Show E FRO AM I 1 am mun R 0 T 1 I by ZANE copyright W NU use service me CHAPTER XII continued 14 come on gray he called to the horse behind and to nay bay St endy old fellow it if that narrows round there you want to step sure it did narrow eight feet six feet lessl less bits of the steep bank were crumbling away but the pack horses had bad gone round it would not be safe to try to turn now suddenly jim encountered a still narrow cr point scarcely the feet wide vilde the edge had freshly crumbled it was crumbling now bay stepped carefully confidently lie ile knew horses with wide packs had eliud safely passed there lie ile went on jim felt him sink one hind foot had crushed out a section of earth letting him down doln but with a snort he be plunged ahead to wider troll trall jims heart had leaped to his its throat lie ile hoard heard thud of hoots hoofs behind a heavy beavy rumble looking back he saw s aw the gray horse leap from a section of wall beginning nan g to gap outwards to solid ground ahead next nest instant six bis feet of the trail close up tip to the bluff slid down in an avalanche close share for us alit all I 1 cried jim huskily right at its ills feet feel a red torrent rushed with a wrestling clashing sound from out a deep walled gorge of splintered rocking walls this was a tributary a vicious child of the hideous dirty devil it barred jims progress thirty paces to the fore on the widest part of the bank stood the pack horses the rain had bad slackened the girl stirring in his arms roused him out of his bewilderment III lie rode on to a huge section of cliff wall which had fallen from above aud and now leaned at an angle over the trail it appeared to be a safe retreat jim dismounted carefully with helen and stooping as he moved under the leaning rock be set her down on dry dust Is it tile the end for us lie ile did not answer folding tile the slicker into a pillow he laid her head bead back upon it scrambling up lie he removed the saddle from cay bay and dropped it under the shelter then leading the horse he stepped forward to where the gray and the pack animals had halted the instinct of the horses had guided them to halt behind behil til the only safe spot on the unsafe bank jim removed their packs leaving the saddles on without hesitation he poured out all of the grain about two quarts for each horse lastly lie he jammed the packs under the edge of the boulders and left the horses free to take care of themselves ie it that storm breaks over the head bead of this gorge were lost so 1 jim in dark solemnity gloomy weighed down by inscrutable events he hurried back to the shelving rock lie ile dreaded the coming hours the night the he knew not what whal jim removed his slicker and folded it into a long pad As lie he crept closer the girl stirred again and spoke lie ile thought she asked if he was there lie he placed the slicker in the best available place and cohered that with the drier of the two saddle blankets lie ile pulled the saddle closer then he lifted the girl over his big lap and covered her with the dry blanket ile he leaned back against the stone with her head on his shoulder and his arm supporting her it was not only that he wanted to keep her dry and warm he had to have her in lils his arms while he waited for the nameless terror he anticipated this was the climax ot of the storm that had been gathering for days out upon the level desert it would have been serious for travelers I 1 here in this gorge it was a maelstrom strom jim did not expect to live to hear bear it pass away yet he did anil and then began the aftermath of a flood let loose upon such unstable earth the waterfall gradually rose to a thundering continuous crabb crash it dominated for a while until the thousand streams from above poured over the rims to deaden all to completely deafen jim A sheet of water sliding over the rock hid bid the opaque blackness from jims eyes any moment now a flood would rise over the bank and when it did jim meant to climb higher with the girl to front ilia hurtling rocks and slIp slipping sides and fight till the bitter end but many changes as the hours brought brough that flood old did not rise above the bank jim saw tile sheet of water tall fall and the black space bof i of gorge again the time came to him as IT if he dreamed when all sounds bounds changed lessened faded away except the peculiar th thrashing of the stream below and lie got iao to listening for that sound hound which occurred only occasionally lor for a while the sliding rush of heavy water swept on suddenly to ebangi chaigr into a furious splashing at length jim calculated it was a strong current laden with sand which at times caused billows to rise and lash their twisting tips back upon themselves long LODE lie la heard these slowly diminishing gradually separating sounds the streams ceased lowing flowing the slides ceased slipping the rocks ceased rolling and the waterfall failed from a thundering to a hollow roar and from that to a softening in splash jim imagined lie he saw dim stars out in a void that seemed to change from black to gray was dawn at hand nad had they been spared the gurgle of the stream below merged into the lie distant low rumble of the dirty dell dei 11 but the sky was graying the gorge taking shape in the gloom and this