Show E 61 R 1 L y 44 by SYNOPSIS peaking irold 1014 in the r cai eimert cameron solitary eoll tary prospector form forms partnership with 1 man w whom hom he later in n uni ti ie is jonas warren father at 0 is wl girl whom cameron arnel tit lafr later married back in illinois camaron a explanation appease warr n ond and the two proceed to gett atler er taking refuse refuge from a R MOila torm in a cave cameron I 1 ra rs cold gold but too late both dying cameron leave leaves I 1 it men are evidence in the ca mot their dis dl covery of cold ca and an personal docu ants It Ichard oala adventurer ha in calta mexican border town ton it meets otrie 0 thorne lieutenant in I 1 e ninth cavalry old college ld trie frie d thorne tell tells oale gale he in I 1 16 there to save mercedee mercedea cassadena Cas nid X spanish girl hie his wife 1 from fron itol i is mexican bandit oale gale V 44 ROM and hia him gans ky 6 with the help luf two american alia cowboy cowboys and he mercede and wit I 1 thorne escape A bugle call from rl the fort orders therne to his regiment i he lie leaven mercedes bler cede under 4 fk lla glo caie a protection VA 16 IN CHAPTER III 4 A flight into the desert at bunmy ond and startled gile 0 lie turned of ml his ear to tile soft wind presently of te he heard or imagined he benard low tom 1 beats in I 1 a lie wai mai certain late the sounds were the steps of M hoofs in vl yielding eling sand the regular 18 tramp tromp 1119 ft ia n t that of grains horse horses 11 in tl tie e In erint inneo cautious cnut loua and tin it IN tc althy by alarm oale rate drew tier r a ages deeper into the floorn of the ava a ahe sounds of hoof bents hents freia v louder onie gale made out it dirk 11 ll moling a a n background of dill tit gray there as a line of horses fie arid not discern or not ill all tie horses riders of a role baluck in inq ear afen a lost lo 10 laugh it made him tingle olive im b for or it sounded american I 1 miserly he M a listened 2 it shot p ii nj I 1 addy it share is ns as come a voice nice out of the lie diekneit dir kneiT kneL roukh Roi ili lio leoet el et since 1 wire ire mad 06 f fenech droe atiq out alit of texas we tin nin t iko seen the like 1 nf of that an ali vo so never neer tell tad ad anch n call 11 WK call it MK malt it burri burrian ln re jwj paled another voice olce 1 I felt low down lawn ulm he ile Tamon vamoosed sed sorna sulden eai iden nn I 1 hope he h an his frie frienda nils shook thank the dust of ell casita tanti a rotto n town jim gale jumpe I 1 up tip in inv elvit int luck I 1 the he speakers epen kore m verr ere nine other than the bro cov connova I 1 0 a whom he had ito accosted cost 1 I in lit tie tl tin hotel N ald on fellow a he called and anti strode into the rod road the th horin snorted end and attim ped tian fo follon llord rd shift rustling bounds round a cl inkin of spurs lien then allence the aures hures loomed lit U the floorn loom to falc siw lie lite or six two inith in riders and one other nt tit lant carry ing a pick when gate gale rot got within oil I 1 94 mn M n feet of use group the foremost qt I 1 horseman mad 1 I reckon alobe au enough I 1 is stranger ira something So methin in the cowboys hind tos 0 dialed darl IT ii bright in the oll 1 olid me if it so I 1 lb bark dark replied refilled gale it biting 1 I ibon to jou loll n it ic igo ln in the tha saloon ihrk there come over nn tin lets see roil you said the co col boy curtly rw oale advanced till he lie ana as close to la tie lipa home tile corboy leaned over tile saddle en idle and peered into gales face ce TI tien on without a word he lie A 1 I ended the lia gun and held out chiq I 1 hand agnie tile net a grip of steel that in armad his blood tile othar other coy coyo A ki 91 t off air hia his nervous spirited horse lit d tl if rew the he bridle he lie too peered coply into calas face IY name s I 1 inda add 11 he lie said reckon Ile ckon J im tin borne me rind to meet oil again gale felt another grip as hird and