Middletown transcript., 1907-01-05
Miss Hilary's Cow-P Puncher
BIZ WILLIAM MACLEOD RAINE

In order TO compass The severity
necessary to convey her disap
proyal of this levity. I was re-
ferring TO the scenery, she In
formed him.
Here, too, Itcertainly is beau.
tiful. His eyes looked into hers
with such a segamn innocence
that presently their laughter
rang gaily out in concert.
| didn't expect that in Arizona,
she told him.
Oh, Arizona ain't SO far off the
map, ne rejoined airily, and
hummed a snatch If ragtime to
convince.
That song has been out Of date
two years.
Two years amt much in Ari-
zona. It takes o man longer'n
that to die of a rattlesnake bite
here. Shall we take this cut off,
lady ? It'll get you to the top
quicker.
She nodded. The COW -puncher
observed that the girl went up
the steep trail with a. 1.-the and
easy certainty that the slender
ness of her figure had not prom
ised.
Then the young man saw some
thing else that brought him to
pause. A man was standing on
the crest of the hill silhonetted
against the skyline, and he was
packing into his saddle. bags
something which caught and re-
fiected the sunshine in glints of
light. The young man drew Miss
Hilary behind some boulders.
What's the matter ? she asked,
all excitement.
I'm not sure, but / don't quite
like the way things look. Would
you mind whiting here a few
minutes alone
He went forward steal4hily,
crouching low aud gliding from
rock to rock till he was within q
dozen yards of the man he was
dogging. Like a tiger he lleaped
across the remaining distance.
The other turned, reaching for
his revolver
Hands up! cried the COW.
puncher, covering him steadily.
Don't frighten me, or this gun
might go off and accidentally hit
something.
The outlaw flung himself to his
horse, but the curly haired youth
him down to the ground
before his feet were in the stir
rups. He tried again, without
rising, to draw his gun, but the.
COW puncher' S heel crashed down
and shattered his wrist
] guess you'll stay hitched now
Mr.. Bill Burley.
Who the hell are you /? demand
ed the writhing highway with
a vile oath.
The young mans tone was no
longer a drawl, but sharp and
clear as a bell. Wadleigh, Cap
tain of the Arizona Rangers, and
l We been looking for you for two
months-ever since you robbed
the Nogales stage. It's lucky
for you I wasn't on the stage.
just now when you held it up, or
/ fancy you would have been
with the good Indians by this
time.
The ranger Captain heard a
light step behind him and with
out turning called sharply.
It is only |, Captain Wadleigh,
answered MISS Hilary's cool
voice, The girl looked at him
an instant out of eyes grown
hard and unfriendly, then swept
past him down the slope beyond.
Half an hour later when Wad.
leigh arrived at the 3 N Ranch
hotel with his prisoner d score
of guests and employees were
lined up to greet him, but his
eyes sought in vain for glimpse
of Miss Hilary. Heidi not catch
sight Of her before he set out for
Tucson next day with his pris-
oner. He knew she was offended
about something, but since he
knew Of no real cause for offense
he laid it to the caprice Of a
spoiled girl and resolved to put
her from his mind.
IL was on one Of the Sunday
picnics of the 8 N Ranch that
Captain Wadleigh and Miss Hill
ary came next to speech. He
had met her out riding once or
twice with guests of the Neal
Ranch, but her cur tnod of recog
aition had not encouraged him
to rein in for conversation
Wherefore he had been as care
leSsly independent as She. But