up the slope, Caldwell fell in close behind and Looked and Listened for the Black Shoat. in a matter of two minutes Nance Allison Alli-son was a prisoner headed for Sky Line ranch. The pink flush was gone entirely from her face, leaving it pale as wax. Her lips were faintly ashen. "Help me, Lord!" she whispered ln-audibly, ln-audibly, "Oh, my God, be not far -from me !" There was no fear in her, only a deep and surging auger that seemed to make her lungs labor for sufficient air. Her usually smiling lips were set together In a thin line. So, in silence, save for Provlne's occasional oc-casional Jesting observations, they climbed the breast of the great ridge and presently struck Into the well-worn well-worn trail which led direct to Sky Line. At the broad steps to the right Nance was ordered to dismount. Provine took Buckskin and Caldwell motioned her to ascend the steps. With her head up and her mouth tight shut Nance Allison strode forward Into the stronghold of her enemies. The door was open, and she saw first only a pale darkness within us she stopped on the threshold. Then, pushed forward by the foreman fore-man with a none too gentle hand, her eyes slowly became accustomed to the shadowy Interior and, in spite of herself, her-self, they widened with amazement at the splendor she beheld. A man was sitting on a broad couch, a cigarette in his fingers. He was a stranger to Nance, a stranger to the couutrv, but she catalogued him swiftly swift-ly as the man from New York of whom all Nameless had heard. He was slim and fair skinned, and the gray eyes, set rather close together across the arch of the high-bridged nose, were the sharpest she had ever seen in a human. K fox she had once seen caught in a trap had had just such eyes. They were cold and appraising, without with-out a 'spark of kindness. In one of the gorgeous chairs Kate Cathrew, dressed like a princess, sat bolt upright. At sight of Nance In her faded garments, gar-ments, straight and defiant in her controlled con-trolled anger, her handsome face flushed beneath its artistry. "Ah '" she said, like a vixen, "get-em "get-em of that door. Step over to the right a bit, you obscure the light." The big girl did not move. She stood with her hat pulled down above her narrowed eyes, one hand on her hip. "If you've got anything to say to me," she said coldly, "say it." Kate Cathrew leaped to her feet, but the man put out a hand and touched her. As if a spring had been released she sank down, obeying that calm touch like an automaton. "Miss ah Allison," said Arnold, "there is no need for dramatics. Neither will they avail you. WTe wanted to see you to talk business with you. So we sent for you." "So I see," said Nance, "or rather you kidnaped me." "Not so decided, please. We don't like such words. They are ah crude, I might say." "Not half so crude as you will find the methods of Nameless when this gets out, I guess," said Nance. "Heaven "Heav-en knows I don't amount to much, but I am likely to be a torch for a fire that's smoldering." "We have extinguishers," smiled Arnold. "Sky Line is a pretty fire department, de-partment, if I do say it. The thing for you to do just now is think. I'll give you ten minutes." "I don't need them," said Nance. "I've thought for several years about my father's death my brother's crippled crip-pled body my missing cattle my burned stacks and many other things. I'm thinking now about Sheriff Selwood Sel-wood and Bosslck's latest loss." The man's face hardened, yet a reluctant re-luctant admiration drew a slight smile across It. "You take liberties, Miss Allison. Are you not speaking In Jest a lit- Nance laughed bitterly, shifting her feet in their worn boots. "Afraid? No not of you nor of your hired rustlers nor Cattle Kate, there, with her paint and her tempers. tem-pers. I'm not afraid of anything but the wrath of God." At that Arnold laughed outright. "You have something yet to learn, I see. Very well, since you do not care to think I will outline briefly your situation. You know, of course, that you are at present In the power of Sky Line ranch. Reasoning backward back-ward you will come to the conclusion that there is a primal cause for this. Reasoning-forward you will know that there Is something which you can do for Sky Line, which It wants of you." "Of course," said Nunce, "the whole country knows that my flats on the river." Arnold frowned. He did not like that answer. "And how, may I ask, does the country know this?" "It knows what has happened to me for several years now and It judges the faces of your riders and their boss." "If you please, we'll leaye Miss Cathrew out of this," said Arnold crisply. "Yes?" asked Nance. "She's been the backbone of my troubles under you, no doubt and it Isn't likely I'll leave her out. If you have anything to say to me I'd advise you to say It nnd get it over before Nameless coines hunting me." "All Nameless may come hunting you. Miss Allison," returned the man, "hut it will not flud you. Now put your wits In order. Sky Line wants lliose finis on the river and means lo have fheni. We don't do things hy halves. What we undertake we finish. fin-ish. The lime lias come for decisive union. You have had many ah hints fo vacate nnd have foolishly disregarded dis-regarded t hem. Thai is like a woman. wom-an. A man would have