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Show .THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY FULL MOON less determined, until, finally, they came to A Tale of Romance, Adventure, and Sudden Death of a Lover, a L Nymph, and a Madman. a halt as abrupt aa tho outbreak of their madness.., Stuart sighed and relaxed la his addle and regarded them with accusing sad. neae. Tou hurt my hand.1" he aald. They stood with bowed heads, their chests heaving, their flanks, beyond tho canvas pack covers, white with sweat. about tour o'clock In tho afternoon Stuart addressed the flea bitten mere' next Minnie, he said seto him on th rope. verely, you're a damned old fool! Tour twenty years old. If youre a day, and X never saw you buck before In your life. I suppose every rope on bo.th of you is loose by now. Suddenly ho paused and hla eyelids narrowed. " What In the world waa th matter with you, any- meditated. h , way?" AT Stuart left the ehlmmering openneaa the river valley be bad been follow Inf all day, and, tordlnf a little stream that came In from tbe northwest, took the road that ran. emootb and 'damp and shadowy, through tbe undulatinf pine foreet at tbe base of the mountain.- - Every now and .then tbe pines thinned out a trifle, and beyond thetr tlpmoet feathery spires he cautt glimpses, to right and left of him, of the distant snow peaks, piercingly whit against a blue, cloudless sky. After the brilliant tawny and gray green of the plain, where, above the sagebrush, the beat danced' la , Iridescent waves, this plunge Into the coolness of trees was like submersion In sunset of hie Interest faded back Into th landscape, and the primeval world of foraat and encircling mountains stepped back Into Its own. The little breeze eeemed the only animat thing. Then the willows parted and a allra for an instant on tho sand. shape stood " Stuart uttarly unprepared. Ho had been expecting the Utho shadow of a cougar, but this other apparition was altogether more disconcerting. For all that ha knew there waa no on within twelve miles of him save Prendegast, and Prendegast, h had been told, lived alone. The figure, slim as a wll. lot? wand, was indistinct and glimmering, hut about the cropped head, golden and curly, all the light of the dusk seemed to concern Toure out r for- the summer? ' Bhe seemed to find all thla quietly amusing. He wondered why. What are you? ah asked. "A cow" boy?" , For th time being No,! said 8tuart- Im a foreet ranger, and, when I have time. Im la writer. Where do you come from, anyway? 8he pursed her lips. Ive always heard that was bad manners In th west, she 'said. She sat up straight and caught her Sines you really knee between her hands. - want to know, she continued with ?shy audacity, "111 tell you all. I ara 19, and my - He looked up and down the road. In tho sober light of ths approaching duek it Wy empty and unrevealing, u n c annily quiet. It, seemed to d 8tuart, after the excitement of tho last few minutes. Behind him ths stream chuckled abeent mind-dly- , as If remembering a little joke of its own. Th rank, sweet evening smell of alder and most assailed his nostrils. His' gaze slowly traveled over the, surrounding hushes and open places until It rested on j tho damp beneath his ground ponys feet; for a moment It halted there, hla yes opening wide, his lips pursed In a soundless " Humph!" ho whistle. he said, and, twisting ths lead reps shout tho horn of his saddle, he dismounted and traced with a finger the huge catlike tracks that . In places were half obliterated by th Imprint of the stampeding horses. " Mountain lion!" ha murmured. "About half an hour -- -- here just a little way. Cant I take you to where you are going? " She smiled. Are you still afraid f mountain lions after living in Wyoming eight years? Good night! " " Good night? he answered, helplessly. Something that had never before happened to Stuart happened at that moment; a curious, panic stricken longing that ran through his veins and contracted his throat and made him, feel at one and tha same time g and astonishingly slate; acutely a giddy, agonized joy. With eyes apparently steady, he watched the gtrl turn and walk lowly into th