Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1908-10-22
CHAPTER xxx-contInued.


The man at hungrily. and finished
with n surly Thank you"
which way are you going?"
West"
well take 20 weepon. an watch ye
a piece out on the track. Shack. you
keep an eye an a gun on him TIL he
gifts 20 the turn. Ye needn't come
back fur another meal o. victuals." she
continued to th" follow. III ye do.
yen find morc'u one gun p'in,ed yore
way. SkelIIi,"'"
"fIe's h"r .iy.n' round the town fur
weeks. that r,,, mas; but missed him
yesterday" Sl1cr said as tho man
stu'ed OF slowly. Thought he'd 1T
out"
ESth". watched him with mingled
RVcrsiu" ,ui pity; but Sally 70. was al
ready - conference with one of the
railroad office boys that "lettered
we'll" Getting out Warning" to be
posted on our u the towns bulletin
spaces. Whatever the reprobate might
next undertake could not be done
there. Tho town kent open eyes by
nigh as well as by day.
I'll ron train was Two hours late.
AMI the desert day so allurlng that
Esther q 'cidcd to ride as usual I'm.
mediate! after the noon dinner her
mount vas brought to the door: but
her kin ny knight was missing. This
was rpi alarming His memory often
fHiled MIN in the daily routine. when
hc snddled his horse and wandered
.RInne Ia the hills hunting for color. ="
hut always returned safe; and on such
occasions Esther patiently went
without her ride but to-day she was
disap. plnted She wanted to get away
from Il memory of the morning.
''Had any one seen him go?" she
asked And Shack. hearing her queB.
tiOn. told her that Bill Lad saddled
not a Q.arter hour ago. an III out west
down the track"
- cal oVertakc him, then" she said
u Sally Is. as she mounted.
81 don't like ter see ye start on
alone ,Iily II. said; yet she was too
Ecarl 10, herself to suspect danger:
AM GEE protest was perfunctory.
egg, find Mr. bernard shortly: don't
vtu. about me"
i1ga out for that there breakfast
E'.'al 90 IIr'n. II you met up with
hin, "a mts.t take shine to you. or
gore P,irr'
MY lungs are good Aud section
men are too plenty and SwlfCs heels
aoo nimbl" for any man on foot to hurt
me" Esther replied nOnchalantly
''BesideB he'll be far toward Wells
by this time. That's his first chance
for supper"
u was good o. 10 out In the open
this = rfect day. TO be alone She
kept ON the lookout for her cavalier
expecting momentarily to oyertakC
him. Presently she spied him climbing
a high hillside 20 the north. Il looked
hot and GREATNESS over there. She
knew the succession OF ridge and hol
Low ~ that direction. No wide. leve
spaces for gallops. no open visias. She
would have this ore long afternoon "a
lherself. listen for voices that spoke
,onIy TO the solitary ear. She rode
SLOWLY, making subcnnscious notes
of the smooth. ,rodden path beside
the track. at places where she would
give the mare her head when return
Sng In the cooler afternoon.
A patch Of brilliant desert flowers In
a small u3ok where the melting snow
had been gathered and held caught
her capricious eye. She would be hi1
den from the town here. yet not laI
from the track and passing trackmen
n would be quite safe. DismOunting
she gathered a great bunch of the sun
-colored blossoms. and tucked them IN
bst and habit. font She uncoiled the