Show I 1 GIFT OF THE DESE ab KT dy PARRISH copyright by A C IVE KILLED SYNOPSIS on the isolated meaner meager ranchi ranch on the mou southern thern border Debo deborah rali meredith trained nurse la in in attendance on mrs meager whose husband has recently boon been killed immediately after the death dob meager mrs mra Moa bl eagers gerB bropson Bt opson arrives and takes possession ira he insults insulza deborah and she ahe resolves resolved to leave but there seems booms no possibility pt her getting away meager gloats bloats over deboraha Deb Debo orahn plight ile ho tells her bar he has sent for a justice of the pence peace who will marry them tomorrow norri tied fled the girl secures a revolver the justice just loo cornelius garrity scoundrel and bosom friend of meager arrives with a party among them the frisco kid 11 notor toun loun desperado despite deboraha Dob oraha protests the justice performs the marriage ceremony she escapes and reaches liar her room there sho stuns meager with the revolver and rushes to the stables hoping to secure a horse and escape there drift aha meets the frisco kid somehow lie he inspires liar her with confidence and she explains the situation the kid tells tier her his name Is daniel kelleen Kell cen that he Is no friend of meager CHAPTER V continued 5 yes I 1 will tell you daniel irel leen sho libe said gravely 1 I roust must trust someone and you scent to bethe one sent kent all I 1 know ot of you Is that you are nn an american I 1 nia am an american also and a woman it if that does not appeal to you then nothing else will I 1 have told you already who I 1 am nud and 4 how flow I 1 come came here the remainder of the story atory Is brief I 1 have had nothing to do with bob meager since he returned immediately after his fathers sudden death there was no opportunity for me to lean tho the ranch so I 1 remained in care of mrs meager I 1 never even encountered dob bob but once then ho he came unexpectedly into hta his stepmothers room ile he was brutal and insulting to us both after that I 1 kept out of ills way and ho he apparently ignored my presence entirely I 1 did notice however that ho he was getting rid of till nil tile he old employees on the ranch ranc h and replacing them with M mexicans exi cans evidently Irvi dently he wanted no americana Americ uns about him 1 I understand not his kind so I 1 thought but with no conception that lint tills change had bad any refer ence to me 64 it did have then atheni so it seems now no he came upon me suddenly alone last evening there was no chance for mp me to get away and I 1 had to listen to what lid said sho she dropped tier her face into her hands but instantly lifted it again and went on tier her voice strengthening with in kelleen made no move lie lift IIA ans not even decent about ant lie he had to say I 1 was merely a chattel lie had to deal with a slave to use ns as lie he pleased it sound true it Is true every word on said tile alio other oilier dispassionately 1 I know bob meager lle he said bald lie was going to marry roe me lie ask me about it nt at all just stated it as a fact when I 1 tried to object tile tho brute just laughed and asked liow how I 1 was going to help myself ile he made we tile realize tile the situation I 1 was in without nn an american left on the ranch and aind those miles of desert stretching ehing away on oil every side then lie told we everything was arranged for tills his very night A a man was coming out from nogales to marry us lie ile suld said I 1 better go into tho the house bouse and get ready then lie he laughed loii hed again and went away lie lic he afraid to leave me mere alone etione for there was no place where I 1 could tilde hide i no to ranch 1 I 1 I was mis hardly annily sane but but after awhile I 1 went back to the house what else IV was is I 1 could do nothing I 1 reckon unless you killed the cuss what lid did you do TI I 1 up my mind to do even flint ll 11 slip she confessed 1 I 1 stole a re w olye from the bunkhouse willie while tile re nt iness acos and then locked my own room to wait along ayour niep the outfit rodo rode in from arm there was ivas nothing for nie tto to do but inet alt desperately I 1 to stay th there e re and defend my aay pelf behind that locked door but bai that lint devil tricked me lie ile got mrs menger meager to wll coll to me from tile the hall baying silo elio lind had one of her bad turns and I 1 opened the door to help tier her 1 I 1 I hardly know what that t tried to explain to tho the man who came to marry us but lie ho listen no ile was just juet a creature bolt boh meager had find picked up to servo him sure I 1 know film garrity hed murder ills his mother for a drink of booze B but 11 t Is lie jio really a judge iles hes a justice of the peace down at nogales then I 1 was really married it it was legal darn it if I 1 know about that I 1 think likely tile the whole outfit would swear you consented who were la in the gang juan sanchez a ranch for foreman trulan and a black faced follow fellow who came out from nogales negates fl aryan flardan swear anything bob told themi them to make were married till nil right nut but ini im not not bowl not now what do you mean ivo evo killed him I 1 CHAPTER VI A now new alliance for a moment nelleen did not move movel then