Show s I 1 6 H SPEARMAN ahu SERVICE CHATTER CHANTER IV jane made it a practice to visit her father at the medicine bend hospital at least every two weeks she spent the day at the hospital 1 with her father ate an early upper supper with him and took number one back to sleepy cat her father naked asked a good many questions about mccrossen A good man van cambel said of him again and again his hia only trouble la Is gar gambling he will vill gamble tm rm sorry sony father returned jane with asperity it was wan not the first time ht he had made the ame remark albut but I 1 dont quite see how I 1 can watch him do you well arwell keep track of the shipments this month the steers will be going out right along now good deal of money coming in see that he dont get too much away from you under one pretext or another when he wants wanta money to gamble he wont atop at nothing and it wont do a bit of hurt to be kind of nice to him yourself hints such auch as these failed to move jane indeed they aroused an antagonism when the train pulled into sleepy cat late that night it was ca cold id a north wind was spitting rain mccrossen was on hand with the two seated buckboard he met jane at the pullman step and hurried r her through the sprinkle across the platform to the rig 1 I piled the house supplies in the back explained mccrossen so better ride with me brought you an extra heavy coat over he added thought you might need it will you put it on now his voice never harsh sounded solicitous jane thought she would put the coat on her foreman sitting beside her helped her get into it his manner was tender his hands as he straightened the coat collar lingered a moment on her shoulders jane shook her shoulders slightly to draw them away your fathers a great man jane he said no use 11 im glad to hear someone say a good word for him returned jane dryly oh hes got his enemies I 1 know but from the alie first minute I 1 ever saw you girl when you got off the train that momin in sleepy cat mccrossen inclined in friendly fashion toward his tight sitting little companion to emphasize his words from the v very cry first minute I 1 saw you I 1 said to myself theres a girl with all the grit erit and sand of her father you better drive a little faster sug suggested 9 ested miss tight sitter casually im afraid to push the old buckboard over this part of the road so I 1 said to myself he continued 11 theres a girl with her fathers grit and her mothers beauty jane he lowered his voice becomingly comin gly are you warm quite and comfortable perfectly but I 1 should like to get on faster mccrossen brought the horses to a stop the matter asked e d his companion rather tartly this is gunlock ford the creek was kind of high when I 1 drove through after supper and its been all evenin we dont want to get caught in the water ill get out and see how things look take the lines a minute its safe I 1 reckon he reported returning soon to the rig but bat better put your feet in my lap till we get across the water might come up through the floorboards her response was chilly my feet will be all right where they are 0 K X jane but youre about the sweetest girl I 1 ever saw in the world suiting action to these words mccrossen put his arms swiftly around the girl and pulled her toward him for a kiss he failed to get one instead he got a smart slap from janes gloved hand and she pushed him back with a force he had not thought possible in so delicate a feminine makeup make up please mind your business dave and attend to your driving said jane collectedly the night was an unquiet one for janes pillow the more she thought about her surprise admirer and his crude advances the angrier she grew in the morning she breakfasted and ordered her saddle pony she meant to take a long ride all by herself and rid herself of her annoyance in the morning air of the high hills the day was sympathetic to her purpose she rode under a cloudless sky into the far reaches of gunlock ranch insensibly the clouds in her mind cleared and left her free to enjoy the glory of the scene on and on jane rode the pony was spirited and seemed ake his mistress to enjoy the jaunt the farther she rode the wilder the country grew with only small bunches of cattle here and there to remind her of her domain at length the hills grew too rough for pleasure riding with her spirits quieted and feeling invigorated jane reined about for the ranch house covering considerably more distance jane having grown weary was rejoiced at last to see the dusty serpentine foothills road well below her having reached it she reined into it and jogged bogged along confident of reaching home soon presently she encountered an indian family traveling toward her in a wagon she reined up am I 1 heading right for gunlock ranch she asked of the man driving he nodded affirmatively but a bright eyed boy in the wagon box made a protest he jabbered jabberer jabb ered in low tones to his father and turning to jane exclaimed wrong way and pointed north the father shook his head and the dispute grew jane confused by the uncertainty thanked the party and rode on south A few miles farther she met a horseman heading north As he drew near jane thought she recognized him as aa the man who had directed her back to the ranch a couple of weeks before at the close of a long day of riding through the gunlock hills jane reined up inquiringly the horseman responded to the unspoken invitation by doing likewise jane saw a slender face deeply tanned black hair mild brown eyes a large nose and a mouth oy by a not unfriendly chin good morning ventured jane can you tell me whether I 1 am on the right road to gunlock ranch the man listened but made no effort to speak instead he be looked at the girl silently his gaze was embarrassing he ignored her question and instead asked one himself arent you the girl who got lose around here a couple of weeks week ago Y yea answered jane and arent you the man who directed me back to gunlock ranch guess I 1 was waa the trian man replied in an absentminded absent minded wy V 1 I realize that its stupid of me to lose my way again she said but can you tell me whether I 1 am heading right for the ranch ile ho found his tongue and