The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-12-14
CHAPTER II,

yond.
CHAPTER II.
Once within the friendly shadows Of
the long belt of pines, Mrs. Baker kept
them until she had left the limited set
Element of Laurel Run far to the right,
and came upon an open slope of Burnt
Ridge, where she knew 10 Simmons
mustang, Blue Lightning, would be
quietly feeding. She had often ridden
him before, and when she had detached
the fifty-foot RATA from his headstall,
he permitted her the further recognized
familiarity Of twining her fingers in his
blush name and climbing on his back.
The tool shed of Burnt Ridge tunnel,
where JOS saddle and bride always
hung was but canter further on. She
reached it unperceived, and-another
trick of the old days-quickly extern
porized side saddle from Simmons
Mexican tree, with it's high cautle and
horn bur and the aid of blanket.
Then leaping to her seat she rapidly
threw off her mantle, tied it by it's
sleeves around her waist, tucked it under
one knee and let it fall over her horses
TANKS. By this time Blue Lightning
was also struck with flash of equine
recollection, and pricked up his ears.
Mrs. Baker uttered a little chirping cry
which he remembered, and the next
moment they were both careering over
the ridge.
The trail that she had taken, though
precipitate, difficult and dangerous in
,,1oooc xvor , o1oo, in ~ %,x,< ,;1oe ~,
the stage road. There was less chance
of her being followed or meeting any
one. The greater canyons were already
in shadow; the pines on the further
ridge were separating their masses, and
showing individual silhouettes against
the sky, but the air was still warm, and
the cool breath of night, as she we'll
knew it, had not yet begun to flow
down the mountain. The lower range
of Burnt Ridge was still uneclipsed by
the creeping shadow of the mountain
ahead of her. Without watch, but
with this familiar and slowly changing
dial spread out before her, she knew
the time to a minute. Heavy Tree hill,
a lesser height in the distance, was al
ready wiped out by that shadowy index
finger-half past seven! The stage
would be at Hickory Hill just before
half-past eight; she ought to anticipate
it, if possible-it would stay ten minutes
to change horses-she must arrive be-
fore it left!
There was good two-mile level be-
fore the rise of the next range. Now,
Blue Lightning! All you know! And
that was much-for the little chip hat
and fluttering ribbons we'll bent down
over the blush name, and the stream
ing gauze OF her mantle, almost level
with the horses back, swept down
across the long table-land like skim
ming bluejay. A few more bird-like
dips up and down the undulations and
then came the long, cruel ascent of the
Divide.
Acrid with perspiration, caking with
dust, slithering in the slippery impal-
pable powder of the road. groggily stag
gering in red, dusty dream, coughing,
snorting, head tossing, becoming sud-
denly detected, with slouching haunch
| and limp legs on easy slopes, or wildly
spasmodic and agile on sharp accliv-
tiles, and Blue Lightning began to have
ideas and recollections! All! she was a
devil for lark-this lightly -clinging,
caressing, blarneying, cooling creature
up there! He remembered her now
Ha! very well, then. Hoop la! And,
suddenly leaping out like rabbit,
bucking, trotting hard, ambling lightly,
walking on three legs and recreating
himself-as only Californian mustang
could-the invincible Blue Lightning
at last stood triumphantly upon the
summit. The evening star had just
pricked itself through the golden mist
| of the horizon ine-eight o'clock! She
could do it now! But here, suddenly, her
first hesitation seized her. She knew
her horse, she knew the trail. she knew
herself-but did she know the man
to whom she was riding? A cold chill
crept over her, and then she shivered in
q sudden blast; it was night at last,
swooping down from the invisible
Sierras, and possessing all it touched.
But it was only one long descent to
Hickory Hill now, and she swept down
securely on its wings. Half-past eight!
The lights of the settlement were Just
ahead OF her, but so, too, were the two
lamps OF the waiting stage before the
post Office and hotel.
HAPPY the lounging crowd were
gathered around the hotel, and she
slipped into the post Office from the
rear unperceived. As she stepped be-
hind the partition, its only occupant
good-looking young fellow with red
dish mustache-turned towards her with
. flush of delighted surprise. But it