impulsively he groped for her hand in fit the darkness you killed him film you did sa sak I 1 tike like you he exclaimed earnestly 4 you are sure some girl you lire are but are you certain you killed him film I 1 1 I 1 I 1 think so yes t aho stammered totally surprised by the way in which lie greeted tier news but 1 I 1 I out am not exactly sure all ail I 1 know Is ho he Is lying thero on the hopr floor of my room and and lie ho never moved after he was struck 11 struck youdia you did not shoot then no I 1 had no chance I 1 got away from thero them and ran to my room where I 1 meant to lock myself in but someone someone find taken the key I 1 shut the door behind me anti and got goethe the revolver out of a drawer to self rho men followed but stopper stopped outside in tho the hall liall I 1 could hear them anti and talk then they went bock back to tile the front room again bob was so sure I 1 get away lie wa ant afraid to leave roe me there ile he planned 0 to o get drunk first and then come back sure that would be his style and you waited you try to get away get awnet away I 1 where could I 1 go only out into the desert and those men would have trailed me if I 1 tried that yes I 1 waited in the dark desperate determined to kill him when he came and lie he canto came finally so drunk he could hardly stand but ugly with tho the liquor I 1 do not seem to remember exactly what did happen he and jeered nt at me anti and got hold of the weapon before I 1 had courage to alre then wo we struggled and the grip ofa of hla his hands drove nie me nind mad the v volver olver fell to the floor but I 1 got it and struck at him with all my might that was all he just lay there and nover never moved I 1 could see ece hla his face in i the starlight but hut but I 1 make myself touch him 1 I 1 I believed he was dead that I 1 had killed him never mind attle girl interrupted kelleen elleen 1 firmly maybe to 10 was but I 1 doubt it guys like that are not croaked so easy then 1 take it you ran yes 1 I 1 I stay there and I 1 thought perhaps there might bo be a chance if I 1 could only find a borso somewhere I 1 knew the others were nil all drunk and I 1 would not be missed before morning 7 livid to try and 11 nd that was how I 1 came to bo be here you you understand now yes I 1 understand and I 1 nm going to stay with you but farst lets get this straight hf the main question Is are you ready to trust me as it a white annn yes I 1 rm nm means a lot more than you think right now he went on but evidently encouraged by her tone because it aint going to be so fio easy setting getting away I 1 dont take any stock in bobs being dead hes got n knock out nil all and when whan lie ho comes to himself again lies hes going to be raving hellhake Hell have every rider on tilts this ranch on our trail and the best wu can reckon on Is maybe three hours start you got to stay with me and do just what I 1 ny ay and girl that sure means you must trust me plumb to the limit do you sabo sabe that this aint going to be no canter between hero here ond and nogales the only char charce co weve got Is to hide out first in the desert and then in the hills im telling it t to you rough but you better know it now lhnn inter you mean maan we shall have hare to be alone together for for foe some tinie time tle the stuff we aint going to have on an easy kallop gallop into town you dont know alno me from adam and it if you did I 1 reckon you go a mile with me I 1 aint very highly thought of aloni along ehla chis border rh say that there aint roan mail would bould choose me fer n partner a fact more I 1 aint got nothing to say to you except that im going to play equate if you trust roe me rit ril bring you through safi e nouh nou h in cue way or another buts but itow dont teel eel that you can go the limit then ifie fhe best for you to do maybe Is to stay here and scrap it out with bob meager A my ly notion la is thle athla running away with hla big wife a aint ilaa t going 1 to goa to be no snap even for me and n d darned a ed if im going to tackle tho the job except youre of a mind to go clear ahr through ough with me you think I 1 am hla his wife then that lie he Is really ellve 1 I a doubt of it at least I 1 nm am going to proceed on that theory meager Is the ono one we have jot got to escape from if lie he recovers hy by daylight from that roi raj you gave him lie Is going to lead us a merry chase every of a start wo we get th tho 0 better but I 1 want you to got get it glit will you go with me there was an eager earnestness in hla his voice of which sho was fully con cent scions yet some wily this did not frighten tier her the one vision of bob meager drunk and grasping her fier in ills his arms dominated all else and left tier her careless of tiny any lesser danger lin pul she thrust out her hand in silent allent promise you mean yes 1 I mean yes I 1 trust you fully ab sol I 1 will do exactly as you say to it la Is bound to bo be soffie borno test young lady indy lio lie returned gravely releasing her hand and rising to ills his feet but I 1 reckon I 1 wont jet you regret it nobody ever trusted dan kelleen yet and found him film a piker were pard ners nera now lets go of ne he picked up tip a saddle from tho the bed of hay on which lio lie had been resting found another hanging on a stake