Show RANCH CHAPTER VII VII Continued Continued 12 12 Oh Bill l I said Jane JUDe Dont think nf or mr m do Just t as ns If It I were not here She threw her own arms around his neck and their lips met again In pas passionate pase las las- appeal Then come Jane We must dash through h this pine before that fire you jou hear henr roaring catches up to us Is Ie that awful roar from a tire lire lull Bill It 19 is Its It's our worst danger er Lets Let's Letsgo Letsgo ts t's go Jane Jan To cross the wide belt of ot pine their course lay hi obliquely C downhill If It any any- anything anything thing were needed to spur them on the thunder r of or the fire sweeping down the forest behind served as a 11 dread warning that they had only minutes left to escape disaster Halfway down the ridge DenIson paused to rest Jane In his arms She was panting like an nn antelope Brave girl I l be he murmured Not sot a n sob sob not not a tear tear tear- But we must hurry Bill BIDE she panted Get a R little breath for the next run n. n Can we WP make It Bill um dear Weve got ot to make male It he muttered Ill save you Jane If It Its It's the last las thing I do In life lite Dont save sa me unless you save yourself yourself remember remember that l I Come Comet I We roust must make the spring sprinE the the spring I IThe IThe The timber was vas thinning the ground growing rougher The frontiersman and cowman who had gone gon through every adventure that befalls a n man In Ina a life of oC danger and escape made little tittle of finding safe footing from Crom rock to rock But his charge had harl a harder time trying tr ln to keep her feet pet and to keep leep the pace DenIson offered to car car- carry carry carry ry her ber She would not hear of oC It lt He himself saw before Jane Tane realized It IL that the tile end of oC her strength was wasat t e-t r hand Striving vainly to keep kelp up she stumbled and with a little moan fell forward on the ground DenIson picked her up In his arms She could not speak only panted Her heart pressed against his breast pounded like a hammer Put Iut down Bill Put me me down I she he sobbed when she could breathe and form the words You must save yourself Is the spring far now Not far Clasp your arms tight around my neck was all be he said leaping along You cant can't save sae us ns both save cave your your- self You are dearer to me than my life lICe Bill So are you to me Hang on he panted Ill never put you down I After another run he be paused Bill I can run a little now Let me try It iL Please dear Let me try I He shook his head and struggled led on The fire Ere was only minutes behind him Its roar deafening A cry roused Jane In his arms The spring I She cried to him In happy answer There was not an Instant to spare spare- He slid down the steep side of oC the hol hol- hollow hollow hollow low that enclosed the spring Jane still In his arms he rolled Into the pool and lay panting beside her The shock of the tho Icy water revived her lie He soused her ber head Into the water The pool was wide enough h to submerge Jane but not himself He lie rolled In Inthe Inthe inthe the shallower edge wet himself all allover allover allover over and holding her ber head hend Just clear of ot the surface as she spluttered and coughed gave a n her orders Keep your face Cace down Dont Don't dont don't open your eyes Youre You're safe If It you do exactly as I say say Savage flames burst above their heads beads The burning air showered sear sear- searIng searIng searing Ing fragments of or bark barl and branch on them as they lay huddled comforting each ench other with words Breathe care carefully carefully fully Jane he cried In her ear This air will sear sCar your lungs Fill 1 your nose nos and mouth with water spit and splutter It out My Iy God It Is upon us liS I IThe The heart of the fire lire was on them They could no longer hear bear or think Flame bellied and danced Tongues of or fire fin licked at their hiding heads Dent Dent- Denison Dentson son mechanically dipped water vater Into Janes Jane's hair Consciousness was nearly gone Only the effort to live and the I fierce Instinct to protect the one he be beloved loved animated him With their trial of ot endurance almost at an nn end eni a sudden explosion burst In to Inthe Inthe the air above them Denison forgetting forget torget forgetting ting his caution opened his eyes In the fear ear that a 8 tree was falling His Ills eye eye- eyeballs eyeballs balls bans were scorched In a 8 fraction of or a second He lie dashed his face back Into the water but mischief had been done At last the terrific outburst abated With the hope of oC life liCe reanimated the two rose In the pool In their steaming clothing Darkness fell feU from the sky above e but the forest was lighted with smoking and burning tree torches the afterglow of Its Us destruction The two who had passed through and escaped a hideous catastrophe stood clasped In each others other's arms thanking God and In a new new- newfound newfound found intimate happiness Water I exclaimed