id hroar as am the other had find been lie ile I 1 realized he lie find found friend li vho aho motored bilon to a class 1 of men bora horn he lud hid of ener enic dick agnie tile Is to my nume name he lie i 1 into casita fill nian I 1 mildly klion knof knotting ting ing where I 1 waa as LM ad A t bov took ool me to that hotel there I 1 ON net tt in eld rid friend chom I 1 had not IIA teen for aycart fie belongs to the ua iry hore here he lie had be 10 friell fri tull a girl fallen in love lose kith alth her ind killed this kirla girls opt fether tried to 0 o abduct her tier it ton YOU know what took place nt tho ali ho ila is 94 gentlemen Cent leinen lemen ff ife its eer possible 00 ill 11 allow a on liow how I 1 appreciate what 0 you till for roe nie there I 1 got albiny round binl my Ir lent alth the birl girl we ya huritt I 1 out liere bere beyond the edge of 14 towi till then 1 I horne bad had to male maha a oreali break f r camp we heard bugle cilli hot ot and rad he mall any without lt It leae lene ys that nat leri left the tile girl etli me I T don t brict no ahat to do homo swear swears ca 0 it t ie Is no pinco place for at 00 cici t the girl arl ain aint t no peon no common arp w wi iter j interrupted te erupted ladd ii her ile namo name la Is Castr ineda she CRI won bon 16 to an all old spanish family tardily once rich c anti nil influential 00 I 1 ned led BB as much replied tho the wv therea more than rojas I 1 vialla abtin to kidnap a pretty retty girl shore share be 4 3 that day must every or so sn be v eo to bethin political or feelen against elass aa well casita aint ro PW place for your friends girl nt at night dy r any thine bhore shore there 5 t tahe tier in a nn an fight ht 0 for owr lier it liet wei wiry but it aint wise ise aalt isai ahat what df ou on say it I 1 hk awn to gettin hotter botter round this major corral for some ecks re r sta tied tile other chloy if that iobst t of it garrison theres t no phalli haars linail ii ail a 1 abeln ean if tip u p S 1111 i a fe inches or so d n I 1 anale no 11 1 of a JIM rne aly 1 doll t let again cannup Can I 1 nuh ever eer bet et foot lu lucass carlta boks like 11 out bhore spoke gerim I 1 said I 1 add 1 I bockon gale on 0 of till girl tto to botne mith us we 0 kanoti people choll take cure care of the h till cle orata our frend can coin e for tier na dick III ahls and tellmer ed ail ani happ for or Ster ettles lie o 0 mt bosard th till SUT of alire ro he b hill fort tier er 11 stool at erect malting jal ting tint dark as it fig laiq could toll tell she had tier j lost tile terror kilell hi lie hal so shalen lie e led tier 11 into to the rd rid up lip to the ba now v stoat I 1 in the starlet ji it they seemed so crool sav and ni ansh insh client ame mme ladd made 11 reply ply to mercedes thanks tJ L ere flee horres saddled two packed and hio the remaining one carried only 01 vt funket I 1 add short ened the stir stirrups rIps on oil lib ills mount and anti T V I 1 I 1 X she stood ert waiting Wal tino and dark as a it win he Ks could tell she H had ad lost the terror that had so cn her helped mercedes up tip into the saddle prom the vay slie she settled herself and took the few restle prances of the mettlesome nettlesome horse gale judged that sl st e could rido ride irish I 1 ansh urged gale to take hie his horse dut but tills this gale refused to do III balk he said I 1 1 I in used to walking I 1 know cowboys boye ore are not once started with milt protection assured for the girl and find a i real object objective le point in lew few gale relaxed from the tense strain he lie had been laboring under how flow glad he lie would le littie been to nc ac qu quaint iltis thorne mith their good for tune I 1 later of course there be soine some ibay a to get g et nord ord to the caa but till then aliat tor tar merits his ills f friend u aull out I 1 suffer I 1 II 11 seemed to dick that a very ery ions long tidle had bad since he lie off the train end and ono one by one ho