Show rim the everlasting whisper 1 by jackson gregory copyright by charles charlei ScrIb scribners nees sons son service FROM THE BEGINNING mark king prospector Is on his kin v way ay to the home orne ot of ben gay gaynor nor king I 1 i ng and gaynor share with IL desperado de berado swen brodle brodie knowledge d fe ot of a vast store of hidden hidde E cold 0 o id 1 king cing m meets sets mrs gaynor and Is impressed Impre ased by her daughter wo gloria ria lie ile dislikes a house visitor named gratton with gloria king rides to coloma intending to sound honeycutt ile he finds brodle brodie there and animosity flares xing king Is drawn closer to gloria she and her mother mo ther return to san francisco fran CISCO in a spirit 0 of adventure gloria accompanies gratton on a business trip at coloms coloma she finds her father badly hurt ile ha gives elves her a message tor for king urging ingher her to got get it to him at once G gloria i orla re realizes alies she has haa compromised ch m alsed herself by her journey with wit gratton he proposes marriage a and nd gloria apparently accey accepts is him gratton grattan arranges for t the hs marriage king ki g unseen by gloria watches the ceremony from a window at the last moment the girl farl refuses refuses to utter the requisite yes king enters and gloria grep appeals to him tor for protection gratton at dismissed reveals knowledge of the hidden gold a and ad makes threats king heartened by gloria las s appeal to him urges her to marry him really in love with him and as a ing a way out of her dilemma dil enma the girl consents gay nors message reveals the location or of r th the a treasure and urges king to go TO at ones and secure it after tho the wedding we adding ceremony gloria asserting the necessity for rest after her trying experience xing king leaves her and prepares tor for his trip next morning gloria insists insists on going with him on the journey journay her overwrought nerves give way in hysteria she admits to kins king that sho she married him onar only to save her n name ame from g gossip asip king humiliated renounces her CHAPTER VI continued 14 king went swiftly about his preparations lie did not even see her ho he studiously kept his eyes aloof within his soul he swore that he be would never look at her again lie ile took up his rifle you are not going to leave me here alone one are you gloria demanded coldly 1 I am going on was his curt rejoinder and I 1 she persisted what you please terror sprang up into the girls heart 1 I would never find my way out she cried jumping to her teet feet and coming toward him 1 I am not used to the mountains I 1 dont know which way I 1 would die you have made me waste time as it Is and I 1 promised den ben that id ie be in gus ingles eaves with vita no time lost so I 1 am going on cut but and all of her surging terror trembled in her rushing words 1 I would die I 1 tell you and I 1 tell you ke he snapped back at her that I 1 dont care a d n if you do must I 1 tell you twice that I 1 am through with you lie ile set its his toot foot to the stirrup gloria pride lost in panic ran to tc him and grasped his arm crying to him it if you wont take me back then let me go with you Wort worthless liless and selfish and cowardly i I 1 useless and vain and brain brainless lessl good G d I 1 am 1 I a man full grown to loiter on the trail with the like of you let gol go I 1 lie ile shook shock her hand off roughly and swung up into the saddle gloria screamed after him calling out I 1 mark for gods sake dont leave me I 1 am afraid I 1 will die of fear take me with you ile he did not look back at her but he did pause after all she was the daughter ot of his old friend the woods are free and open he be said slowly to even such na as you for the third time and for the last I 1 tell you this I 1 am done dona with you gut but if you like you may follow behind me I 1 will watt wait tor for you ten minutes not here but on the ridge up there and if you have not come I 1 will go on at the end of that time that Is my solemn word gloria gaynar 11 lie ile rode from her nias mas ilvo in the saddle she stood like one n a sudden trance then with an inarticulate moan she ran into the grove and grasped Bl ackles rope in half of the allotted time she carrie came riding up the ridge now king glanced toward her briefly but less lesa at her tharl than at her pack you had better go back for the rest of the grub he said to tier her and for your blanket roll that would be my advice to the devil deall himself you aan can do it in the five minutes left to you yon hideous brute 1 she flung at him put but none the less she hastened back for the outfit five minutes later they rode on into the ever deepening wilderness she just keeping his form in sight lie he never turning nor speaking CHAPTER VII for his brutal treatment of tier her gloria fully meant that in the ripeness of time lie he should pay to the uttermost after that first panic she felt toward X king ing only such finger anger