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Show THE BINGHAM NEWS ' . T-ygy- Author of jj Rimrock Trail "Me" ii J By J. ALLAN DUNN He gild bis gears Into high and dodged around corners recklessly. A red lan-tern showed ahead In the middle of the road. They crashed through a light obstruction of boards and tres-tles, overturning the lantern, and plowed on over rough stones. "I'm mayor," said Goodwin with t grin. "Breakln' my own rules but I Agger that broken stone'll bother 'em some. We'll chance it" They lunged through, regardless of tires, and, behind them, the pursuing car rattled, lurched, skidded. A tire blew out and as Goodwin swung a corner with two wheels In the air the sheriff's machine smashed viciously across the sidewalk, poking Its crump-ling radiator Into a Cottonwood. "Brazen bulls I" shouted Goodwin. "There she blows I You got to run." The depot was ahead, to one side of the road-crossin- The train, Its clanging bell slowing for the stop, ground to a halt, the conductor swing-- with his craft, never forgotten. Molly was tired al-most to insensibility as to what might be going on, soaked and chilled to limpness. Sandy got her out of the saddle and Into a shallow cave in a sandy bank. The next thing she knew a fire was leaping nnd sending light and warmth into her nook. "Eat this, Molly, an' we got to be On our way." Sandy was handing her a capful of hot, savory stew, made for the trip, warmed up hastily, the best kind of a meal after their stren-uous experience, though Sandy be-moaned Its quality. "Flggered you an' me 'ud eat on the Pullman ternlght," he said. "But this snack'll do us no harm. We'll git a cup of coffee In Oaroca If there's a chance." She gulped the reviving food grate-fully, strength coming back with the fuel that gave both warmth and mo-tive power. Soon they were jogging on down the wide trough of the can-yon. They crossed a white road, but evidently a main source of travel though now deserted. "County line runs plumb down the middle of the road," announced Sandy. "There's the lights of Caroca bllnkln' away to the left Too bad we missed the train. Sleepy?" To her right was the cliff, slimy with water, the trail so narrow that now and then her elbow dug Into the soft stuff. The light rayed upward at an acute angle. In a few moments It would be dark. But they were close to the top. The mare already stood on a level ledge of side-Juttin- g rock, from which one could look down Into the canyon of the oaks and the unfailing stream. Sandy heard a cry from Molly and saw, through the curtain of the fall-ing rain, the wide-flare-d nostrils of her horse. Us eyes protruding as the brute, with the ground slopping away beneath him, slid slowly down toward the gulf, the girl, her weight flung for-ward on the withers, her face white as paper, turning to him mutely for help. It was a bad moment Sandy had no space to turn In, no chance to whirl his lariat even for a aide throw. There was no time to spin a loop. But his hand detached the rope, flying fingers found the free end as he pivoted in the saddle, thighs weld-ed to the mare. "Take a turn about the horn I" he shouted. "Hang to the end yo'se'fl" He sent the line Jerking back, whis-tling as it streaked across the girl's shoulders. She clutched for It, with plenty of slack, snubbed It about the saddle horn, clung to the end, made a bight of It about her body. Sand? snoke to the mare. A CLOSE CALL BTNOP8I9.-T- O the Three-Ba- r ranch, Arizona., owned Jointly by Bandy Bourke, "Mormon" Peters and "Boda-Wat- Sam" Manning, a fine colli make Its way. In the lait stages of exhaustion. Inscrlp-tlo- n on It collar aayi Its name la Orlt,, "property of P. Casey." Scenting a desert tragedy, Bourke and Sam mount and let the do lead them. The two find a dying man, Patrick Casey, pinned under an overturned wagon. Kneeling beside the wagon Is his young daughter Molly, fifteen. They ex- - trlcate tb old prospector, who dies repeating "Molly mines!" "I'll look out for that, pardner," snys Bandy. It Is agreed that Molly stays as mascot of the ranch, she and the "Three Musketeers" be-coming partners In the mines. Bandy Insists upon an education for Molly. Jim I'llmsoll, gamhler, visiting the ranch, Insults Molly. He claims he