The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 120: what you’re looking at

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$22 Gill. They would start out on a hunt for Ted. Instantly as she thought it she leaped toward the house. In two minutes she was out again, dressed in flannel shirt and riding skirt. She flew down the trail toward the spring. Silsby and Red jumped toward her as she ran. Her every step told of some important news. | “Come! Saddle at once! A horse for me! We ride west. The Double X-ers weel be starting in two hours! But we—we have the start! Come!” The two men waited for no expla- nations. Her manner was enough to show that speedy action was essential. They did as she ordered, and the three of them flew out on a gallop across the plains and into the foot-hills. Ted Radford had ridden west; and they rode west, too. CHAPTER XXI. HUNTING THE HILLS. As the horses struck the gait they could keep for hours at a time, Silsby looked at Natalie riding close to his side on a big horse whose length of limb and staying qualities had recom- mended him rather than the ease of his gait. She was almost breathless, but her face shone in the light of the setting sun like a jewel. She poured out her story, and the two men listened with intent ears while they kept a keen watch-out over to the south where the Double X-ers would make their ap- pearance if they came at all within see- ing distance. “West” covered a good deal of space, but Natalie had scarcely finished before Silsby gave a definite aim to their going. “Bet he thought that thar Sykes wuz some one after the deed! That's why he never stopped to use his keys. An’ now he’s gone on to the Cochi- nino.” “ How far ees that? ’’ Natalie asked. THE ARGOSY. “It’s a little over fifty miles west of the Mesquite. We'll ride thar an’ git fresh hosses an’ some grub. Come on! We kin run the wind out uv these hosses an’ have some new ones fur the rest uv the trip.” Natalie urged her big horse into his longest gallop with the same fire that animated the men. She had grown used to the saddle, but the pony she rode was like a rocking-chair com- pared to the wild, rushing plunge of this big horse. What breath she had left she caught and held in her throat from sheer ter- ror. But she clung to the saddle and let the beast sweep on. Every long leap was so much time gained on the Dou- ble X-ers. If it was so easy for Silsby to guess where Radford had gone, she recognized that it would be as likely to come into the mind of Gill, who knew the country equally. They reached the Mesquite Ranch, and Red grew eloquent trying to per- suade the little lady to relinquish the rest of what might prove a very hard journey. In fifteen minutes from the time they reached the house they were mounting again, and Red was still urg- ing Natalie not to come. ‘““T weel!” she said finally. “Confound ye, then, come along; but it'll be yer own fault ef we have to go slow fur ye an’ lose the time we're makin’! It may mean jes’ eggszackly the difference between bein’ a live ur a dead man to yer beau!”’ Red did not mince matters when his anger and his common sense got to- gether on a proposition. Natalie’s black hair was streaming over her shoulders; her white face shone like a pearly wedge between its cleft tide. She twisted in the saddle and called to the punchers gathered about them. ‘I’m going to go; but I weel not de- tain M. Seelsby an’ Beeg Red. Weel you come with me?” she cried. The punchers started to whoop out a cordial consent. But Big Red wait- ed no longer for what might happen. He took Natalie at her word before .OO mie <S) (E@) (Eo)