place which had heard a din of hideous sounds was silent as a grave at last jim had to accept a marvelous phenomenon dawn was at hand gently he be slipped helen into the hollow of the saddle she was still asleep ills his cramped limbs buckled under him and excruciating pains shot through his bones and muscles in the gray light objects were discernible nible lie ile could not see to the head of the gorge where the waterfall had plunged out from the wall but silence meant that it had been surface water a product of the storm and it was w a s gone beneath the bank ran a channel of fine ribbed sand where not even a puddle showed sunrise found jim wall topping a rise of rocky ground miles beyond the scene of tits his night vigil again ho he followed his sure footed lead pack horse the sky was blue the sun bright and aarm warm and at the moment it crowned ith gold tile the top of the purple butte jim had seen twice before it appeared close now rearing a corrugated peal peak above yellow and brown hills jim was carrying helen in front of him conscious but too spent to speak or move she lay back on his arm and watched him there had bad been a trail along here once as was proved by a depressed line on the gravelly earth corth when jim surmounted this barren divide he suddenly was confronted by an amazing and marvelous spectacle blue val valley leyl 1 he be ejaculated the startling beauty of this lost alley struck jim next it resembled a winding jewel of emerald and amethyst set down amid barren hills of jasper and porphyry and variegated mosaics of foothills bailit waging away on the left and golden racks of carved rocks and mounds of brown clay and duties dunes of rusty earth blue valley I 1 nelen helen were out of the brakes safe men live here she heard him tor for slie she smiled up into his face glad for his sake but in her exhaustion beyond caring for her own there was no sign of habitation nor tiny any smoke but jim knew this was blue valley it was long perhaps fifteen miles and probably the farms were located at the head where irrigation had been possible how flow could even pioneers utilize that ferocious river below him a narrow winding valley green as emerald with its cottonwoods cotton woods and willows only in the distance did it shine blue under the hot son nan through it the dirty devil wound a meandering course yellow as a bright ribbon it was bank full in III swirling flood and from where it left the valley which point jim could not see a dull chafing of waters came to tits ills ears at midday jim passed deserted eft cabelus blus some on one side of the river some on the other they did not appear so old yet A they were i ere not new mad had blue valley been abandoned jim was convinced it could riot not be so fo but when he be espied a deserted church with vacant eye like ike windows then tits his heart sank helen must have rest care food ile he was at the end of his resources an hour later he be tolled past a shack built of logs arid and stones and adjoining a dugout set into the hill people had lived there once but long ago jims last hope nod fled ne ile was still far from tile head bead of the valley 1 but apparently he be had left the zone zo e of habitation behind the afternoon waned the horses plodded on slower and slower glower wearing to exhaustion helen was a dead weight despair had seized upon him when lie turned a yellow corner between the slope and the cottonwoods cotton woods to be confronted by a wide pasture at the end of which a log cabin nestled among cotton woods A column of blue smoke rose lazily against the follice lol fol lige the horses labored out of the mud to higher ground JI jim in role rode up lothe to the cabin never in all tits his life had he be been can so glad to swell smell smoke to see a garden gardent to obear bear a dog baik ills aver quick eye caught sight of a man who had evidently been watching for he stopped stepped out on the porch rifle in hand band jim kept on to the barred gate gale there were lowers flowers in the yard and vines rines on the he cabin proof of feminine hands and he saw a bed on the porch I hello lello lie shouted as lie got off carefully needing both hands bands to handle helen I hullo lullo yourself called the man who was apparently curious but not unfriendly then as jim let down a bar of the gate ciui ith his foot this resident of 0 blue valley leaned ills his rifle against the wall and called to some one within CHAPTER XIII DI hurdled on to the porch and i JIM laid helen upon the bed she was so BO exhausted that she could not speak but she smiled at jim her plight was evident then jim straightened up to look at the roan man ills swift gaze never so penetrating in fell upon a sturdy individual of middle age a typical pioneer still faced and bearded the instant jim looked into the blue eyes mildly curious he knew that whoever the man was lie he had not heard of the abduction of herricks sister howdy stranger my names wall said jim in reply slowly seeking for words alli mines nes task tasker er whar you from durango my my wife and I 1 got of lost slie she strong jim hurried on to the porch and laid helen upon the bed she gave out im afraid ashes in bad shape she shore looks bad but the lord Is good its only lies tuckered out what place Is this clue blue valley ive stuck