darkness, but when she was half way across th clearing he called. Shs waited irresolutely. Ho hurried over to her and looked down at her. Ho noticed that tha smlla on her lips hovered un-- . certainly and changed to a twisted, apprehensive aeif-pltyln- Iine..na'tKIsmadehlm angry. "Dont he foolish? ho said hastily, gruffly. What do' you think I multi-emotione- It was very quiet along the road. The showed no signs of recent travel. The foreet slept In tho golden Iridescence of the warm day. Occasionally a squirrel chat- taint ruts tered. with the sound of a giant grasshopper, and from time to time a bidden stream broke tbs silence with its remote murmuring. A faint breeze, hardly a breeze. It waa so Imperceptible, carried the mingled scent of moss and sunburnt grass and rosin and wild , flowers. Stuart pushed his battered sombrero beck Angers am?" "I dont know, murmured. " I dor Ha apoka with with the precis calmness of fear. UI only wanted te tell you thlg." Hla words tumbled over one another, " Somehow; somewhere, IH find you, and when ji do It will be for good youll not leave me again. Tou understand?" It waa with difficulty that ha kept hla hands from her slender shoulders; in their whits dinging ahlrt there was shout them both friendliness and provocation, a mixture of boy and woman. Ho felt foolishly sorry for those shoulders! For a moment sh mot bis eyes, her own widening, then she sighed and lowered her head, and walked ' away, her shadow merging Into th shadow of ' ths forest. As for Stuart. ho went back to ths fire. A great moon cams up over tha mountains te th east Th world was frosted with silver; grew ethereal. Tims hung sus- p d . she ih rough bis moist blond hair. Ho cocked one leg ever tbe fork of his saddle, and, bolding loosely In hie right hand tba alack of the rope with which ho was leading hla two pack horses, proceeded to roll and light a cigaret, " Twelve miles to Placer, bo sold to himself "a trail that turns off through' tho trees to the left. And I loft Placer about an hour and a half ago Placer City! He smiled at the grandiose name and hla recollection of tho lopilded store and battered blacksmith shop which were "tho citys" Twelve miles! It must be only bulldlnga. about six miles farther on, then. You come up over a little rise, sad then there's a road off to tho left, towards the lake." Ha drew In a deep breath of cigaret smoko and let It curl out from hla mouth and noss i ago? with somnolent satisfaction. "Jimmie," h He raised hie head and said out loud, leading over and patting tho t stared at the dejected nck of tho gray pony he waa riding, you've ' Minnie. " I dont blame had a long, hot day, hut this Is nice, isn't It? , you anawful lot," ho And soon well bo homo for the night with assured her. "Touve go! Ur. Prendegast whatever that may mean. a better nose than I have, with murderJimmie, do you like to bunk-ubut youve lived long ers? Well, perhaps ha wasnt on. They enough to know that never were sure, were theyt So don't gists mountain lions wont pended la aa argent disc. believe gossip if we can help It. He brought . hurt you, havent you? Stuart smoked Innumerwith a gentle slap on tho. bis hand-dow- n able pipes. Wyoming They're harmless aa kittens. Well He got waa small when It came ponya wither. " Com on? he said. " Hat to his feet. "I guess to finding people Ho goT And without removing hla leg from find this girl towould this Is where w camp. tho fork ho relaxed to the gentle dog trot. ffe lit d pstcA and etroda over f m pila at sacking in an corner. ' Lying upan it, watching him with wida morrow. Hip head shaken those Behind him two pack animals responded Touv eyes, her mauth gaggad with dpi handkerchief and her feet and hande Had, waa tha girt. to tho rope with amiable obedience. packs up ao that It would' drooped forward on hla take ms half an hour to throw them. Mr. The road ran straight as an arrow until trate. Confused memories of the Attic trainknees. How white th moon was! How first name Is Margaret, and I was brought fool of Prendegast will have to wait until tomorrow it was lost In th converging columns of the white girls were! He had mad ing of his university came back to Stuart. , up In Chicago. , bell