Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-18

good reasons to hurry. Some of them were for
giving it up, for turning back but the majority
prevailed. They would go at least to the settle
ment, satisfy themselves that the Chnaman was
lying, do what they could to intercept the fugi-
/ 1--WE. As they went two OF them re-
called that they had seen Boss leave the camp at
nightfall now and then; but no, there could be
nothing in the girl story; it too preposter-
Gus, too impossible. Boss and girl! Boss with
another instinct than that of the bully! Anoth-
| er Boss! 1t was absurd
| There was the sound of galloping horse on
the road ahead, and the drew off into the
darkness of the brush at the side one alone their
leader, keeping the moonlit trail.
Meet anyone?" this leader asked as the horse
man drew up before him.
Man and girl, back the road a ways"
"Know the man."
Boss Biddle, I think. Anything wrong?"
The leader gave low whistle. "And a girl?"
he echoed.
The horseman looked at him in wonder, then
rode on. The men came back into the moon
light
"Did you hear what he said?" the leader asked
them.
Looks like the girl story's right" one sug-
gested.
"He amt on to us at all" said another. '"We1l
wait for him and take him as he comes along
back"
A suggestion that it might be lust as well to
make sure tnaC tne man down the road with the
girl the one they wanted before they waited
for him sent them ahead again. But the pro
gress was no longer a chase; they felt sure of
their victim: they were stalking their game now
and they moved cautiously, though powdered
dust lay thick on the road and football made
noise. In and out, back and forth around the
dark and wooded canons of the hills wound the
trail, bright as day in the white moonlight on
this side of the gulch. black night in the shad-
ow of the hill across the way. Something, more
curious than revengeful, was stealing over them,
and, though Lynch still moved at their head and
murder was in their hearts though they believed
not at all that there girl for whom Boss
was to sacrifice his life, they nevertheless won
dered and curiosity played with their thoughts.
So they came down out of the mountains into
the valley of the Big Basin, following the road
to Boulder.
Half mile this side of the town the highway
skirts thick grove of madrona, then drops in a
sweeping curve into green fields of alfalfa. From
the edge of the grove the road through the fields
is visible almost to the settlement. 1t lay white
and still this night like bended bow on the
earth. The stood in the shadow of the
length for signs of life. So bright and white
was the moonlight over all the land that the two
figures coming slowly along its dusty way were
at first invisible to them. But the figures
climbed the hill they took shape, and the men,
waiting drew back into the blackness of the
madronas.
Now and again as the figures stopped they
seemed to fade away, to blend with earth and
sky in the mellow haze of light. To the very
edge OF the trees they came, man and girl
plainly enough now, and there stopped to look
back over the fields and down uppn Boulder.
He was big and lowered above her AS he
spoke he leaned towards her and his voice was
very earnest. They were evidently in some Sc
rious discussion, and his first word implied a
question asked which yet she had, not an
swered.
'Well?' he said and there was something in
fnitely strong and true in the mans voice. But