Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-23

leave her to her unutterable loneliness in
the next. She hated himi She hated him
And all the time Boland was standing
with the solitary railway official at the
nearest railway station, fifty miles away
waiting for the train to bear him north.
but 1t offered q better field for Christmas
shopping than Tucson. and Jim Boland had
said to himself that having bolted, he
wouldn't stop till he was winded. So to
, Denver he went. with his roll In his pocket,
and wise eye turned in the direction OF
the games that cost, and the bunco steerer,
who has his own way of celebrating the
holiday season.
a noble twelve-pound bird. There was
celery. too, and all the f1xings that should
go with It, even cranberries at 30 cents a
quart. He tipped waitress at the hotel
to join him on the shopping excursions and
make sure that nothing was overlooked.
He picked up plentiful supply of toys and
spangled tree ornaments and reading mat
ter then, with humping heart, he went
into the leading jewelry store. He was
rather taken aback when the clerk demand
ed the size of the ring he wanted, and In
the end he took three, assured that one of
the trio would fit. He had two trunks and
excess baggage to pay when he headed for
home and he settled himself In the smoker,
congratulating himself upon the cleverness
of the trunk idea, The express company
had refused to guarantee immediate ship
1 ment of the numerous packages he offered.
but as his personal baggage he was sure
that the things would arrive as quickly as
he did. 1t had been merely question OF
tips to have the tree passed as his baggage.
1t was not until he had stepped off the
train at the siding nearest the e. u. ranch
that he met his first obstacle. Cassidy, the
station agent, grinned when he saw the two
trunks.
Getting ready to travel around the
world?" he asked.
mo; just to the ranch" was the easy re-
jo.ndeT. II guess can navigate that
Safer to make the other trip" cautioned
the agent. THE Apaches are out again
"They generally go north" was Jim's
to me for their Christmas dinner"
South this trip. There's band Of about
dozen. and they have been off the reser-
walton ever since you left the other day.
Have a good timer
Fine" was the absent-mlnded rejo.nder.
Where can get wagon
You can't get one." was the surprised a
reach the ranch, are you?"
Sure" was the lazy reply. You didn't
think / was going to wait for few pesky
Indians to be rounded up, did your
you'd be a fool to make try was the
ungracIous comment. whats more. there
isn't man In town who would rent out MS
wagon with the chance of having 1t cap
tured.
swung across the street. Half an hour later
he drove up to the platform with double
team of mules hitched to heavy, spring
less wagon.
'You don't mean to tell me that Hank Pc
tiers was fool enough to rent you that
team?" demanded the agent.
mo" was Jims easy rejoinder. 1T seems
that Hank fooHshly shares your ideas. He
thinks that there Is some risk, so bought
the outfit. Give me lift
Cassidy helped him place the trunks and
tree in the wagon, and volunteered the loan
OF rifle. Boland looked obviously at the
proffered weapon for a moment, then
reached out his hand.
II guess might as well take It," he said
quietly. III I do have a mix-up guess
there'll be plenty of use for both yours and
mine.
He laid the weapon in the front of the
wagon bed alongside his own, and with
call to his team he started off.
The trail ran forty miles due south, then
branched off toward the southwest. For
short distance there was always a house in
sight, but he soon passed beyond the settle
ments, and the afternoon sun beat down
on the family marked trail and the sea Of
yeRowish sand. cut into here and there by
small water courses, but for the most part
level and cleaning. save where, here and
there. a cactus raised Its head above the
brush.
He had covered some thirty miles before
he saw the least suspicious sign, and then
1t was merely a single horseman. who