around for tho pleasure of our company. Lets look Tho hadnt! ho trees. It seemed like soma mammoth exhimself! No, This was some faun wandered from the hills "Thanks!" said Stuart. "Thats a lot, for good feed, Jimmie." A clamation mark accentuating the ystery of Minnies neck dnkled Ilk th swaying of th of Greece to those of Wyoming; a faun bent It? Here's your bacon and your potalan't . and tree of world this dumb, calyx of a columbine made audible. upon lyric mystery of his own. From th He gathered up the reins of tho gray pony toes and bread. My name is John, and I'm thicket. Here and there th cathedral-listream came Before he cam to Prendegast and tha a the For of water and ths and led the three horees upstream. twenty-nine.- " splash on tho 'lake there waa dawn, and solemnity gave way for a brief moment to sudden Joyous gurgling laughter of a girl's ranch short distance an alder thicket drove him She took the proffered food demurely. crimand with lupin purpl voice. open spaces gay Stuart turned and fled on noiseless breakfast, with th smell of bacon and Coffee back into the forest, but a hundred yards , Thank you, John! she said. ' where small blue son sweet upon tho new air, and some trouble feet. to to so above or this disappeared give way They at In silence, the blue, duek deepenbutterflies danced la tho lengthening rays of , tho clean award of a plantation of large In catching Minnie, who had a feminine disHe bent over his small firs and soberly ing about them. When tho meal was over the sun. In on of these a yearling moose, taste for leaving pleasant surroundings, hut scattered firs. Here the etream twisted to cooked bacon. He was overwhelmed with Stuart rolled a cigaret He looked across by 10 o'clock of tho next morning Stuart shadow of r rain, black and sinister as the th right and a Shining little meadow, knee curiosity and extremely lonely, with a lonell- tha flr. Would you llko one, too? he had got started, and an hour later throe ftarsd at Stuart with unfriendly curiosity beness foreign to his deep in grass, with a hill beyond, came down and wanderasked. , fore trotting reluctantly away Into the timmiles or so from hi meadow he found th to tho water's edge. Stuart felt the tired ing young life. Dusk had grown perceptible, Theres nothin Bleasel " she held out a hand. which hla friend Nevfll had told him ber. "Good! "said Stuart trail horse! quicken their walk. making faint and shadowy tha mountains and to led like being cordial. Is there? were Prendegaet'a. It waa more than a taka I It said Stuart, that you all but the nearest trees. From th right At the brink of tho stream he halted and was a twisted road that within a He was extremely content; he was grow- V It school? trail; a fashionable educated at cam th gentle cropping of his horses'and with the dexterity of an old hand unslung ' few feet lost itself In tha pines. On Its ing pleasantly hungry, and this was his clga-re- t She was tinkle the chuckled. lit I the She of Minnie' him-ebell. Stuart felt his panniers end unsaddled and slipped lf brown surface there wer no signs of travel favorite hour of th day approaching dusk. 'suffused with an impression Infinitely with adroitness. "It seems to mo, sh hobbles on tho slim ankles of his horses. and to walk a down H pulled his hors except a pony track perhaps a week old. delicate and tender; something whit and continued thoughtfully, blowring out smoke, Around Minnies neck ho fastened a bell. cocked hts leg atill higher, and reached Into Except for this. It was given over entirely to " that you yourself talk rather oddly for a Minnie was popular, and where she went appealing as spring. He raised hi head and tho pocket of hla shirt for another cigaret drowsy alienee and alternate pools of sunsaw a dim ahaps standing at th edge of ths forest ranger." went the other two. It was ths work of only over and shadow. shine little stream, A wide, shining running a few mlnutee as well to spread out a clearing. Irresolute, It seemed to him, between Stuart grinned. "Since youve been so and before him, and sand find nothing there," Nsvill had pebbles, lay "Toull crystal flight and approach. His mood became mors bed, arrange th few