spoke quietly well reach the ranch the way you are arc going though probably not today not today she asked in amazement you want to reach the ranch house I 1 suppose 1 I do then yo youre ure heading the wrong way will you please set me right better take the back trail youre going away from the ranch house now jane exclaimed in surprise why how is that are you sure dead sure A suspicion of humor crept into the words Confuse dat being caught wrong jane flushed the man silent just looked at her she did not like it he might be laughing at her facing him more sternly she asked with hl helpless annoyance in her words what am I 1 to do back trail what does that mean she asked as bcd tartly turn around where am IT I 1 pretty well wel I 1 out on the gunlock indian reservation ive never felt so stupid in my life declared jane trying bryin to act at ease as she reined about 1 I thought I 1 knew this country well enough by this time not to get lost im certainly not a tenderfoot the man smiled but to himself theres been men here several years who get lost riding in the hills its no disgrace for a two months cr jane did not relish being termed a two oh ob ive been here before she said airily he offered no comment tired waiting for him to say something jane was nettled by his continued silence 1 I see youre wearing your bracelet he remarked of a sudden the words came so to speak out of a clear sky she looked at him just as suddenly as he had spoken and in alarm he was looking straight ahead just as if she were not within miles and with the impassive expression of a man riding quite alone could he be she asked herself in a flash of fear a bad man could he mean to rob her of her bracelet and watch for a moment she was too upset to speak but her silence seemed not to move her companion looking placidly ahead and after waiting for her to comment he spoke again 1 I might be wrong but I 1 thought I 1 saw that bracelet about two years ago fourth of july oh exclaimed jane for want of something better to say anyway continued her even speaking guide 1 I know I 1 be mistaken about the young lady that wore it you Y ou visiting here around that time yes ventured jane stealing a glance at the questioner his gaze was fixed steadfastly ahead were you at the frontier day celebration in sleepy cat that fourth of july he continued Y yes repeated jane W were you if I 1 ha ant been he answered answered d dryly 1 I have seen the bracelet they were jogging along pleasantly enough and as the man actually demand her bracelet or watch her panic subsided stopping over at the ranch for a while are you for a while yes some of the boys over at your ranch were telling in town they had aad a young lady over at gunlock that used to ride in a circus I 1 suppose it was you im the only woman young or old over there what circus did you work with oh several circuses said jane recklessly what were some of them jane growing flighty named one of the big ones whose shows she had attended in chicago what year were you with that show she was growing desperate with affected embarrassment she turned full on him you ask me that women are sensitive about their age dont you know for the first time he turned his jeyes eyes directly toward hers there was a slight mutual shock at the encounter to hide a momentary confusion she laughed nervously but a bridge a little bit of a bridge over a little bit of a brook had been crossed and the little bit of a brook was of the kind that sometimes leads to a big river his eyes were brown jane could see them now together with some 0 of f the lightning that flashed in response to her words she was even a little scared ive heard some women are that way he went on I 1 but I 1 call you a woman oh my why not well id call you a girl the reason I 1 asked was because I 1 was with that show one season myself I 1 this was growing terrifying jane made an effort to change the line of talk but her stranger was waa interested did you ever happen to ride in madison square garden I 1 1 I rode there one winter when we showed there did you like circus work she ahe asked offhand cant say I 1 did I 1 never worked in a circus except that one season it was only because I 1 needed money bad and it was wan big money to me then the lawyers got it all heres the fork for gunlock ranch he pointed they were at the parting of their ways A saucy impulse seized jane she was given to impulses and to doing whatever thing flashed into her head she check checked c d her horse lifted her forearm and unclasped the bracelet since youve been so kind the man had halted his horse nothing at all he protested id like you she went on paying no attention to disclaimer to have a souvenir this bracelet she held it out to him he looked flabbergasted for what he be stammered his embarrassment seemed to communicate itself to jane she could not have told why im grateful for your putting me on my way today and that other night when I 1 got lost if you remember she went on he swallowed she was secretly delighted with his confusion well that certainly is mighty kind he said haltingly but I 1 accept such a beautiful thing for doing nothing at all ive got lots of bracelets but sometime ive got to find something I 1 can really do for you she laid the bracelet in his out ched hand 1 I certainly thank you a thousand times his slow response left no doubt of what lie he felt her aim now was to escape his protestations te he put on his hat she started to go please he exclaimed raising his hand she stopped her guides brow ruffled a little in perplexity what is it she asked superciliously cilious ly impatient he took his hat off again would it be polite he bentt ventured ired to ask aak your name tell me yours again she said bill denison she allowed her horse to turn into the ranch trail denison sat bat motionless hat in hand but looking directly at her you told me your name yet he remonstrated quietly oh its marie goodbye good bye not till after she had parted from denison and was riding alone with her thoughts did jime jane begin to feel really frightened this thia was waa the man of whom she had heard lurid tales of rustling an enemy of her fathers near outlaw generally bill denison to bo be continued |