lie went ment every detsil of incident whirl which had ind occurred between tant and unit tile he pre present ent inocent ills III meeting with thorns thorne the tile wonderful blick lillick eves eyes of a spanish girl her appeal t liiro th 0 binte inspired by ond and the rush the blow th the action night of iuorno and mercades away amay the girls hands pre pres liR hia ills to her lion ving brevet brei iet the sweet fire of her tier klis the fact of her tier mill bans alone with him dependent upon him hirn all till these shingi gale turned over ant an I 1 over in his mind only to fall of ani definite nite conclusion n ni to had affected him so remarkably or to tell what had find realty happened to him had find he ile fallen in n lovo lose with fill Th ornea sweetheart the idea came in a onali hasli in ho nil all in an instant and by one of those icile rec wili of character jealous of his bill friend dick to look 1001 at fit sier was fig almost norald up cedes still lie forced bli elf to di db so find ns it chanced mercedes i was mill looking down at him jilin with will a quick graceful impulsiveness she site put her hand upon hh shoulder likelier like lier appearance pe pr arance the lie action was vas new strange range striking to C gilo le but it brought home to liln the tile stature of gentl tude ind rid n in lit a girl of her tier aloof it was MAs and rind sister sisterly V Lv he ile anew hen then that he had not falabu in her tier the feeling hat that 1 wai I akin to jeal deemed deemed to he be of tl if e 0 I 1 beautiful something fur for which ildr cede stood in Thor thornie life lite otio otto then the teMi derIng pesi birtile R the III infinite finite wonder of anat tint a st girl could mean to a it nun prin the debert de ert lecan to lighten tighten grey gray openings in the file border of gro grosell sill changed to paler hue line in the cat a glow grew brighter and brighter reaching up to a line of cloud denned sharply below by a rugged notched range said me orcedes senor I 1 am coll did dili had been car barrag rag I 1 his hi coat cost he ile stopped the horse hir ilir ann firm and raided the coat up aad al helped mercedes pu it OP thought et of you he 1 I 1 should have eald said but I 1 attle to feel warm 0 1 0 by bv ZANE GREY yiu o thor of riders of the purple sage wildfire etc copyright by harper brothers nr othera the coats a little large we me might wrap it around aou ou tle smiled stalled and lightly thanked him in h he lie was isas about to start m when lien he lie c observed bgern oil that I 1 add hail hall halt cd ed and aas JILL hillring ring ahead in evident caution horo began tc tl up raised his ills cars ears anil anti head and acted as if he lie vaa nils about to nelija bieh A I 1 motto froin from I 1 add lade ledo dick i jut ut a quieting hand on the horse I 1 lash ash came ady a dy for forward vard to join lili hn coroi comi anlon file two tio then ll stend and watched lash vent merit to the rear and ludd alitae the tile pro ress low iou was mas y slower sl oller not owing to a lid roa roal I 1 for that learine belair lut probably a ow ins to caution t by the combo guide gulde at tl it e end of a n half hour this marked deliberation changed tin and the horca followed fol loed I 1 adds at tit a gait call that put gale to hia his beet best walking paces ills step mere sere halted by ladle nc ne gloni tile cowboy ri wilned ined in ills 11 how listened a domn mom no then swung down domn out of the lie ile raised ft a c nu ciu iu cloning hand to the lie others inn slipped into tile gloom find disep 1 pharol are I 1 gale earled that the tile clr arst t lind I 1 een cen made in lit a ti aged and cut up till I 1 no ns bow between een low meis to the rl ait up under lie tile ledges distinct dI alla stood two ONO bank binik object too uniform lie thought to ae I 1 e rocks rock alle he lie wat sa peering at them tain whit to think tile shrill whistle title of a iante healed out to be ile followed fol limed by