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Show 7 GREY "Hank, shall I tell ITerrlck you'll j go In my slead'r" ".Nix, much ns I'd like to, I can't hit Juinpln' rabbiis." Hays hung around the barn, mostly most-ly Idle, watching the valley, until the IJerrieks relumed. The cowboys cow-boys brought the horses down. Whereupon Hays abruptly left. And he did not come back. From that hour he became an elusive man. That day ended Jim Wall's carpentry. car-pentry. On flie next he was summoned sum-moned early after breakfast to ride with the Ilerricks. Under the stimulation of this girl's Inspiring presence Jim gave an exhibition of swift and accurate shooting that surpassed any he had ever accomplished. "Marvelous!"' she exclaimed. "Helen, he's a bally good shot," declared Herrick. That night Hank Hays evinced slight but unmistakable symptoms of jealousy, occasioned, perhaps, by Jim's report of killing thirteen out of fifteen bounding Jack rabbits. Happy Jack, wide-eyed and loud-voiced, loud-voiced, acclaimed Jim's feat as one In a thousand. "Air you thet good frontin' a man who you know is swift?" drawled the robber chief. Jim stared. "Hank, I'm not so good then," he replied slowly. "Wal, somebody'll try you out one of these days," added Hays. "I daresay," he rejoined, coolly, and sought his seclusion. He refused re-fused to let that linger In his mind. Something else haunted him. His slumber was troubled. CHAPTER VI NEXT day Herrlok did not accompany ac-company his sister on the daily ride, a circumstance which, If anything, any-thing, gave freer rein to her spirit Jim had concciu for her safety. He could not judge well of her horsemanship, horse-manship, because of the side-saddle she rode. Bluntly he disapproved of the atrocious thing and said it obliged, Smoky. Now r ,,e n,)lc " 't I" a little game of draw" ".Inn ain't y K,t nny m.W8 ,(t nil? miulred Hays, searchingly. A feller with y,lr e.1M , shore would pick up sometiilnV "Miss Herrick felched a Wells-Fnrgo Wells-Fnrgo package to her brother" rejoined re-joined Jim slowly. "Then It's come," said Hays cracking his hands. "Herrick was expectut' money last stage." After supper Smoky was the first to break silence: "Boss, now Wnll Is back you can make up your mind about what I'd like to do." "Jim, listen to this: Smoky an' the other fellers, except Brad, want to make a clean sweep, with this next drive. What you think?" "Clean Herrick out?" asked Jim. "Thet's the Idee." Jim pondered a moment. "It's be harder work, but save time, and perhaps our bacon as well. These cowboys are going to find out Pretty soon that the cattle have thinned out If Smoky drives a couple thousand more it'll be sure to be found out, sooner or later." "See thar, boss. Wall sees It Just as I do. There's plenty of water along the road an' feed enough. . . . Let's make It one big drive." "Wal, It'c' mean leavin' Star Ranch sudden," cogitated the robber rob-ber chief. "Shore. An' thet's good." "But I don't want to pull out of here sudden," declared Hays. "Why not, if we get away with ten thousand head?" queried Smoky, astounded. "Thet ten thousand won't close the denl I'm on." "What've you got up your sleeve, Hank?" "Thet's my business. Tours Is drlvln' cattle." "You mean to rob the Engllsher? Hank, don't be a hawg!" "Hays, if you'll excuse me, I'm thinking Smoky talks sense," Interposed Inter-posed Jim, quietly. "My mind's made up. We'll stick to our first Idee. You fellers make drive after drive, goln' slow. . . thet'll give me time " "Ahuh. So you'll risk goin' agin' the whole outfit," interrupted Smoky, with a curious gaze at his superior. . "Wal, yes, If you put It thet way," replied Hays, and he stalked out 'Smoky, will you start the second drive tomorrow?" asked Wall. "I'll lay It up to my outfit. Wal, so long. See you soon, one way or another." Next day Jim went back to work on the new barn. A subtle change in Hank Hays augmented his suspicion sus-picion of that individual. Jim let him alone. Herrick was around as usual, interested in-terested In every detail of the building. build-ing. Hays had gone off with the cowboys across the valley to put them upon some Job there, which no doubt was a ruse to keep them away from Limestone Springs, where most of the stock grazed. And the day had ended without one glimpse of Helen Herrick. At breakfast the following morning morn-ing Hays surprised Jim. "Was the Herrick girl out yesterday?" yester-day?" he inquired. "Didn't see her." "You didn't say what kind of a looker she was." "Oh, that," laughed Jim. "I forgot for-got or didn't think you were Interested." Inter-ested." "Wal, I'd like to see her once before be-fore our deal's off here." Hays had his wish fulfilled next day. He was at work on the new barn, on the far side from where Jim was occupied, when Miss Herrick came down with her brother. Jim stared as if his eyes deceived him. An English