The National tribune., 1903-05-28

mine of gold nuggets somewhere in these
hills, and that he is richer than he knows" ]"
''Well, l owe him something for inter
fering where he has no business" growled
Sid. "I'll have my revenge, though. III
track this Brave Lion to his den. He
can't always guard his nugget mine sim
gle-handed. I'll turn the tables by tax
ing to watching him."
"Others have tried to find his nugget
patch and failed, Senor," remarked the
half-breed.
with Brave Lions nugget mine and
Alice's claim I'd be strictly in it, Jose
said Sid with an oath. Help me out,
Jose, and I'll whack up with you"
'I'll help you, Senor," Jose replied, his
eyes flashing with expectancy. But how
can you get the womans claimT claim m
is waiting for Nealy to get ready to deed
his place before she takes out deed for
her land" explained Sid. "If you'll go
over to the County-seat with me to-mor-
row, I'll steal q march on her, pay for
the land, and get a deed for it myself.
Then rather than give up her ranch, she S
likely to marry me-"
81 see, Senior. 1t is big scheme. /
will help you," said Jose with a laugh.
Tomorrow we will go. If necessary,
Jose, you are to swear that you had lived
ON the land prior to the coming of Alice
Thomas. You sabe, JOSEF"
Isl, Senor. We can make it work"
With a coarse laugh Sid Likins and his
half-breed companion walked away, leav-
derhanded plot to which she had unavoid-
ably listened. She did not doubt that by
shrewd, cunning Misrepresentation to the
land official Sid Likins would be able to
secure a title to her claim. She did not
have a paper to show that the land was
hers. She had been waiting for the Nealy
family to go to the County-seat. Haste
in deciding had not been thought neces-
sary. Then, the land official had been alb
sent at the time the emigrants had set
| tied there. So they had put off going to
see him. Now the possibility of losing
her claim, and through the misrepresen-
tation Of one whom she had grown to de-
| spise, came like a shock.
Her first impulse was to go down to
Nealy's and tell what she had overheard.
Then she remembered that Nealy was
away from home, and Mrs. Nealy was ut
terly helpless in time of emergency.
IL will depend on no one but myself
she said resolutely, after she had duly
| consulted with her best judgment. "1'll go
over to the County-seat and see the land
official myself. I'll outwit Sid Likins with
all his scheming, if / am only woman"
Then she thought Of the mysterious
black-bearded man of whom Sid and Jose
had spoken. And lie knew her name and
had been acting as her champion when
| Sid, according to his own confession, had
tried TO run her cattle away. Who could
awakened. Twice she had caught a
glimpse of Brave Lion as Jose called
| him, when he had dashed past her cabin
| in the moonlight. But he had quickly dis
appeared in the wooded canyon, and she
had seen only that he was as straight as
an arrow and that he was an expert horse
man. Some of the settlers had met him
and from them she had learned that he
was very handsome, but singularly retir'
| ing.
Her pony was not to be found. so she
started back TO her cabin. Before she
could reach it, however a man on horse
back leading Jet by n rope halter gal.
| loped into view down the trail. The moon.
| light enabled her to see that it was tho
mysterious rider of whom she had just
| been thinking. He had found her run.
away pony and WIS returning her. Be
| fore Alice could recover from her sur
prise, he had tied the pony TO a cedar near
| by, then, lifting his hat like a gallant
knight of old, he rode off without a word
up the wild, intricat. canyon. Again she
was the recipient Of a kind service from
her mysterious champion.
Brave Iion"" she said to herself
''He is full Of mystery. but is like brave
cavalier of Knishthood time, championina
the cause of n lone rancLwoman."
About midnight Alice saddled Jet, tool
what money she had left, mounted, ant
rode away toward the County-seat, n min
ing town nearly 40 miles distant. 1t wa!
a long, lonesome road even in daylight
but Alice's purpose to checkmate Sit
Likins brought all her courage into nc
ton, and she rode forth bravely into tn,
moonlight night. Her fathers revolve
in the holster by her side gave her addi
tional confidence. But in spite of he
brave spirit, vague fears assailed her, ant
she felt as if she We're being pursued b!
an enemy.
But when the welcome ;iawn-glow ap
peared in the East, touching the noun
tains with radiant tintings of q newly
awakened day, Alice's courage revive,
and she urged Jet ON with more cheer
fulness. Knotted in the corner of he
handkerchief was all the money she hat
left.
TT may not be enough to pay for deed
ing" she said, "but if the land official il
a man he will give me chance to secur
my home"
It was In the middle of the forenoon