grubstaked Casey, which made him the old man's partner. Mormon drives him off. Starting with a gold eagle, Molly's luck piece, Sandy, with Sam, plnys faro at Pllmsoll'a place, winning $10,000. It Is arranged that Molly shall go East to be "eddlcated." A neighbor, Miranda Bailey, warns the ranchers that Jim Pllmsoll, as Patrlrk Casey's "partner." claims guardianship of Molly, and the au-thorities stand In with him. Bandy dntermlnes to take the girl to New Mexico, to an old friend. Barbara Redding, for advice. The three men, with the girl, set out. Pur-sued by the sheriff and Pllmsoll. the ranchers separate. Mormon and Bam returning, and Sandy and Molly going on. At the age of sixty a man may not look to be more than forty but what's the use? , Juvenile untruths are defensive. Not later come those that enter Into ilots. "Some," she admitted. "Me, too," lied Sandy companion-ably- . Coming down from the mesa he had talked with her about Barbara Red-ding, how welcome. she would make Molly and what she would do for her. Molly had listened silently. They entered the little town, once a cattle' station, now renamed In mu-sical Spanish, Caroca A Caress a spot where-- fruits were grown and flowers bloomed the year round wher-ever the water caressed the earth. Sandy rode the mare Into the livery where the last skirmish between hoof and rim, iron and rubber tire, was being fought, and called for "Chuck" Goodwin. A stout man came out, not so heavy, not so big as Mormon, but sheathed In flesh with the armor of ease and good living. He peered up at Sundy, then let out a shout. "Ton long-legge- ornery, freckle-face-d, gun-pnckl- galoot, Sandy Bourke I Light off 'n that cayuse. you an yore lady friend. Where In time did you-al- l drop from?" "Come across the mesa. Like to git washed across through Puso Cnbras," said Sundy. "Miss Cusey, let me make you 'qualnted with Chuck Goodwin, one time the best hawss-shoe- r In the seven Cactus states, now soil In' oil an' gasoline at fancy prices, not to mention machines fo' which he Is agent." CHAPTER VIII The Pats of the Goats. In the throat of the gorge the sun shone red on the tawny cliffs. It was close to seven o'clock. Sandy's lean fare was anxious. The girt drooped In her seat, tired from the long climb, not yet Inured to the saddle. Sandy had only once crossed the Puss of the Goats and that was years before. There had been washouts since then. Several times they were forced to dismount and lend the nerv-ous beasts, Sandy doing the coaxing, helping Melly over the dlftlcult places, lie rode a more named Goldle and the girl a bay with a white blaze that Sandy had chosen for the mountain work and which had been brought to them at the lava strip. The mare halted, neck stretched out, turning It to look Inquiringly at her master. A sharp Incline lay ahead, the path little better than one made by the goats for which the pass was named. Behind, Molly's mount fol-lowed suit, blowing at the dust Sandy patted the mare's neck and dis-mounted. "Yo're sure game, Molly," he said admiringly; "you must be clean tuck-ered out." "Steady, 111 lady, steady I" The rope was about his own horn; he thanked God that he had examined the cinches of Molly's saddle. The bay was d; with the help of the mare Sandy believed he could dig and scrape and climb to safety. He felt Goldle stiffen beneath him, braced against the strain she knew was coming. The taut lariat bummed, It bruised Into Sandy's thigh. Behind, the bay snorted, struggling gallantly. They were poised on the brink of death for a moment, two three and then the mare began to move slowly forward, neck curved, ears cocked to her master's urging, while the bay sloshed through the treacherous muck, found foothold, lost It, made a frantic leap, another, and 'landed trembling on the ledge. Sandy leaped from his saddle and caught Molly, sliding from her sent In sheer exhaustion and the revulsion of terror, clinging closely to him. "I'm all right," she said. "I was scared an' yet I knew you'd pull me out. I'm plumb shamed of myself. Jest like a d d gel to act that way." "Shucks! Tou wasn't half as scared as the bay. Wonder did he strain himself?" He passed clever hands over the bay's legs, talking to It "Yo're all right, ol' surelegs. Right