The Argosy, March 27, 1920 — page 111: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE TRAIL HORDE, what he had seen and by the low, tense voice of his captor. He seized a tin-pan and dove out of the open doorway, return- ing imstantly, the pan heaped high with snow. The other man, following the first quickly, dove through the snow-drifts to the dugout, where he fumbled in the slicker on Lawler’s saddle until he found a flask, By the time the little man returned: the woman was in one of the lower bunks. A pair of bare feet, small amd shapely, were sticking out over the edge of the bunk, and the tall fence-cutter was vigorously rubbing snow over them. A pair of small, high-top riding boots of soft, pliable leather, was lying beside the bunk near some pitiably thin stockings, At the other end of the bunk Lawler was bathing, with ineffable tenderness and care, a face that had been swathed in the scarf he had previously removed. The Jong, glistening black hair had been brushed back from its owner’s forehead by Lawler; and a corner of a blanket had been modestly folded over a patch of white breast, ex- posed when Lawler had ruthlessly torn away the flimsy, fluffy waist. “Tt was the scarf that saved her face,” said Lawler, after he had worked over the unconscious form for a quarter of an hour. The face was flushed, now—which was a good sign; and the feet amd ankles were beginning to show signs of restored circula- tion also—though more reluctantly. “ How she ever got threugh it I’m not pretending to say,” declared Lawler grimly. “ But she did it, and the frost didn’t get her, much. She'll be fresh as a daisy in a couple ef hours.” The tall man — Link —had ceased his labors with the woman, and was standing near Lawler, He grinned at Lawler’s wards, His face was flushed, his eyes were glow- ing with passion as he watched the inert form on the bunk. “She’s a peach,” he said thickly, Law- ler was not looking at him; he was givine all his attention to the woman. “Della Wharton,” continued Link. ‘I've seen her at the Two Diamond — runnin’ around with Warden. Warden's took a shine to her. Don’t blame him.” He muttered something else that Layler 261 did not hear, for Lawler was paying no at- tention to him. Lawler held the flask to the woman’s half-open mouth, and smiled when several drops of the strong spirits trickled ever her tongue. Then he walked to the wood-pile and replenished the fire. Returning, he saw Link standing close to the bunk, smil- ing bestially at the upturned face. When Lawler caught sight of him he was fmger- ing the disordered hair, liffing it and letting it filter through his fingers. Without a word, Lawler leaped and struck with bitter malignance, Not a sound escaped Link as he fell. Lawler lifted him bodily, threw him upon the pile of wood in the corner, where he lay huddled up, un- conscious. Wheeling swiftly, his eyes ablaze with the terrible passion that had seized him, Law- ler faced the bunk, The woman’s head was moving slowly from side to side, as though she were making an-effort to lift it; her eyelids were fluttering, and her hands were straying over the bed clothing, the fingers closing and unclosing, Lawler made a horrible srimace at “Get out of here, damn you!” he said “Go out and take care of her horse—any- thing! If you are in here when she wakes up, PH kill you! And take that other skunk out of here, too—take lim fo the dugout, and don’t come back here for an hour!” He watched impatiently while Givens seized his companion and dragged him out- side. Then Lawler fastened the door, and standing near it, watched the woman. Her eyes were open. He could see them, even though he stoed slightly behind her. Ske moved her head, lifted it, and gazed around the room, seemingly bewildered at what she saw. Then she twisted her body around; saw het bare feet, and qnickly drew an end of the bunk blanket over them. And then she saw Lawler, Her eyes opened wide, filling with satisfaction, and she sat up, holding one hand to her throat, tight against the flesh, covering it with the other. “Qh!” she said thinly. ‘“ I—I got here, didn’t I? But I didn’t expect to find you here!” (To be continued NEXT WEEK.) conniclooolks. comin ‘