gone long ago." "Not any man." Interrupted Nance, "my pappy didn't." "No?" said Arnold cruelly. "Is he here?" Quick tears misted the girl's eyes, lull the slowly throbbing anger burned them out. "Yes." she said promptly, "nnd always al-ways will he l 'he fool of our mountain "nil 111 Bud and me. He has not yel been conquered." Arnold dropped his dead cigarette Into n tall brass receptacle, rose and stepped Inl" the other mom. lie picked somelhlng from the desk there and came hark. "We come to cases." he said sharply. "I have here a pmperlv-niade-onl deed, conveying to Miss Cn threw for the consideration of one dollar, the quarter-section of land herein described, de-scribed, lylne alnna Nameless river, owned by the widow of John Allison, deceased, who took up said land under un-der the honiPStead act. This paper needs only the name of John Allison's widow ami two witnesses to make It 8 legal transfer of property. I am a notary. We can supply the witnesses the highly Important and necessary signature of John Allison's widow you will obligingly furnish at a price." Nance swept off her hat nnd struck It down aeainst her knee. A laugh broke stiffly on her tallow-white fare. "If I could swear." she said. "I'd tell you where to go, and what I thought you were. You may consider yourself told as it Is." Arnold became coldly grave. "You refuse?" "What do you think I du? I'ut your w!t in order I" The man turned and struck a bell which stood on a rosewood pedestal. Minnie Pine responded with suspicious promptness. "Send me Provine and Big Bas-ford," Bas-ford," said Arnold briefly, and the girl departed. The man did not speak again, nor did Nance. There came a shuffle and rattle of spur and the two Sky Line riders stood in the doorway of the room beyond, be-yond, having come through the kitchen. "Miss Allison," said Arnold, "I own the men of Sky Line, how or why is unimportant. What I tell them to do, they do. Am I not right, men?" Provine nodded easily. Big Basford spoke sullenly. "Yes, sir," he said. "All right. Now, my girl, consider. There Is on Sky Line a secret places " "I've always thought so," said Nance decidedly. "Be quiet. A place which the whole of Nameless Is not likely to find, so mysteriously is its entrance hidden. One could live thera for a lifetime undiscovered or be taken out as if on wings " "Like Bosswlck's disappearing steers 1" Arnold was exasperated, but held his temper. "Exactly," he said, "if you will. Now consider again. You are a pretty pret-ty fine specimen of a woman quite likely to appeal to men especially to men long denied feminine companionship companion-ship like Basford there." Nance flung a glance at Basford. His sullen, lowering face set in its thicket of beard with the red-rimmed eyes above was enough to chill the heart of any woman. The great apelike ape-like body added its own threat. Her own intrepid spirit felt a shock of horror, hor-ror, but that deep anger in her left little room for fear. She seemed to hear again Brand Fair's exultant words: "You'll never leave the line, Nance, never In this world !" With a dogged courage heaving through the anger she looked back at Arnold. "Well?" she said. KBig Basford hasn't had a woman of his own for many moons, I know. Now will you sign this deed or will you go with Basford to Rainbow's pot his blushing bride?" Nance's breast was heaving. Great breaths dilated her lungs and whistled out again. Her hands were shut tight, the fingers on her hat brim crimping tie weathered felt. She thought of her mammy of Bud of their long labor and the hardships hard-ships they had borne. She thought of the cabin on Nameless of its white scrubbed floors Its homely comfortsj and all it meant to them and to her. It was her pappy's dream of empire It had been hers. She thought of Brand Fair and of Sonny. Of Brand nnd Bud who would sure start the fire fo burning in all the lonely reaches at news of her disappearance and "I'm as good as most men," she said, "to take care of myself. I wouldn't sign that paper to save you nnd all your rustler nest from eternal damnation damna-tion ! And that's my last word." Arnold snapped his fingers. "Enough," he said, "we'll see what a night In Rainbow's pot will do for you. Basford my compliments. I give yon the beautiful lady. Troperly disciplined dis-ciplined she'll make you a fine wife." But Big Basford shook his unkempt head. "She's a yellow woman." he said contemptuously, "I don't want her." and his hungry eyes went helplessly toward the dark splendor of Kate Cathrew In her velvet chair. Provine surged forward, a sudden excitement In his snaky orbs. "I do," he cried, "try me !" Arnold laughed. "Good! I like an eager lover. You may guard Miss Allison inside, and Basford shall take the place I had intended for you outside the Flange. We'll talk business some more tomorrow. tomor-row. We bid you adieu, Miss Allison, I hope by morning you will be more amenable to reason." Without a backward glance Nance turned and strode away between her guards. Resistance was useless, sli well knew. "The hand of God," she said calmly "is ever before my face. Neither you nor yours can do me harm for the Lord shall preserve me from all evil. He shall preserve my soul. And He did not make me strong for nothing," she added. "I shall leave It all to Him." (TO EE CONTINUED.) |