The Argosy, January 1906 — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

JIM DEXTER—CATTLEMAN. “Yes, Jim,” she answered him sim- ply. He told her of the work to be done in the Whiplash Hills, and her eyes brightened. “It will not be possible for me to ride back to Siwash with you to-day,” he fin- ished, “so you had better stay at my ranch to-night. As soon as we reach the hills I will send you to headquarters with one of the men.’ “T have a deep interest in Old Blazes,” she answered with a slght smile, “ Why may I not stay in the hills and see him meet his fate, then ride to the ranch with you?” He saw how eager she was to carry out the plan and had not the heart to deny her. She could be posted in a safe place, and the excitement of the drive might give her some relief from the sadness that had lately come into her life. “Very well,” he said, turning to look at the cinches of the side-saddle. “ It will be well, I think, to tell Mrs. Hut- ton you will not be back until to- morrow.” She flew back to the house with the message and-was quickly at his side again. He swung her lightly to the horse’s back, leaped to his own saddle, and they galloped away. For some time they rode in silence, both busy with their thoughts. “There is no word from Roy?” she asked at last. <4 No.” “One of Mrs. Hutton’s boarders was saying last night that Ol Kalispel had hired a detective to, hunt for Roy, and had offered him ten thousand dollars if he suceeeded in his search.” “That is like Kalispel,” was his only comment. “TJ hope,” she went on tremulously, “that Roy will return of his own free will before the detective has a chance to find him.” “I hope so, too, Orah.” “ But no matter whether Roy returns of his own aecord or is brought back,” she said with spirit, “ we must. clear his name before he gets here.” “We will do everything possible,” he answered. “If we sueceed in clearmg his name he will not be brought back— 283 there will be nothing to keep him from coming of his own accord.” She flashed a glance at him. “Then you really think he is afraid to come back? ” “I do not know what to think, but that seems the clearest explanation.” “Why should he be afraid, if he is innocent ? ” “He knows how eunning Ol Kalispel can be, and he may think, as I did, that this is a plot of Kalispel’s to entrap him.” They conversed little after this, but told off the miles at a rapid pace, - were at the scene of the “ accident,” Orah had referred to it, before they were fairly aware. A broken paint can beside the trail caught Dexter’s eye, and he drew to a quick halt. Orah also stopped a few paces ahead, and they backed their horses to the trail-side and gazed in silence at the broken ground. There was a scant growth of timber on both sides of the trail at that point, and if Nate Kalispel had had an un- scrupulous enemy, it was such a place as might have been chosen for an am- bush. Three days had passed since the tragedy, and the ordinary travel along the trail had done much to obliterate traces of the struggle; but to the right of the road, where the ground had not been interfered with, the earth was deeply indented. The spilled paint had soaked into the ground for the most part, and where stray stones had caught splashes of it the settling dust had turned it to a sickly dun “color. “There is little to be learned here, Orah,” said Dexter. “here are hoofmarks there,” she ob- served a moment later, pointing with her quirt. “A steer has crossed the road,” re- turned Dexter. “That is nothing to wonder at in a cattle country.” “T suppose not,” she sighed. “ As you say, Jim, there is little to be learned and we might as well continue our jour- ney.” As they were about to start, Dexter’s quick ear caught a sound of approach- - ing hoofs, With a significant look at comichbook