Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-12-31
CHAPTER xxx.-continued.

The man ate hungrily, and finished
with a surly THANK you"
Which way are you going?"
West"
well take yo' weepon, an watch We
a piece out on the track. Shack, you
keep an eye an a gun on him till he
gifts to the turn. Ye needn't come
back fur another meal O. victuals," she
continued to the fellow. IF we do,
yell find more'n one gun p'inted yore
way. %Skedaddle!"
Hes ben layin' round the town fur
weeks, that cuss has; but l missed him
Yesterday" Shack said as the man
started off slowly. Thought he'd lit
out"
Esther watched him with mingled
aversion and pity; but Sally B. was al
ready in conference with one of the
railroad office boys that "lettered
WE'LL" getting out a "Warning!" to be
posted on one of the towns bulletin
spaces. Whatever the reprobate might
next undertake could not be done
there. The town kept open eyes by
night as well as by day.
The iron train was two hours late,
and the desert day so alluring that
Esther decided to ride as usual. I'm
mediately after the noon dinner her
mount was brought to the door; but
her kindly knight was missing. This
was not alarming. His memory often
failed him in the daily routine, when
he saddled his horse and wandered
alone in the hills hunting for Color"
but always returned safe; and on such
occasions Esther patiently went
without her ride. But to-day she was
disappointed. She wanted to get away
from the memory Of the morning.
Had any one seen him go?" she
asked. And Shack, hearing her ques-
ton, told her that "Bill had saddled
not a quarter hour ago, an lit out west
down the track"
II can overtake him, then," she said
to Sally B. as she mounted.
II don't like ter see ye start off
alone" Sally B. said; yet she was too
fearless herself to suspect danger;
and her protest was p~erfunctory.
"Ill find Mr.. Bernard shortly; don't
worry about me-"
Look out for that there breakfast
guest of our'n. If you met up with
him, he might take a shine to you, or
yore mare"
my lungs are good. And section
men are too plenty and Swift's heels
too nimble for any man on foot to hurt
me-" Esther replied nonchalantly.
Besides, he'll be far toward Wells
by this time. That's his first chance
for supper"
1t was good to be out in the open
this perfect day, to be alone. She
kept on the lookout for her cavalier,
expecting momentarily to overtake
him. Presently she spied him climbing
a high hillside to the north. 1t looked
hot and breathless over there. She
knew the succession Of ridge and hol.
low in that direction. No wide, level
spaces for gallops, no open vistas. She
would have this one long afternoon to
herself, listen for voices that spoke
only to the solitary ear. She rode
slowly, making subconscious notes
of the smooth, trodden path beside
the track, at places where she would
give the mare her head when return
ing in the cooler afternoon.
"A patch Of brilliant desert flowers in
a small nook where the melting snow
had been gathered and held caught
her capricious eye. She would be hid
den from the town here, yet not far
from the track and passing trackmen.
1t would be quite safe. Dismounting,
she gathered a great bunch of the sum
colored blossoms, and tucked them in
hat and habit front. She uncoiled the
Mexican hair rope from beneath her
saddle flap; and, giving Swift 40 feet
of freedom, sat down, back to the
track, to memories and day dreams
day dreams that purloined time un-
needed, till the iron train Numbered
past.
Eyes that caught the vision of beau
ty in horse and rider silhouetted
against the gray hillside lighted with
sudden appreciation; and one pair
famed up %curiously, watched eagerly
till the vision vanished, then gl0omed
above set teeth and clenched hands.
Esther remounted and resumed her
ride, still slowly. The mood for a