it out but ill be givin up soon no use tryan try in to fight thet that dirty devil river five years tears ago there was eighty people livin ayar blue valley talley has a story friend il one id be gladdo hear interrupted jim will you held help me I 1 have money and can pay you 11 stay an welcome friend an keep your money ne me an my women folks ask bothin fer good will toward those in need thank aou ou jim replied huskily will you call them to look after my ay my wife helen was staring up at jim with wondering troubled eyes Is everything all rl right bt she asked faintly yes it if to find friends an care is that replied the rancher kindly ly then lie stepped to the door to call within mary ilary tills this rider was not alone it was bis big wife lie he was carry carri carrien in ln they got lost in the brakes an she gave out we must take them in that night after the good ranchers assured jim that helen was just worn out jim went to sleep under the cottonwoods cotton woods and never moved for seventeen hours helen sat up the second day white and alid shaky indeed but recovering with a promise that augured well her eyes hung upon jim with a mute observance next morning while the women were antwork at work in the fields and tasker was wag away somewhere jim approached pro proa ached chod helen on the porch her hair once again under care shone like burnished gold well sou look wonderful this morning he said we must begin to think of getting away oh im able to start W we overdo it tomorrow r perhaps and then if were lucky in three days be back at star ranch and I 1 ills his evident depression as he broke off checked her vivid gladness you will never go buck back to to your old life she questioned quickly no so help amegod me god alisi Tl isI 1 owe to you alone helen it will be possible now tor for roe me even to be happy but enough of 0 myself I 1 have traded to of 0 the horses for Ta cashers light wagon I 1 will take you to the stage line and soon iou will be at grand junction jim jhn ceased her hands slipped from her eyes to expose them wide filmed with tears through which shone that which made him flee walt wait please wait she called after hira him as lie made with giant strides for the gate but he did not go lack back in a moonlit hour that night late when the good maskers had gone to well earned rest jim heard beard his big name called ile he ran with swift noiseless feet to helens bedside you did not come back she whispered 1 I cannot sleep there is something I 1 want to say lie ile sat down upon the bedside and clasped her hand band in his Is your real name jim wall she asked with more composure no I 1 will tell it if you wish are you a free man free what do you moan mean yes free of course you called me your your wife to these kind people 1 I thought that best they would be less curious 1 I was not offended and I 1 understood I 1 want you to go back to star ranch with me you ask me that thail he exclaimed incredulously yes I 1 do but you will III be perfectly safe some one will drive you from grand junction perhaps only ill never feel safe again unless you are near ive had too great a shock jim 1 I can never go back to star ranch lie he replied gravely why not because you are you were a member of a robber gang I 1 had an ancestor who was a robber baron balon not the reason he said what Is it then if I 1 leave leare you now soon as ive placed you in good hands I 1 can ride 0 off in peace a c e g go 0 t to 0 A arizona or s somewhere om e flie crepe artz w a and n d b be e a e cowboy b and n d b be e happy in the memory of hatin having served you and loved you Q and through that having turned my back on the old life I 1 but it if I 1 went back to star ranch to see you every day to to to ride with me she interfered softly yes to ride with you yon he went on hoarsely be like what you called your rough experience a little too much it would be terribly too much im only human faint heart never won fair lady she whispered averting her face and withdrawing her hand band jim I 1 believe if I 1 were you id risk it jim gazed down at the clear cut profile at the shadowed eyes hair silvered in the moonlight then stricken and mute he be rushed away before dawn jim had beaten his vain and exalted consciousness into a conviction that the heaven helen hinted at tor for him was the generosity of a womans comans heart she could not yet bo be wholly herself ile he must not take advantage of that but to reassure her he decided he would conduct her to star ranch careful never to reopen that delicate and impossible subject and after she was safely there and all was well he would ride away in ia the night letting his silence speak its his farewell at sunrise jim acquainted tusher with bis big desire to leave for torrey soon they were on the way helen comfortably settled in ia the back of the two seated wagon and jim riding beside tasker in front A rancher at whose abose place tasker stopped invited them to pass the night at tits his house and next morning take the road from there to grand junction which could be reached in a long iong days drive jim accepted both invitation and advice in the morning tasker bade them goodby good by and godspeed god speed thank you yon mr tasker replied helen 1 I shall remember your kindness and id like to buy back the two |