as she had never experienced before never having cause for it coolly and collectedly she turned her thoughts upon the insufferable insult the decision was cold and born lie would pay and in full king led the way unfalteringly it was evident that the man thought only of hla his journeys our end and was hastening ince hence lie he took all the short cuts which lie he know knew in one of these pathless places slip lost all sight eight of him tier II 11 rr imp im P dime came to a dead halt sha listened and could not hear bear the hoofs of his horse panic mastered her and she cried 0 out u t wildly then she struck her horse frantically with her bare hands and pounded him with her heels longing for the sight of king as one athirst in the bud lands longs tor for water the horse snorted and in three in anute S brought her ber into the open and into full sight right of king when tier her fear died as it did swiftly after the way of fear it left not the old hot anger but a new elemental emotion cold hatred thus upon their second morning the honeymoon entered upon its second second phase every moment brought some new discomfort to tier her the saddle hurt her tier her clothes were torn her tender skin bruised rind and scratched pains came with early fatigue As for king being a man of high honor he be convicted her out of hand band as one without honor despising her he despised himself for having linked his life in ever so little with hers bers at ten 0 clock the air was sun warmed and sweet in an upland meadow through whose narrow boundaries a thin cold stream trickled they mooned king slipped bucks bridle and let the animal forage along the fringes of the brook to gloria he be said better let your horse eat cat weve got to go pretty steady to got get anywhere today gloria got down stiffly from her saddle in all the days daya of tier her life slie site liar had never been so unutterably weary further she was faint from hunger bunger and tier her throat pained her she went to the creek and threw herself down and put tier her fate face into the cool water from which she rose with a long sigh king made coffee and fried bacon while lie he pottered pattered pott ered with his fire lie he looked more than once at the sky in the southwest with all of his heart wished that he be had bad turned back f better H have ave a cup it helps helpa but gloria did not reply with gloria this morning by now he could have set her feet in a trail which even a fool could travel back to the log house and he could be again hastening upon his errand when his coffee was ready he called to tier her saying indifferently better have a cup it helps but gloria did not reply king when he had drunk his own coffee and she still lay quiet on the grass sweetened a cup for her put some milk in it and set it at her elbow better drink it he be said coldly and gloria gathered her strength and sat up and drank thereafter she ate some bread and potted ham barn king ills his back to a tree sat and smoked until the hour had bad passed precisely at one they were on their way gloria caught tier her own horse colled coiled the rope lind and mounted As king rode across the meadow and to the wooded slope beyond she followed by four when it seemed to gloria that she had reached and was passing the limits of her en durance came two momentous occurrences for the first time king had briefly mistaken the trail they were on the steep flank of the mountain he turned and rode back bach the trails down here he announced shortly ile he did not lift its his eyes to her face ills look was all for her horse and a new and unreasonable spurt of anger was in his heart through tier lier uh unbounded bounded ignorance she had needlessly fatigued her mount gloria understood dully that she was too far up tip and must ride down to his level with a sudden jerk upon the rellis reins she brought blackie about king cursed under his breath too steep 1 lie he called to her want to kill your horse V blackie ISI ackle tried to swerve and sidle down gloria lifted tier her whip lind and struck him blackie snorted and obeyed her command some loose dirt gave way underfoot the tired tire beast stumbled a dead limb caught at his legs tripping him and blackie lurched downward and fell through the grace gra ce of fortune gloria rolled clear arid and unhurt klackle Illa clde got up tottering with I 1 one quivering lul vering fore leg lifted lungs kings face went black with rage lie ile dismounted and made ills his way up to the lamed horse gloria without stirring and without experiencing any poignant emotion watched him listlessly then shut tier her eyes ner iier most clear sensation was one of relief they would no douht doubt make camp here A cold drop of 0 rain splashed on her cheek she opened her eyes klag king was removing Bl ackles saddle gloria closed her eyes again and sighed come on called a voice as though from some great distance weve gt got to hurry as fast as god will let us brackle was standing where king had led him glorias