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Show strange surroundings, eager to dls cover what she could attempt next She had escaped from that hell underground, under-ground, yet was but little better off than before. She was upon the edge of the desert stretching outward toward the Meager ranch. It would be impossible to cross this on foot, with neither food nor water to sustain sus-tain her; nor could she for a moment contemplate seeking refuge there, even if It were possible. Her only hope was to circle that hidden chasm, and then endeavor to find her way north until she reached some human habltai tlou. The hope of accomplishing thU was the merest mirage; the attempt probably meant death. She had np horse, no food, yet somehow, in the exhilaration of that first moment of release, she could not wholly despair. God had been good ; she would go on courageously, and trust Him. She arose to her knees, and looked about. It was a lonely, contracted scene, amid which she was concealed. Some rift in the rocks led down to that opening through which she had just crept, Terhaps It had formed a watercourse in other ages, but now the sand of the desert had drifted fa, and covered all with a yellow mantle of desolation. The sides were too steep to scale even on foot, the loose sand foiling every attempt, so she was compelled to follow the course of the defile In seeking a way out. For the first few yards of advance the girl had no suspicion she was not alone. A patch of sagebrush limited her view, and she was threading her way through these, when the sound of a voice speaking caused her to crouch suddenly sud-denly down In the midst of the thicket and He motionless, scarcely daring to breathe. It was the voice itself which paralyzed her every volition, a voice instantly recognized, never to be forgotten for-gotten the voice of Bob Meager. He was not dead, then; the blow struck had no more than stunned the man, and nnd she was his wife. Deborah's fingers dug at the sand In sudden agony, as the hideous thought came home anew to her mind. In some mysterious way he must have discovered what had occurred, suspected sus-pected that she and Kelleen had ridden rid-den away together, and then followed like an Indian on the trail. She lifted her head suddenly ; another voice spoke quietly, Indifferently. Surely the voice was familiar; it must have been Kelleen himself who spoke. She crept forward inch by inc.'i, crouching low behind the sage until she could see the figures of two men. Neither one faced her; Meager sat on the side of the bank, his horse grazing just beyond, while the "Frisco Kid" remained In the saddle, his mount still breathing heavily, as though he had only just arrived after a hard ride. "Well, what difference does it make?" he asked quietly. "Am I In on this or not?" "Of course you're In now," was the surly response. "I reckon that was what caused you to show up In these parts, ain't It? I wondered what was being pulled off when you rode in last night. Say, 'Kid,' who really piped it to you Casebeer or Garrlty?" "The less you know about that the longer you'll live, Bob," Kelleen replied re-plied calmly. "It is enough that I do know, not only what you are up to out here, but that It was also your game to double-cross me. You tried the same game once before, Boh. The scheme has never worked very well. You haven't got the brains to do It with. Casebeer never told me anything; any-thing; nor Garrlty. All I needed was to know you and your kind. You were never honest In your life, nnd when I heard about this deal it was easy enough to figure what was up." "What deal, 'Kid'? What do you mean?" "This ranch inheritance Garrlty fixed up so nicely for you. No, I haven't all the dope not yet. But I'm on my way to it, all right ; the rawest deal I ever heard about, and It will blow up like a punctured balloon Just as soon as your stepmother gets nerve enough to see a good lawyer. That's true, ain't It, Boh?" "Tlie nlil mnn left It to me." "Yes, he did not. I was down In old Mex when I first heard what was going on up here. Yming Clair got hold of one end of the story somehow and told It to me. You rememba Clair?" "lie worked here on the rnfioh." "Yes; that's what made him talk. He's square, tbnt kid, and you fired him, and every other American on tk place; then put on Mexicans. That made him sore. When he told mi that I enme pretty near knowing whg was up." "You did, hey I Wanted a hand lc the game?" "Why shouldn't I, Boh? I held yon up when you was flat, didn't I? There Is no reason why you should forge! me now. I n you I I mean to let that you don't. That's what I'm here for. Now listen I'm on to wtat lr going to be pulled off tonight thlt Cusebeer business. You sent Huneliei and his helper over here to take car of the Casebeer outfit tliat'i right. Isn't It?" Meager growled something Indistinctly, Indis-tinctly, his eyes angrily watchful, but Kelleen renuilnof on guard. (TO BE CONTINUED.) |