as rain." Sandy recoiled his lariat, gave Molly a hand to her foot to lift her to her saddle, mounted himself, and they rode slowly down. The tur-moil of running waters far below bur-dened the night, but the danger from the storm was over. Train time was long past Sandy knew nothing of the change of sched-ule, but he was confident of winning clear. He knew a man In the little town they were aiming for whose Ur- - "Ws Take You to Phoenix," Hs 6ald Ing from a platform to glance at the "clear" board. He waved "ahead" as Sandy and Molly raced up and clam-bered to the platform from which the trainman had dropped off. Now the latter remounted while the train restarted, gathered speed. "Where to?" he asked Sandy, sur-veying the pair of them curiously. "Got reservations?" "Bound for Bovllle, New Mexico. On the El 1'uso and Southwestern. What's the charges? No reservations, but we rode fifty mile' across the mesa to make the train." Sandy produced his roll and at the same time he grinned in the light of the conductor's lantern. And Sandy's smile was worth much more than or-dinary currency. It stamped him bona fide, certified his character. The con-ductor's profession made him apt at such Indorsements. "We take you to Thoenlx," he said. "Change there for El I'aso. I can give you a spare upper for the lady." Molly, all eyes, tired though they were, was starlfg; at the Pullman Hashing eyes and teeth and buttons at her and even more at Sandy. "Fine!" said Sandy. "Smoker's good enough fo' me. lie's got a bed for you, Molly. See you In the morn-ing." He waited, countenancing her while she climbed the short ladder to the already curtained berth. Molly's sys-tem might be aqulver with wonder but she never showed loss of wits or poise. She might have traveled so a hundred times. Buck of the curtain she curled up but, even as Sandy registered to himself with a low chuckle: "She never turned a hair or shied." f. 11 She shook her head with an attempt at a smile. "I'll be glad when we start goln' down, fer a change," she admitted, looking Into the gloomy trough of the canyon through which the night wind soughed. "I'll tighten up yore cinches," said Sandy. "Worst of the climb's Jest ahead. Then we start to drop down t'other side. Tou don't have to git off." He tugged at the leathers, his knee against the bay's ribs aa she grunted. "Tou ain't much furtheh to go, 111 hawss," he chatted on. "Downhill all the way soon, an' then a drink to wash out yore mouth an' the best feed In Caroca fo' the pair of you." "Gits dark mighty quick up here," said the girl. A great cloud was ballooning above them, like a dirigible that had lost buoyancy and was bumping along the mesa ridge. Its belly was black, Its western side ruddy In the sunset. Sandy viewed It apprehensively. The cloud was soggy with moisture. Burst-ing, It would send torrents roaring down every ravine, wash out weath-ered masses of earth, sweep all be-fore It as It gathered forces and rushed out on the desert. Whore Molly ond Sundy rode tlicy were exposed to the first drench of a cloudburst. "Got a few oats left fo' yore hawsses, Sandy. Miss, won't you come Inside the office? Where you bound, Sandy?" "We was almln' to catch the seven o'clock train east, makln' fo' New Mexico an' the Redding ranch, where Miss Casey Is to visit fo' a spell, but we found the trail bad an' a cloud-bu'- finally set us back so we quit hurryln' an' loafed In. Chuck, have you got a machine you c'ud rent us, with a driver?" "You can have anything I got In the place with lalgs or wheels, an wel-come. Goln' to the old Redding ranch? Give my howdedo to Miss Barbara, or Mrs. Barbara as she Is now. But " He looked at the wall clock. "It's a quarter of ten. Yore train's been altered to suit main line schedules. She don't come through till nine-thirt- y an' she's gen'ally late makln' the grade. 