Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-20

only enhanced this quality, but had deafened her
to insinuations She would have staked her life
on the truth of his prOfessed mission; but now if
he was in league with her father enemies the police
this treachery murked the idealized conception
WALKING swiftly her heart tortured by the
w fic of love for Black and angered despair at the
seeming lessened nobility of his manhood, the girl
was startled by the cratic shuttle of cayuses
gait Chris raced to the left and threw herself to the
prairie, where she crouched the shadowy form
of horseman slipped by. Then she sprang to her
feet and hurried forward. She knew it one of
the avengers his to discover II the preacher
had left for the pound.
The sudden vision of danger to Black acted like
a spur to Chris's hesitating mind. 1t was an ele-
Without her help he would probably be murdered
that night 1t simply question Of the life
she perhaps held in her hand.
Again her mind worked impetuouSly IN this
direction her feet beating the prairie with hasten
ing accord. AS she approached the stable, light
glinted from chink between its logs: Peerlng
cautiously through the Slit Chris her father
bring his hand down his horses rump in sounding
slap as he turned from the STALL and heard him say:
Char Tough! I'm ready ter take a hand in the
Gospel singers game" Then he stepped to the
door and, peering out into the night added, Pears
like as Bender's comm back. Somethns gal
opin' out thar on the prairie We'd best wait here
till Kootenay up with Dakota, if that skunks
pulled his freight fer the pound"
Standing in the shadow of the wall, Chris saw
Bender's horse loom in the moonlight. He checked
him in sprawling stop at the stable door. and said.
as Billy be damn floss gone and no sign of
Dupre so guess the breeds traed him.
Mayo muttered a curse. and slipped half a dozen
shells into the magazine of his rifle. Load up!"
Mayo's voice carried sharp, cruel ring that made
the girl shudder. The metallic click of the rifle
breech sounded cold and nerCilesS.
The next instant Bender called. "Thars Kootenay
and Dakota see 'em pass the store light just now
Mayo pushed hurriedly into the stall, backed his
horse out. and leading him passed with the other
two round to the front of the house
CHAPTER WILL
CHRIS darted into the stable, seized her saddle
- and bride, and, hurryng to the corral called
to Chinook. The chestnut came forward warily, and
held his teeth closed in playful obstinacy when the
gered, Chris jabbed her thumb beneath the horses
tongue, the sna1e clicked the teeth, and then,
throwing the saddle to place, she cinched it up with
a hurried roughness that caused the pampered Chi
nook to shake his head rritably.
Mounting, Chris circled the corral, keeping beyond
the radius of house lights and crossed the street to
the northward. Just as she dipped into the solemn
toned prairie, tortuous splashes of light and shade
just merged into vast expanse of moonlit solitude
told her that the five men had ridden out on the
trail of Black. She had hoped that perhaps the
alurement of drink might hold them at the Lone
Pine while she stole the start. Now her task was
difficult. They would ride fast with the
quarry 'front.' and she would have to carry Chinook
wide lest the beat of his hoofs told them of another
rider that went their way.
For little she logged Chinook at a trot, bearing
to the west; then she touched him with her heels,
and he broke into gallop, his long, swinging stride
carrying them the level prairie till its erased
turf foated by in the blurred, smooth glide of a
mighty river. Faster and faster she urged the
chestnut till he raced if her life hung his
speed, as though blood seekers galloped her trail
Half in the way of instinct, the girl judged her
course, the small hand always little heavy the
rein that lay away from the trail knowing that
Chinook, left to himself, would surely edge toward
it. Twice Chris checked the eager horse to cool
out his lungs and then on, mile after mile. Sud-
denly in the dim moonlight contorted lines cut the
silver gray veil that had hung mystcally before