The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-08-03

was looked upon as one of the most
trusted and satisfactory ''boys" on the
place.
The ranch to which George Hull |
brought his pretty sister-in-law was To-
Gated near the line of the Navajo In |
dian reservation, and as the Navajoes |
are great roamers it was nothing I'M
usual to have them hanging round |
there. One day party of them came,
bringing in some horses the boys had |
missed for some time 1t was Miss
Steele's first sight of the Navajo, and
she came down to the corral where
they were al gathered to see them.
Among them was young chief named
Chatto. who had attended an Indian
school at Albunueruue and could thorn-
fore speak fairly good English. lie was
a picture of savage fnery. Around his
waist was buckled costly belt made
of great plates of solid silver, in his
ears hung huge silver rings. each arm
was clasped by half a dozen bracelets Of
the same precious metal, and his moe
casins and leggings were thickly stud
ded with buttons fashioned from dimes,
quarters and half dollars. Across his
shoulders hung gaudy Navajo blanket
and his horse s bride was fairly weight
ed down with glittering trophies of the
Indian silversmith' skill.
1t was but few moments before
Miss Steele was bartering with him for
bracelet. but of no avail He would
not sell at any price. However, when
the other Indians left he staid behind,
until. as dinner hour was nearing, the
boys asked him to eat with them. 1t
was soon evident that he had eyes only
for Miss Steele, and after dinner she
spent an hour talking to him of his
school experiences and in trying to
learn few words of the Navajo tongue
The next day he returned. and the next,
until it was plainly to be seen that the
gay laugh and brown eyes of the girl
had completely bewitched him.
One day he came, bearing the ring
have described, and shyly offered it to
her. insisting that she must place it on
her engagement finger, which she did,
never dreaming that the boys keenly
watching from the clubhouse, had put
him up to it. telling him that was the
way that white lovers did. and that
once she put on his ring she was his by
all the laws and customs of the white
| man.
When Cameron, who was away at
the time, heard of it, he was furious
and went straight to Miss Steele and
urged her to return the ring and Danish
the Indian from the ranch. But she.
seeing that back of all his lovers eager
ness for her safety was a lovers jeal-
ousy as WE'LL affected not to believe
him and declared her intention of keep
ing and wearing the ring. 1t was this
ring that she kissed so tragically and
replaced on her hand at the opening of
the story.
two or three miles the girl gave her
pony an almost free rein. 1t was glo-
rious morning in September. when the
sun had lost its greatest power and the
air was fairly intoxicating in it's fresh
ness. The range never looked finer than
it did now, after the summer rains had
covered it with a wonderful growth of
grass. dotted with millions of daisies,
"Black Eyed Susans'' and dozens of
other varieties of prairie flowers. which
in places fairly made the air heavy
with their perfume. The trail led her
over a wide mesa, and at it's highest
point she stopped her pony and drank
in the wondrous scene. Away off to
the north the great tablelands. or me-
sas. where live the snake loving Moqui
Indians. hung in an almost indescriba-
BILE grandeur, blue and misty against
the sky. more like mirage TRAN a
reality A couple of saucy prairie dogs
barked shrilly at her from their ada
cent village A coyote, disturbed by
her coming, skulked hastily away from
where he had been trying to surprise a
little calf left lying under sagebush
while it's mother went on down the trail
to the water Above her. high in the
teavens, idly circled half dozen heavy
winged turkey buzzards, those scaven-
gers of the prairies, sure sign that
somewhere below them an animal lay
dead. and they were gathering for a
feast. AS far as the eye could reach
were rolling hills. with here and there
parks of cedars, while scattered over
the prairie were hundreds of cattle and
horses for George Hull was enc of the
heaviest cattle owners i'll northern Ari-
zona and this was the heart Ct his
range
Across the valley below her she could
see the figure of solitary horsemap.
which. after scanning for a few mo
ments she decided to be Cameron. al
though she had thought him miles
away from there by this time. Hel
pony having recovered his wind she
started down the mesa toward the aD-
lroaching figure. glad to see some hu-
man being in all that waste of loneli
ness around her AS she drew nearer
she saw that it was no white man. but
an Indian, the red sash tied around hit
head being plainly visible at quite 6
distance; but nothing daunted she kept
on her course, presuming him to be the
Indian mail carrier who came in from
the agency twice a week with the mai
sack tied behind his saddle
As the distance between them lessen
ed she saw with great uneasiness thai
it was her admirer, Chatto, and with 6
sort of guilty fear in her heart she
TUNED off the trail and pushed he1
pony into a lope toward a bunch o.
horses grazing near, as if she wanted
20 look at them closer. A glance ovel
her shoulder showed her that the In
dian had turned also and was following
her. and the girl, now thoroughly
alarmed, urged her pony to his fulles
speed. The Indian called to her to stop
but she only rode the harder Chatto
however, was well mounted and b.
; slowly gained on the flying figure. He
cowboy hat had blown from her head
and was held by the string around he
! neck. and she was urging her pom.
with voice and quirt
} ''Stopl l shoot!' called the Navajo
But she rode the faster. expecting ever.
. instant to hear the crack of his Win
3 chester. At last he was within 80 fee
2 of her, and she felt that her pony hat
/ done his utmost and there was NJ
escape. Another look over her shoulde