Denison Im perishing In spite of ot my cold bath Arent Aren't you thirsty Yes but not suffering I 1 didn't have hac to carry you you ou know Moving a few feet up to the basin of or the spring Itself they pushed aside from the waters water's surface drank rom ram their cupped hand handy and dashed ater over their faces Caces said Denison when he rose Jane Jane almost worth It for or the tb theny air aln It was and aad me together iy ny Its It's brought you yoo by Frank H. H Spearman Copyright rank H. H Spearman It was she whispered Ive given Ilven YOU vou my trust tru For nil all time Jane For I or nil all time Bill 1111 Nothing shall ever yer part us now CHAPTER VIII Picking their way haltingly and cau cau- cautiously cautiously down Ilo through smoking pines dodging dOII ln burning limbs that snapped and crackled menacingly overhead or crashed to the ground about them the refugees refu ees emerged from the forest and could see that Denison's ranch buildIngs build build- ings had escaped the Hamas amas The Instant they reached the ranch house Denison ran to the well filled the water bucket and carried It to Jane Sitting on the ground bare headed they slaked sIn ked their thirst out of ot the dipper together Denison turned to the th corral Jane who had gone Into the house bouse had got gol the fire going oln and was slicing bacon when she heard the clatter of or hoofs hoots outside and angry voices Wheres my m daughter you damned scoundrel were the first words she made trade out The sound of ot the voice that uttered them sent her running the knife still In her hand to the door Amazed to dumbness she saw her fa fa- father father fa- fa father ther and McCrossen In the saddle fac rac facing facing ing Denison who stood at the gate of ot his bis corral Van Denison spoke care carefully carefully fully tully youre too old a man for me to quarrel with Just remember youre you're on my property and keep a civil tongue In your head bead Ive I've taken more of ot your abuse In years ears gone by than titan I ought to take Now No put your our question illy my I dont don't want no truck with you Denison shouted Van rag- rag ragIn raging Ing In Wheres my girl McCrossen had reined about and was starting for tor the house Swing back bark here McCrossen Denison sang sangi i q t p A Lot of Good Timber Gone In That Blaze Van Muttered Mc Crossen out sharply Stop right where you ou are My Iy cabins cabin's not open to public In Inspection In- In Inspection inspection I II II I 1 dont don't give gl a damn for tor your cabin Theres There's Jane Jone the foreman Coreman shouted standing In the doorway Jane ran across the yard ard to the angry men Father I she sho sh cried What In the world are you ou doing doln here What brou brought ht you from the hospital tier Her fathers father's set deep piggy eyes Hashed lashed his fury on her You brought me here he snapped savagely sa va You wench I Living with this man are you Father Futher I Outraged womanhood never spoke the word more stingIngly Is It possible you Insult me so vilely be before fore you ou have heard beard a single word she said saW What have I to do with your four grudges es and quarrels Rigid and erect storming within and striking with white hot words at her ber parents parent's base Intimation Jane sl si- silenced si silenced the men about her by her out ont outraged raged ra ed dignity What shameful words have you heard heard and and from rom whom whom she she barely Indicated her fathers father's companion by n a lightning flash of her eye eye that put such guch vile thoughts tho lights Into your bead head 7 She waited for no answer I rode to the peak of Gunlock Knob to see eee How jow the fire was heading It heading It has threatened Gunlock Ranch Hanch for tor two days When I f tried to ride down do this afternoon the fire cut me ort oft I should have been burned to death where I 1 stood on the peak If It Bill Denison hadn't up through h another fire to save me And now after fighting our way for tor hours through smoke and flame Oame he be brings me down by the only possible way to hear bear me foully Insulted by my myown myown myown own father Cather This Is too much I IVan IVan I Van had not dreamed that a n amere amere mere Insult Insult hIs his usual weapon toward everybody would everybody would arouse anyone much less his ble daughter dau to such a pitch Her lIer buttoned blouse torn rudely open at atthe atthe atthe the neck by a n forest branch and her hertie hertie hertie tie awry revealed re the girlish Ivory of ot other her tier throat and neck while her hot words silenced the lie domineering brute before whose Insolence few men could stand at case ease Look honk here June JUlie I bellowed tier her fa fa- father You out here ther tier In retreat come for your our health health- didn't you w I didn't come out here to be grossly 11 Insulted she retorted Wheres your pony Heavens ens knows where It In Is or where Bill ons on's Is I hope they're not Dot burned up Well come along home McCrossen will lend you ou his horse