cooking utenIlluminating about your own past," h anha crossed this and cam out on tho wet , "tarp "but said, scenery and Prendegast, It certain and Intimate. Thors was a growing sils, and unpack th pannier containing Jh swered, "Ill confess to you that I am a road beyond, and then, as la usually th csss, s Isnt it's a view. Prendegast acorns ranch, buildInsvitableness tho about this Incident. "Come provisions. There remained only graduate of Princeton and that my original Uvea on what Is sent him 'from He particularly whir hors are concerned, at " farming. in! he celled quietly. He realized that there homo was Now Tork." ing of a firs and the fetching of a bucket of east. His thla most peaceful of moments, disaster, th only helper Is a Victor talking wae need of hla most reassuring voice, of hla water from the stream. , "And you Uv out hero all the time?" machine. . Aa a writer youU bo repaid." swift apd grotesque, overtook him. most He disarming manner.. bent once more When Stuart had completed these prepara"Most of the time for the past sight WhoaT ho yelled, and threw his right over the bacon. ,, Stuart began to think that h would bo hla arms and and stood stretchod he tions I was In th army a while. up years. and th into back straightened Stirrup before the trail, or road, had led him very far 'eg looked towards ths west. Ths sun was down Whep ho looked up tho girl was standing He waved hla hand toward the forest. " Do up In his saddle and wheeled hts horse about dim way. Th bottom of a small its along by tho Are. her hands thrust deep In tho behind the mountains, whose snows were you think it a foolish thing to do? " at tho same time taking a couple of turns wooden box, nailed to a tree, attracted his pockets , of her brown riding breeches, her now turning blood red, but warmth etlll reShe became suddenly grave, turning her with tho lead rope about the horn of hi attention. Ho stopped hi horse and stood head above th whit shirt open at the neck, mained In flecked From saffron air. the head toward the distant mountains, black H saddle. objurgated hla pack string. up In his stirrups to read tho inscription. back thrown In th attitude of a shy, half silhouettes against a iky fast losing all color. beyond the little hill Stuart thought there ' "Whoa! Tou damn fools! Whoa! What In Written in pencil, In a straggling hand, war " O bo! " aho said, with a catch In her voice, suspicious fawn. Her brown eyes alone were came to him tho sound of louder water, Inthunder 1 Well, buck then, damn .you! thp following words: and " It la lovaly beyond all Imagining. I think so If were a and thla there friendly Inquisitive, fall, dicating Buck!" "To all you who com this wsyl Attenshould be a deep pool or two. colored by the Well?" said Stuart. It la th very most worth while thing to do They did. Th Impeccable stillness of th tion! If you lov Gods creatures, and Intend in tho world. twilight, cool and pwlft, enticing to a man She drew back a little. " Well? " eh said. road was broken by unexpected furloue welcome! Otherwise, stay them U11 clung to him, damp with the whose shirt " "Thanks!" Stuait looked up with sympaof hoofs tho clatter Have movement and sound; by you had supper? out! " H 6f an half hour back. started I didn't make It, but I love It exertions thetic eyes. No " on th soft ground; by tho straining and "Rickard Pb.vdboast." Signed: off at a tret, unbuttoning hla ahlrt aa he - - all the eame." Ho watched her for a moand lash-eSit down, then," arse king sf psanler and His sons of drama was Stuart grinned. went. In ths silence his feet, swishing in ths ment of alienee; when he apoke It was whh He poured out a cup of coffee. Black Shadows, careering Insanely, cut Cream? quickened. grass, msde a sound unnaturally loud. unexpected earnestness. "Would you mind across the misty yellow and aquamarine Heres the can. Bugar? Wait a minute At th end of possibly s mil th road waa of hill a th of At Jack thla top of tho clump nimbus of th trees. In th middle Ill put my mackinaw under you. The telling me seriously who you are? ho asked. dipped sharply and cams up over a rounded She turned toward him swiftly, as It her pins, and In this concealing thickness