driven into a beam and with both lung flung carelessly over ills his shoulder emerged through the open door doe into tile tho starlight deborah Debo rali followed closely a new feeling of relief giving light ness to her step she was no longer alone unguided something about the lie words and actions of the man brought conil confidence dence the situation was pla plainly lilly no novelty to him he had ben a fugitive before and had learned every trick in the hard school of experience alin whatever tover had find happened to boh bob menger meager it was clearly evident the fellow had not yet recovered conscious ID D nl ni but I 1 like your ness and it wn was hardly fikely likely ills his fellows would become aroused until lie lid sounded tile the alarm tie the way of escape still remained open but no oni one could tell for liow how long success might hang hanff upon moments ts keen eyes searched clied the deep shiigo jre anxiously but his lips smiled in satisfaction its all right he be whispered confidently you ride dont you yes yea good I 1 it struck me maybe you being n nurse from tile east my horse Is nil all right but ill have to rope one for you and I 1 might pick a wild devil in ID the dark could you stay As long as he keeps his feet ID D n but I 1 like your stylo sty lell 1 he said enthusiastically letting his mind hand rest an instant on tier her shoulder you and I 1 are going to hit it off fine come on now BOW keep back in the shadow she waited t the bars of tile the corral while Ue elleen lleen vanished in the dark ness nesa of the open lightly swinging a colled coiled lariat in hla his hand both houses bouses were from there hidden bidden from view and now that her newly found companion c 0 n 1 had disappeared deborah felt f e 1 t entirely alone had sho done dona repose trust in film who ans tile the man why was lie nt tile the ranch it lie had no connection with bob monger what would ills presence there imply 1111 ply the ranch was on in no com coin conly used trail visitors never c caiane a me without a purpose to reach there ot at all required miles of desert travel with no little hardship there must always be an object in such a courney Jv urney what could it be in tills this case was t the it e fellow a more mere drifter job A fugitive front from justa justice ce hiding a from tile the law or actually in men mea ger gora service surely ho he must be of tile the three one nothing else would ac nc count tor for ills his presence under such auch clr cum stances Yet Blie liked and trusted h him felt fel t 1 no fear of the man so far ns as ills ro re latsons with her were concerned not a doubt of ills his absolute am balled her she bellei believed ed ills promise illse outlaw fugitive border desperado he lind won lier her falth faith already the deac tion she experienced from being helplessly alone caused her now to rest nil all liopo ou tills this stranger who had so 80 mysteriously come to her rescue she blib cared not who lie he might be or from whence lie he come came enough that ho was there strong armed capable fearless willing to to befriend her to guld guide 0 her it er safety safely it was in tills this spirit of almost blind confidence that tile girl welcomed ills his return when lie ho finally emerged n e from out the black shadows lending ci elj din t horses trat ling quietly behind h through the corral gate ile saddled and bridled the two rapidly evidently accustomed to working in the dark are you rea ready dyll Y yes put your foot in ilmy my hand this la Is my horse holl hell carry you fine now up lip you go this your water bottle ill strop strap it to ilie pommel bommel where it will be lia leandy nily lie ile swung into the saddle himself restraining the half broken animal with hand you know k n 0 w the way w ay down the he it mesa roe ae asked the nogales trail of course then thelt ride acrid abend and ill follow I 1 may have hare trouble bouble with this brute before lie he learns leam who Is master just go straight ott on out into the desert ill not be far away 11 site she i rode ode forward never questioning ills his right to command the horse under tier her moved steadily at a swift walk alert but well trained obedient to tho ho slightest pressure of her fingers on the rein her courage co mirage was high she be was no longer alone the dread of the desert find bad left her deborah found passage down the steep hillside find and had bad adva advanced neI some distance across leen joined her no words wore were exchanged cl ilin ged between them meat ris as lie he reined in ills horse beside her own evidently tile the man was satisfied with her ber knowledge of tile trull trail ns as well as tile the progress made lie turned in fit tile the saddle gazing searchingly buck back at tile the dim outline of the niesa now barely visible through the gloom there Is something silo asked troubled by ills his silence no nothing stirring J I 1 circled tile the bunkhouse before leavin leaving jf the whole outfit Is still asleep I 1 was just getting directions fixed in ruy nil til we are going a route I 1 traveled lately hut but the nogales trail Is not to follow that Is exactly what Is wrong with it he explained his face now turned forward it Is ro BO arlly followed we could never get far enough ahead ot of pursuit to be |