the rattling of hoofs on henl stoff then a dog barked at tile same moment that lint I 1 add hurrie lly ily all paired in lit ifie the road a light etione out and danced before ono one of tile square black objects keep close an ail dont don t make no noise hi lip ahl pred and id jet his ills horse nt right ankles off the toil gale follo followed sed leading lending mercedes horae As t i tuned turi ed he lie ed that laili also alo had dismounted to bee hee closet at ladd g heels without brosl ing the tile cactus or bling oer rocks and lere slone capt 10 a task gale found it mas as no easy matter to lend a spirited horse through the dark minding lams walled by thorns met saw that the travel was fast but by no means nol teless the pack anlin als nt times crashed and ripped the narrow blaces i incel it seemed to gale tint thit anyone anione within a mile could hate heard those sounds presently I 1 add led out into a wider ulder lane that to run straight the comby mounted hi ills horse and this convinced gale that the lad ind circled lack tack to the roil the tile proceeded linn once moie ot tit a good stead silent walk malk N len I 1 ell dick consulted hi ills he fie ft iii mazed to see the hour was still early he ile asked mercedes if she site aa uns cold and she that khe she ins as speak ins ing especially of her tier feet bilm ft hie were mere grom grolln ln numb then she he ashod to be ile helped down donn to itala alf an bile lille at first she ile vas mas cold and lame larne and ani accepted the helping hand dick proffered after a little how lio ever never tie recovered reco sered and still went net on without it hout assistance lliel dad had reached the summit of ahat mie evidently a high ridge eloped sloped with milli much greater steepness oa on the far ide it was uns only after a more forward steps howe however cr alint dc dic c could see down don the slope then full till in view slow nashed a bright campfire around abich a group of darl dark figures they vere v ere ti campel in a wide node arroyo where horses could be he seen grazing 1 in black binck piti hes ii of at ganss between flusters clusters of trees A look took ot at the campers told gale they ther were ere mexicans at this moment I 1 ingli aai came forward to join I 1 add fidd platt tile two tao spent a ion long uninterrupted m mn ment stud linx the arrojo A blugh faint el et distinct floated aa upon the tile cool coot wind ind vc 1 ell I 1 addy what hilt or r ou on ankin of that inquired lash speaking ame anine as a adiv of them raider rattler out its 1 aci hed ed ladd They to naros hie lie line for beef but the teiei 11 run off any good stock aa As boss hoots hove liae got PIU ern all beat thai outfit Is m alan till its it into nollan Not liln in n it but head south for the 1110 I 1 or ir lorn lort it on the tile border line but lint if its country where these rebels ain aln t bem bein yet t tit a a hibe to belding lanch an if w get there in som 1111 see the cirl girl before beldin can bide tilde her bet get talked about the new nev 11 travel tra l to casita like sage page balli before the it wind ind we me dont ride into lite lorn torn lo 10 the daytime lets blip slip the tile nacka packs jini JIM we can hide tilde them off in fit tile cactus nr or come came back after them kith the young man ridin we me tho the was anti interrupted by a lo ij nearh flint whistled tip from the arroyo oner the horses had scented 1 thin travelers on lie lite ridge indifference of the mexican t to attention ladd and ush turned hadit and leil led I 1 the fie horses into the first arst on the south side ot of the road the pacas were ere slipped securely tied j and k n i bidden je n bj in in ti t ii L q iu lt 0 c cluing lt ian p inda I 1 et s t rapped p e d a b alani la n e t a around r oti n d 0 one ne of the boasts au ills HI next mose to take oil oft ills hl chopa chat gale oure boots nn tin by M alftin tin a bour feet ou can bent beat the tile cd cac C Us lii lie whispered hut |