Stuart Stuart, calm except for two spots of color ground Is damp. knoll, beyond which was a etragglng house revsri had been unpleasantly disturbed. He went on with his preparations, from In hla sunburned cheeks, rained his (horee paused and looked down. Hla aurmlse had of logs. Stuart halted and surveyed th Then she jumped to her feet, petting her been correct. A few feet below him the under lowered ej elide watching her where econo with eyes that widened with delight lightly from side to old to keep taut the breeches as if they were a skirt. "6 po! over a inosnsed minlature he his burden between cross him and stream, eat Ho waterfail, was pouring This legged. rope puzzled. From the ranch houze th ground fall sway sh said lightly. " O no! Tou should never formed a basin of glistening sand with a deep was no native girl; gesture and flgur were carriers. Ia hla hazel eyee were astonishIn a green rolling meadow, studded with thicket of willows on ths farther tide. too dainty; young arms, below sleeves rolled carry m meeting like this any further. I ment and anger and a certain amUaed irrigreat parklike fire, to the shoreo of a lake must b going to tho elbows, too whit and finely textured. "Heaven! said Stuart to himself. "Altotation. Onoa he apoke without lowering his that looked to he at least three miles across. "Just like this? Her hair, moreover, had boon cropped by a head. "Don't you buck, too, Jlmmlsr ho gether heavenl Some day Ill com back How long It was it was Impossible to guess, -Just llko this! and camp for a month! admonished th gray, who, every muscle of hand appreoiatlva of eastern fashion. Tet, And, with th as to north and pouth it lost Itself behind How slim and appealing sh was, with ths words still lingering In his mind, he suddenly for a U anger to thla wilderness, she waa hla round sleek body alert, wee playing the A light breeso was pine covered islands. dusk all about her and tha glow of tho fir and calm. dropped to bis knots sad with held breath gams with squln satisfaction. " Steady! and remarkably stirring, rippling th grass and'wlld flowers " Where are you camped? " he asked.' shining up Into bar eye and up her halrt and betting heart stared st the willows opweve got 'em!" of ths mtadow and turning to a brokenjmlr Like a young aspen v tree htouched by a 'moon- For a (w- - minute th brealhleee Jlttle forVif lnrUimvmblo refractions the shining posite. Faint but unmistakable, there hd , Che smiled faintly, He wished she wotil hint the Creak ot 'branches'' indiceb da it again; the lovelUet little wrinkles cams'" light: drams tlonCaoed wkfi uszbste4-v!gar,--eawater. On (b opposite, dlstarit 'shore snow Z at th end of her long eyes. "Just a short But look he-Stuart stammered. then the movement of the pack horses grew lug the approach of some living ciestare. mountains, serried and dazzling, raised their lean violent and the pounding of their hoofs .. For that moment both man and the object distance swty, she answered casually, . Theres I saw a i .ountain lion track back peaks. ' - t Bearer i water. ' from his forebead end ran his 13, 1921. k ' Indlan-paint-brue- Why? -- no-hsr- pack-saddl- p. v d a. el Stuart was so engrossed With th unspetis ah! beauty of this panorama that jt was net until several seconds lator that h bees fully awar pf ths figure la th foreground! a man sitting on th porch of th ranch house, reading a newspaper, Isis legs, encased In riding breeches and puttsea, cocked up on tho railing befora him. Apparently ho was totally unaware of Stuarts approach. Stuart rod a few fast further and dismounted, throwing his lead rope to th ground so that th pack horse could reach tba luxuriant grass. He walked up to the poreh and crossed to the man's eld his spurs and high heeled boots ringing and clattering on th boards. Over ths mans shoulder hs caught sight of th heading of th paper ha was reading; It was a Now Tork Bun.six weeks old. Without turning hla head tha nun spoke. "Tie your horses up! he said sharply, hut with ne particular Interest. "X have trouble m keeping this place decent as tt la. Th aoceota were those of culture. The remark Vas so unexpected, eo preposterous, the stolid inattention so uncanny, that