1 ain't heard her whistle yet Hop In my car an' we'll Jest about make her. She don't do much more'n hesitate at Caroca when she's behind time." He hurried them out on the street to where a car stood by the curb. Molly and her few belongings got In behind, Sandy mounted with Goodwin. "You'll take good care of the hawsses. Chuck?" he snld. "I'll prob-abl- y be back for 'em tnyse'f In ttiree-fo- ' days." "Seguro." Goodwin stepped on his starter and the flywheel whirred to sputtering explosions. Another car come limping down the street, flat on both rims of one side, Its point plas-tered with mud, one light out, the other dimmed with mire. The driver called to Goodwin. flHi vjWJ'Ammw "Gold!" he cried. "They've struck pay dirt at Dynamite!" She Rode With Hands on the Saddle Horn, Her Head Bowed, Water Streaming From the Rim of Her Stetson. ery stable was, In the march of the times, divided between horses and ma-chines. There he expected to put up the horses until they could be re turned to Three Star, and there he figured on hiring a cur and a driver If, as he anticipated, there were no more trains that night. lie believed that Mormon and Sam had delayed the sheriff. Probably the latter had given up the chase, but there was no telling. They should lose no time In getting out of the state. Sandy examined his own cinch and tightened It before ho mounted. And be whispered something In the mare's ear that caused her to Up his sleeve. "Let yore hawss have his own way, Molly," he said. "I'm lettln' Goldie do the plckin' fo' the load. Ready r It was growing cold In the twilight One spire ahead glowed golden. The cloud drifted down upon It, glooming and glowing on Its sunset side. Tho crog pierced It, ripped It as It glided along, like the knife of a diver In the belly of a shark. A cold wind blew from the riven moss. Then came the hiss of descending waters. Through the steady patter began to Sound the savage olce of torrents fulling over cliffs, rapids rising and urging In deep gorges. The wetness and the cold snpped Molly's vitality. She rode with hands on the saddle horn, her head bowed, water strt-jiis- Ing from the rim of her Stetson, the thud of the rain on her tired shoulders heavy as siiot She saw Snndy ahead, dimly, like a sheeted ghost, twisted In sis saddle, watchlnx her. "Which way to the depot?" Goodwin, his hand on the lever, foot on the clutch, was astounded to hear Sandy hissing out: "Ion't tell 'em. Scoot ahead full speed." Then, over his shoulder to the girl, "Crouch down there, Molly." Goodwin was still a man of action and he knew Sandy Bourke of obi. Out oame the pedal, the gears engaged and the car shot ahead, beneath a swinging arc light. Sandy's hat-rl-did not sufficiently shade his fnce or Molly's action had not neon swift enough. There came a yell nnd n string of curses from the .rippled car. which backed and turned and fol-lowed, Its torn treuds flapping. Goodwin asked no questions of Sandy. If the lutter wanted ever to tell him why he required a quick exit out of Caroca, or why ne was fol-lowed, he could. If not, never mind. CHAPTER IX Caroca. Sandy led the wny on the mure to a shelving bench, a place wher he had camped once long before, and, Children Cry for MOTHER:-- Fletcher's Castoria is a pleasant, harmless Substi-tute for Castor Oil Paregoric, Drops and Soothing Syrups, especially prepared for Infants 1 month old'io Children all ages. To avoid Imitations, always look for the signature of jprpygn directions on each package. Phyiicians 'everywhere recommend it COMSTIPATOUHl y--v Take a good dose of Carter's Little Liver Pills larVrr-rV- cl then take 2 or 3 for a few nights after. 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The great noinnd tribes of western Asia, to whom we give the generic term of Bedouin, spend the winter months In central Arabia, which Is their homestead; but as spring ap-proaches they start slowly northward with their women folk ond their tents, their camels, horses and sheep, fol-lowing the receding line of vegetation until summer finds them In the Kurd-ish foothills. With autumn the south-ward trek bet-Ins- , so that, by keep-ing almost constantly on the move, they are able to provide their beasts with puftumge the year round. As the Bedouins' sole source of wealth Is In their nnlmnls, the necessity of providing them with food, rather than any Inherent love for wandering, Im-pels them to lend their curious no-madic existence. E. Alexander Pow-i'- ll In Harper's Magazine. Self-Denla- l Above Everythlno. The worst education which teaches self denial Is better than the best which teaches everything else and not that John Sterling. |