The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11

think. you knoE. he's taken a sort OF shine to
MS since he dropped in last night. And fam
get along all right. I'd have pointed him out
before. only reckoned you and stacy would
say he was making up TO rs for our money.
and we'd have been wrong. Barker boy
said Stacy with n hcartinePs thar surprised
Demorest,. FOR l reckon your Instincts the
There he Ia now. - said the Qratifed Barker.
lust abreast of us on the cutoff. He started
could have brought him into Roomvil!e hours
ago: It's just hiA Kindness"
from which Jack Hamiin had lust emerged.
Although. evidently holding In n powerful mus.
tang, n1ihIng could be more unconscious II. ana hid
not sccm TO know, OF the proximity, Of any
other traveller and 10 care less. HIS hand.
was c~ArollinN after his usual fashion. but the
distance was too great 10 make hi melody
invitation 10 reach him. suddenly he lowered
his ,tieltened rein. the. mustang sDralg ior-
IHrd; ana w VIII ha3 q fash Of silver NV spurs -. ana ,bs Sf ,T,g
he was pursuing crossed theirs n mile beyond. IL
seemed quite possible that they should again
They were now fairly into the Boomvi'le val
ley. and were entering a narrow arroyo Dor
dcred With dusty willows. which efrertually
bed OF II mountain torrent that In Water do
%sconded the hillside over tho trail by Which
they had Just come. but was now sunk into the
thirsty plain between banks that varied from
two TO five feet In height. Tho mGleteer had
iiN hlNtu lHtD lHN lHTIo" lhill "huD Nv
uttered a ""Nndre de Dios!''' and backed his
BANK BANK. "1 Tho SO sou, pTe Of hoofs st on the ; a1iiI IN their
rear had caught his quicker ear. and as tho
three partners turned thcr heheld three horse
They we're apparently Mexican vauueros. NJ
the swar,hy type, their faces made st!ll darker
their hends under their s.iff sombreros.
Either they were unable or unwilling TO re.
strain their horses in their headlonE speed. and
m rpl1Iat0n In that N "a rrnty as GgauR xra q IN TN InRnt.
but suddenly before reaching its entrance they
~diverCed with n volley. of oaths, and dashing
In the intervening willows. Divided between
relief Mt their escapa and Indignation at what
these roysterinS vaSueros. the little party re.
formed. when IA cry from Barker arrested diem.
lie had Just percel ;ed n horseman motionless
In the arroyo. who. although unnoticed by
them, had evidently been seen by tho Mexi-
cans. lie had apparently lcaped into 1t from
singular. incident. AS tho chatter OF the va
Iueros' hoofs died away he lightly lcsped the
SIs s,i aSaia OF ana him d1sa 'beS TeGorp but II .Tos ssa Ham s1n-
lin. When they reached the spot where he
had halted. they could see that he must have ap.
previously seen him.. but which they now
found crossed II at right angles. Barker yns
lance the whole length o, the journey.
But they are now reaching It's end. When
thew Issued at last from the arroyo they came
stage road; indeed. the six horses of the Pho.
neer coach were Just painting along the last
preached. They halted mechanically as tho
heavy vehicle swayed and creRkcd by them In
their ordinary w%r&lnS dress: sunsurnt Yin
their rifles still in their hands. they. perhaps.
presented n sufficiently characteristic appear
and intelligent-to the windows Of the coach
as 1t passed. The sensitive Barker was quick
est to feel thar re eminent with which the
Pioneer usually met the Side.eyed criticism
OF the Eastern tourist. or 'Ereenhorn. and r>d-
dened under the bold scrutiny OF a pair Of BLACK
inuuisitive eI os behind AN e~JpElRss. That an
noyance was communicated. though In a lesser
degree. even to the learded .Demorest and
that great world In which they wero no soon
to enter. They felt ashamed of their appear
ance. and yet ashamed OF that feeling. They
''Thsy'h omen their eyes wider IL thev Knew
what was In that pack saddle" and yet they
call his nobhisnness." TLey hurried u little
faster as the rond became more frequentsd. as
II eager TO shorten their distance to clean
Only Demorest, began TO lfnRer In he rear.
This contact with me stage coach hag nSa,n
He fel; us old dream revive. and occasionally
turned to look back upon the dark outlines Of
Black SPUR. under whose shadow 1t had re.
turned so often. and wondered II he had left
1t there forever. and 1t were now slowly ex.
haling with thu, thinned and drying smoke Of
His companions knowing his silent moods.
had preceded him az seme distance shsn he hs
JACK Hamiin's gauntlet on his shoulder. The
Crime and sweat. but Jack himsel: was as i'm
maculate and fresh as ever. With q delight
he began Kicking tie side buttons OF his velvet
vaquero trousers with the thong OF his RATA.
81 reckon to- sling a word al9ng with you be,
So thought I'd get it OF on you while you
We've seen you once or twice before this
morning." said Demorest pleasantly. land we
.f reckon / might :,av 2e.' said Jack gayl7. "ir
my horse had only made up HIS mind watcher
he was a bird or a squirrel. and hadn't been so
wanted to climb a tree or tiY. He's not a bad
horse for n Mexican Ilug. only when lie thinks
wade in ani take II hand. However. reck-
9ned 70 see the last or you and your pile into
1sIIaws like And yon ! , fiai n whs Clean m Witt ,hT n1
through | sort of cotton to EN-. even II I'm
"A little of a brunette myself. And I've got
He TOOK from the told of his scarlet sash a
small parcel neatly folded in white paper rs
his fingers. lie went on: Il happened to 10 OF
Heavy Tree Hill this morning before sun up.
In the darkness s,r,isk your cabin. and
thought it wus one of you chaps down on your
knees, PRAYING at the rcnr OF the cabin. but the
made me think it wasn't entirely fasting and
prayer. However: ] went to tho rear Of the
ChDln. anu tnen j reCkOlleN some KIM ITlenu
had been bringing YOU kindlinGs and tirewood
for YOUR early breakfast. But that didn't
satisfy me. so I knelt down as he had knelt
and then ] saw-well. Mr.. Demorest. l reckon
| saw Just what You have seen. But even then
/ wasn't quite satisfied. for That man had been
Rrubbing round as n searching for some thing.
SO | searched. too and found It! I've got
1t here. I'm going to give IL To- YOU. for II may
some day come In handy. aud you won't mud
anything like 1t among the folks where you're
e, Ing. It's something unique. ms those fine
art collecting sharps 10 Frisco say something
quite matchless, unless you Try to match " one
day yourself. Don't open the paper until ! run
and saw so long to your partners. Goodbv. y
He grasped Demdrests hand and then
dropped the little packet into his palm. and
ambied away toward Stacy and Barker. Hold.
ing the packet in his hand with an amused yet
puzzled smile. Demorest watched the gambler
give Stacy's hand a hearty farewell shake and
supplementary slap on the back to the delight
eli. Barker. and then vanish in q flash or red
pasn and silver buttons. At which DemoresI.
walking slo WY toward his partners. opened
the packet, and stood suddenly still. IL con-
tanned the dried and bloodless second finger
Of a human hand; cut on at the first joint!
For an instant he held II at arms length. as
II about to cast II away. Than he crimly re
placed It in tho paper. puk II carefully In his
Dockpf md eilantlv NnIked aftpr his cont niDn