Stuarts carefully prepared Introduction stumbled on his lips. "Hurry up!" said tha man. Behind them, another voles, calm and , hoarse, spoke. , "Test Tsai" tt said Judicial- ly. " Get to hell out of here! , Stuart, his fee flaming with anger, wheeled. .Tho situation waa passing th J bounds of acceptance. His irrltattdn dissolved Into laughter. From a cage sst bo- neath the eaves of ths poreh a magpii looked .down at him with head on one side and I ' beady eyes alert and inquisitive " Thats Billy, explained tho man in ths Chair. I havb taught him what X find la a ' , useful phrase. Thanks! said Stuart, curtly. "Ill ha off." man sprang from his chair. "O h betgged In tones of genu-- . Ids concern. " I havent talked to a civilized member of my own sex for months. O, dont do that! Tou misunderstand me. .At first X that you war thought from your cloth a cowboy, X have my reasons for Im not particularly fond of tho native westerner. Ill put your horses up for yon In the barn. Ha waa aa exceedingly tall man, topping Stuhrtg alx feet by at least two Inches; tall and thin; but hla thinness was steel-likbrown flannel , and wall muscled. From shirt, open down to tho seoopd button, arose a powerful sunburned neck. Above this, a sharp auburn beard, streaked with gray,1 ran up to cheeks weather beaten and slightly sunken. It waa tha eyes, however, that particularly arrested Stuarts attention. There was something about them, ho derided, that made them- - tha most uncomfortable eyes ho had aver ston. Just 'what this Vas hs could not be sure; possibly a cold, almost cruel indlffereno. but more llksly, he thought, sly, immense egotism, such os' hs had assn before in tha eyes of elderly, lonely men, but never to such an extant, "Very well! hs said, mollified. . "Lets ha going, then! They led tho horses out to a barn beyond ths house. From a box stall, roughly mads, a coai black Any raised her head and whinnied. Prendegaats gray eyee loot their opaqueness and ahon with u&txpectid tenderness. "Thats Flosris! hs said. "I broke her thla year." Ha took th satiny neck between hla arms and whispered In th Allys ears. Stuart with difficulty began te relate what ha heard to what ha was serin g. At all events Prendegast, whatever hs waa and whatever h had dona, wag displaying an unexpected angle of haracter. Hla quick sympathies found themselves ready to enlist on th rid of tills lonely and, so hs was beginning to think, much misunderstood man. . Prendegast 1st go of th fillys neck. " rm fond of animals, h said. " Would you liks to ess my menagerie? Bo guldsd 8tuart to th hack of tk hCuse, where there waa an open space of grata, he- fore, a hundred feet away, one case to th serried pins of th forest Along th log wall were arranged half a dozen large packing boxes, and near these extemporised shelters, in various attitude of sleep or a search-- , lng for food, waa a curious assortment of creatures; a badger, a weasel, a deliberate and charming skunk, two wild gees a, sad a raven. They sprang to attention at Front-last- s arrival and watched him with eager and understanding eyas. Tha gees, la single fils, fall In behind him with rldieulau waddling, military precision. " Tou mean," said Stuart, " that thsy asvsr hurt each other? " Prandagast spoke with auch simplicity of conviction that his words did net sound absurd. "Nsvorl" h said. If thsy did they would know what to expect" Hs approached th furthest box, th door of which was dosed, and, lifting a trap, thrust In hla hand. "This la my latest friend," he said. "I found him yesterday with a broken wing. Ive set It" A wounded hawk, fierce eyed, the eplloms of the wilderness, cam out on hts wrist "Gentle, eld man!" h warped. "Gentle! Feeling better? " The hawk twisted his neck about as If ooqusttlshly pleased and climbed to shoulder. Prondegaet reached tip and stroked ths brown body. In a single day! hreathed Stuart Prandsgaat looked at ths sky and spoke as If to blmsalf. Thar Is nothing," Jie said softly. "I cepnot bend Is ray will." Hi gaze returned to Stuart " ToU have yet to see ths prise of , my collection," he added. Into his eyas had Th dont do that! e . Pren-degse- -- " . Continued sa following pagoj ts |