borse lIe He needn't I 1 will walk home Just Justas as soon as ns I have hn-e cooked some bacon for or Bill mil Denison Come along now Did you hear me Ill I'll come home each each word was defiantly emphasized when I have made coffee and aDd cooked bacon for Cor Bill Denison When you get home be kind enough to ask Bull Page to saddle a horse for tor me and bring brin It over o With this Jane walked swiftly back to the cabin Van In Jn a muttering rage ra e followed d by McCrossen started home A slender supper was at length got together to ether Then Jane made Denison lie back In a n chair and submit to cold compresses on his eyes eJes Waiting for Bull Dull Page proved no hardship but when the hands of sons son's little alarm clock pointed to mid mId- midnight mIdnight midnight night It dawned on Jane that her re reo request re- re request quest had been heen Ignored I nored and that her father or McCrossen had meant she should walk home bome or compromise herself her her- herself herself self by IJ staying staring all alt night at Denison's She boiled d a bit Inside when she site real real- realized the situation but prepared to walk To this DenIson would not lis lis- ten He Be got up two ponies ponies ponies-he he had but one extra saddle and saddle and despite her objections and protests Insisted on rid rid- ridIng Ing home with her It needed no announcer In the morning morn- morn mornIng mornIn Ing In- Into to tell Jane that her father had bad come home She lay exhausted and with every bone In her body aching beyond her usual rising time But there thereas was as an unusual scurrying about outside her room Quong old and winkled was the only man mao of the household not In the least perturbed by the surprise return of oC Van Jane came to the table as her father Cather was leaving lea ln It I want to see you after atter breakfast was the gruff greeting he vouchsafed Jane She found Van seated at hIs bis desk In his bedroom looking over bills Jane went up to him himI himI himI I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw you yesterday father she said coldly Did the doctor give you per per- permission permissIon permission mission to come home After a shuffling of papers came C me the first shot at Jane What did you fire Ore McCrossen for Because he refused d to obey orders orders she retorted Instantly I Whose orders My Iy orders Who owns this ranch You do And she added keen- keen eyed you made me manager Ill take that Job off your shoulders McCrossen Is foreman here now And AndI I am boss Now what about this skunk Denison 7 What about Mr Denison father Hes a crook And as long as you youlIe live lIe keep away from him What has lIas he ever eyer done to you that's wrong father He De and his brothers brother's been trying for five years to beat me out of Gunlock Spring and all that ranch land back backof backof of It part of ot what hes he's done to me Hes He's stole my cattle besides Mc Mc- McCrossen McCrossen Crossen Is the only man that stayed by me through thick and thin Me- Me McCrossen's Crossens Crossen's the right man for tor you You Youcan Youcan Youcan can get married tomorrow If It you want to I 1 haven't the slightest Idea of ot get get- getting getting ting tin married tomorrow father ather And If It Mr McCrossen were vere the only man mun left I t certainly should never neer marry Theres There's not a straight ht hair In his head Hes He's been robbing you for years Sounds like that skunk been filling your ears for you Bill Denison's barely ever eer men menn mentioned honed McCrossen's name to me Well keep away vay from Denison for tor good dont don't forget that Jane flinched Inwardly but hut spoke low and clearly I HI cant can't promise that father Why not I dont don't think Its It's right Aint I your father Yes OY es Aint a parent a goin to be obeyed If It he lie Is reasonable Im I'm not a child s slie father tather i lie grew furious I dont don't give a 8 damn what you are youre you're not a a goin to take up with any enemy of mine n you ou might Just as well know It now and and Ill I'll see that you dont Van quitting the house e rode with over the hills burned the day before to determine what fur tur- further ther tier measures should be taken to In In- Insure Insure in- in insure sure safety for tor the ranch buildings The two men halted at the foot of Gunlock Gun Gun- Gunlock lock Knob KnobA A lot of ot good timber gone in that blaze Van muttered McCrossen Van was silent for a mo mo- ment went The ranch aint worth as much muchas as It was yesterday that's sure sure he said at last Then after alter another pause I wouldn't mind the Umber timber If It the damned fire had held beld on till It cleaned out oot Denison Both were looking down on the neighbors neighbor's ranch ranchI I wish I was rid of ot that fellow Van words fairly grated out of or his harsh throat Why couldn't that blamed fire have ha cleaned ned out his bis build build- buildings buildings ings yesterday It was a close scratch If lf I the wind bad shifted TO BE DE CONTINUED t I J |