canvas rolled pack and the rifle were across kings kinga back ile he was going on on toot foot expecting her to take Us his horse 1 I cant she said miserably you can do what you please he retorted curtly 1 I am going on she rose and went stumbling flown down the slope she swayed as she tried to mount but he did not offer his hand band when she was in the saddle he strode on ahead blackie looked after them wistfully the legs not broken king told her gruffly grufT ly just a bad sprain nell take care of himself god knows hes got as good a chance as we have what do you mean she asked quickly lie he merely swung up his arm toward the sky by way of answer and went on the second big raindrop rain rala drop hit glorias cheek it was chill its chillness seemed to drive straight to her heart the storm caught them as it has caught so many a wayfarer before and since for twenty minutes they crouched in what scant shelter was afforded them by a squat alde limbed cedar then through the still air fell scattering lakes flakes of snow big and unbroken and feathery again glorias tired body was assured of rest again king sald said expressionlessly slon sion lessly come on this time lie he helped her into the saddle being in haste and of no mind to wait for trifles presently the flakes grew fewer and then ceased utterly and with their departure the last light of the day was gone now king led the horse and gloria rode through a gathering darkness now and then she half dozed at last it was pitch dark and the rain was beginning again king had stopped and was helping her down she was numb now in body her brain was numb she waited until king some kind of a shelter and then went wordlessly to it she felt fir boughs under her aching body and was in pure animal fashion conscious of blanket and canvas over her and of a grateful warmth through a tangle of bushes she saw the flicker of a small fire she smelled coffee she drank half of the hot cup which he brought to her then she passed like a child into a heavy sleep by his alg fire of little cheer mark king sat with his canvas drawn over hla his slumping clumping slum ping shoulders his head down his heart as black as the night his soul possessed by ravaging blue demons at the end of day came a fools night lie he should have turned back with gloria the first thing this morning he should have done anything in the world save exactly he had done after the cold wet night came a sodden morning king stood up and looked about him curiously and a glint of satisfaction came into his eyes if in truth there existed heaps of raw red gold somewhere in a cave in these mountains and there had been any exactness in the description in gus ingles bible then the spot was not more than three or four miles away that was one consideration it was still snowing nero here was a second consideration king turned moody eyes to glorias canvas and fir shelter in the tha lee of a little bit of cliff there lay the third when he went to wake gloria he first stood over her looking queerly down upon her sleep iler her lashes against her cheek stirred and flew apart under his steady gaze ne ile looked into her eyes sweet and soft heavy with sleep time to be up he said ne ile turned on his heel and went back in haste to his fire gloria awake was ravenously hungry she came sooner than he id expected are we going ba back ck she sha asked colorlessly no he returned as indifferently its about tour four miles to the caves well be there in a couple of hours then well see what we see oh very well she said coldly that was the whole of their conversation save for one curt remark and an impudent laugh in answer at the tha end of the scanty meal gloria tossed a piece of bacon into the fire king looked at tier her sternly and said young lady we may be up against the real thing right now nobody but a fool will do a trick like that the laugh haugli was glorias once on their way they climbed a almost steadily king was keeping high on the ridges going about the head of cf the ravine which lower down cut like a knife across the timbered tract headed for what he took to be ba gus gua ingles cave A mile away she sha saw it a great ragged black hole bole la in a high mass of rock close to the crest of the next ridge she watched kin king wonderingly ns as ha be hastened on did theman have no sense of bodily discomfort certainly he gave no sign when at last he waited for tier her and told tier her to get down she sha had tile the suspicion that he had gone mad certainly here was no spot to tarry it was on tier her lips to demur gut but king holding bucks bridle looked about him and at the sky gloria said quickly we better turn bo back lek now in what he replied la in that impersonal way which maddened tier her have you so altered as to be worth a mans broken promise and then all sho knew that no thought of going back had had bad any part in hla his brief indecision sion ile iia was merely seeking the best place to unpack and a conven convenient Lont spot to tether buck TO DB 1311 |