riding habit was known to him only from pictures. She looked queenly. Jim did not look at her face. Besides, he wanted most to see the effect upon Hank Hays. That worthy's hawklike head was erect, but Jim could not see the telltale tell-tale eyes, Hays stood transfixed. Herrick and his sister walked toward Jim's side of the barn. "Good morning," she said. "Bernle told me how you shot bob no, Jack rabbits from the saddle. I want to see you do that. And I want to learn how. Will you show me?" "I'd be pleased, Miss Herrick." "Tomorrow, then, you will ride with me?" "I'm at your service." "Wall, you'll oblige me by riding with my sister when. It suits her," said Herrick. "Yes, sir," returned Jim, gazing across at the statue-like Hays. The couple moved off toward the open yard, where mounted cowboys were lending out saddle horses. "I seen her, Jim," Hays said, as If the event were epic. "She walked right by me." "What If she did, Hank?" "Nothin'. What was she sayln' to you?" "It seems ITerrlck tol l her about my shooting Jacks from my horse, and she wants to see It done." "You're goin' ridin' with her? . . . The luck of some men !" - irm-fiTnm "Not silly. An Instinct. Self-preservatlou," Self-preservatlou," returned Jim, sternly She passed that by, but only perhaps per-haps because she caught' sight of the ranch house up the slope. Here her enthusiasm was unbounded. Herrick stood on the porch steps with his dogs. He wore high boots and a red coat He waved. Presently Jim reined In the sweating sweat-ing horses before the steps. He was most curious to see the meeting meet-ing between brother and sister. She stood up. "Beruie, old top, here I am," she snid gayly. "Yes, here you are, Helen," he replied, aud stepped out to help her alight "Did you have a nice trip?" "Ripping from Grand Junction In." They did not embrace or even shake hands. Jim, coming to himself, him-self, leaped out and began removing the bags. Barnes, whom he had totally forgotten, jumped out on the other side. "Barnes, carry the bags In. Jim, hurry the blacks down. They're hot. You must have pushed them." "Yes, sir. Stage was late, but we made up for it." "Helen, where's that Wells-Fargo package?" queried Herrick. "Here In my satchel. Oh, Bernle, it's good to get home if this can be home." "Come in and take off that veil," he said, and with his arm in hers led her up on the porch. Jim let Barnes take the team, while he crossed the bench and made his way down the steep, roeky declivity to Hays' cabin. Flappy Jack was whistling about the fire, knocking , pans and otherwise Indicating Indi-cating the proximity of supper. "Howdy, Jack. What's tricks for today?" asked Jim. "Glad you're back, Jim," declared the cook cordially. "Anyone'd have thuuk you was goin' to dish the outfit judgln' from Hays. He's been like a hound on a leash. Smoky rode In today full of ginger, news, an' a roll of long green that'd have choked a cow. But even thet didn't ease the boss." - "What ailed him, Jack?" inquired Jim, not without impatience. "Dinged if I know. It had to do with your goin' to Grand, a darned sight more than Smoky's." Heavy footfalls outside attested to the return of Hays. Without more comment Jim stood up and away from the table, to face the door. Hays entered. He was not the genial Hays of other days, yet It was hard to define the change in him, unless it consisted in a gloomy, restless force behind his stride. Smoky followed him In, agreeable by contrast. "Hullo, here you air. I waited at the barn," said Hays gruffly. "Howdy, boss. I took a short cut down," replied Jim. "I seen Barnes an' had a word with him. So your trip come off all right? You shore made them blacks step." "It wasn't as pleasant a drive as you'd imagine," returned Jim, darkly. "Haw I You must be one of them women-haters. . . . Outside of thet side of it, what happened to jar you?" "Nothing to concern you or your outfit. Smoky saw me yesterday before I got a line on him. He ducked off the road. At Grand Junction nobody paid any more attention at-tention to me than I'd expect." "Ahuh. That's good," replied Hays, and going over to the pack beside his bed he rummaged about to return with a packet, which he slapped down upon the table. "There you air, Jim. On our first deal." The packet unrolled and spread out bills of large denomination. "What's this for?" queried Jim. "Quick action. Thet's how we work. Your share. Smoky fetched ''"jlm did not care to give the Impression Im-pression that he was unused to this sort of thing. Straddling the bench he sat down to run through the bills. , , . -Five thousand six hundred, he said, as If to himself, and he slipped the money inside his pocket. "Much :lb tER V Continued L' ' It, Miss Herrick." ,t of the vaunted chlval-mers? chlval-mers? I've read of Fre-i'arson, Fre-i'arson, Crook, nnd many Hl of the thousands who L true," he replied, his f, "Thank God, I enn ! you won't find that at 1 1 am too new, strange, nely to risk I under-of under-of course. I must doubt if; ronr evident strong feel-' feel-' ' iy be playing a western ' "' I was." 'er will know. If there iV In what you say." !" burst out Jim. "Her- t know. He never will ; caa't see through a with a hole In it Oh, ?, nderstand me. Herrick 'l ap, but this is no place ij:ngllsh gentleman and y nny more than It is a i Vt t his sister." i Mj for us to deckle," she I" Uldly. "I shall ride, any-! any-! 1 everywhere. I've al-J al-J n. I'd go mad not to get j j In this glorious coun- ne my best. I've told it id, curtly, as If he were i ssiiig his conscience. :yon, Mr. Wall," she said, alch the change In him. : you western folks re-:e re-:e as eccentric. And I'm limit his ranching idea It is to us must appear i strange to you. So I'll y If It's really danger-,i danger-,i to ride about alone, I rou with me. Not, how- rd be afraid to go alone, inld be perfectly safe, ked the reins. Tiss Herrick. We're on , ". There's your country. . : snow-capped mountains j " Henrys. We go through -a pass to Star ranch. ie space to the left linos and streaks that's !" she had cried out, re down the hill, and u the blacks to a keen gait road, this time a straight, 1 across a longer valley. : ated that he would beat jj he had declared, and c '- ranch before sundown. 1 ; drove past Heeseman's er i inat worthy's outfit were The road passed within . , f their chuck wagon. i ruffianly crew 1" mur-' mur-' 3 Herrick, "Who, pray, men?' 101 ' the outfit your brother protect his cattle from I replied Jim, "Funny l,ul ' that is they are rustlers 'S sly funny, though hard-ar- ?rnie. Does he know it?" " my knowledge. Heese-k Heese-k leader of that gang ig Is own recommendation do e job." ;s the fun of telling lei . Oh, what's that. . . . lsk Mormons barn 1 All yel-rei yel-rei a new one going up. .e I logs. . . . Look at the y I ant to stop." Herrick," he replied '11 drive you home safely t 'to attempt . . . Don't f oi l! man we're coming :1 , ke '" she asked, laughingly. standing farthest out," 1 "He's got on a black (I,;, . Don't look at him. I Hays. . . . Miss Her-3iK Her-3iK WW veil" Jd, unobtrusively, though laugh pealed out. "You of course. But I must I ; effort to entertain ma" 5 SI 6 by Hays, who stood a group of cowboys. If jj ''o at all, It was totally sll ' Jim. But Wall's glance, strained, pierced the e' Hays' dark sombrero -r-i range eyes below. They Pale now. Jim's hand :1U on the reins. He be-unled be-unled with the nucleus ; deadly thought toward ''ays. who Is he?" Miss saying. of your brother's vlg- aw he stared! But it ' wliich struck me most. 'e seen cobras rise and f to strike. And your ;ed for all the world ctra with a black som-slleaa. som-slleaa. wasn't that silly Straddling the Bench He 8at Down to Run Through the Bills. was worse than the "pancake" her brother rode. But she rode after the hounds just the same, and held her own until she was thrown. If she had fallen upon rocks or even hard ground she would have been seriously Injured, If not killed outright But when the horse stumbled stum-bled she hurtled over his head and hit In the sand. Jim was off almost al-most the Instant she struck. "I'm all right," spoke up Miss Herrick, weakly. "I came a cropperdidn't crop-perdidn't I?" She sat, evidently not hurt, though she clung to Jim's arm. With his scarf he wiped the sand from her face, aware that his hand was not steady. Her hair had come partly loose to fall in a golden mass on her shoulder. She rearranged it and put on her hat, deftly despite gloved fingers. "Help me up, please," she said. Jim placed a strong arm under hers and lifted her to her feet. Then something cold and tight within let go, and his reaction was to take refuge In anger: "Miss Herrick, I told you that saddle was no good. It's a wonder you were not killed." "I believe I did strike pretty hard," she admitted, ruefully. "You want a cow-saddle with a double cinch, and overalls," concluded con-cluded Jim. "Overalls!" she exclaimed, and she blushed rosy red. "You mean like these blue trousers Barnes has on?" "Yes. Then you can ride. This is the West, Miss Herrick. You like to run a horse. It's dangerous. I shall have to speak to your brother." broth-er." "Don't. I've never ridden astride, bnt I'll do It, since you are so very fearful about It" That experience left Jim shnky, probably a good deal slinkier than it had left Miss Herrick. But It was not fear for her. Jim reveled re-veled in the torturing sensation engendered en-gendered by contact with this beautiful beau-tiful girl. He shook like a leaf at the stacsering realization that when she lay on the ground wlih her arms spread wide, her hair gold Bialnst the sand, he lon-ed to snatch her to his breast. A natural nat-ural impulse, under the circumstances, circum-stances, but for him idiotic! TO BE rnvTtNTF-P. |