The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-20
TIE EVENING Story
With Flying CoIors.

A man picked his way slowly along
the sun-baked trail that led westward
to Tagart across the desert, It was
| high noon and the dav had been hot
and dry, and the man was parciIed
with thirst. This did not tend to les
sen his ferociouS aspect nor to soften
the anger that glowed in his eyes. 1t
was all due to his visit that morning
to the little ranch a few miles behind,
for there he had met with the first
failure in his life. He had proposed
| and been rejected.
1t was not Bill Waren's nature to
be baked by anything. He usually car
RED matters his own way and with a
nigh hands as a result Of which he
was locked upon as a sort of local
bad man" But this oognomen was
applied to him only by people who did
not know Bill. In reality no better
nor kinder natured man than he ever
rode into Taggart.
But Sue Patterson was one of those
VINO were not intimately acquainted
with Warren. and this assertiveness
she looked upon as something evil
liner tneEeT lore although otherwise she
I1ked Warren better than any other of
her admirers, she felt that she was
acting quite right when she rejected
his offer of marriage
All the consolation that she had give
en- him in answer to his earnest plead
ing was that she would put him on an
indefinite probation and if he came
through it with flying colors, why
4
All of which Warren took too liter
ally, and he thought that she had
spoken thus only to soften her refusal.
He became angry at the thought of
''She don't care nothin' fer me- he
muttered savagely. IAN 1 know why.
It's all along of that sneakin' coyote,
Ralph Henderson. Been to Frisco an
seen few things an comes out here
to lord it over us. I know the brand.
SHE'S plumb loco over the cuss, too.
an he amt no man. No. he finished
spltefully, The amt no man.
He rode on across the desert in q sort
of dulled consciousness, with his hat
pulled down over his eyes. At length,
toward the middle of the afternoon, he
came into the foothills. Before him
mountain in that vicinity. Beyond it,
ten miles to the westward, was Tag
CART. This necessitated his taking the
trail that wound round the slope of
the mountain. This trail was hardly
more than a well-trodden footpath.
and was only wide enough to permit
a single. rider on upon it, One side
OF 1t sloped Up at an angle of almost
eighty degrees; the other formed the
side of a precipice that dropped
sheer 200 feet to the sandy ravine be-
As he rode over the trail lost in
thought. Warren was deaf to external
sounds He did not notice the fidgeting
OF his horse nor his frightened whin-
MES; he had no intimation whatever
than any one was approaching along
the trail from the opposite direction.
And yet, not a hundred feet ahead of
him, a horse and rider were rounding
the curve of the mountain. Neither
noticed the other until they We're fifty
feet apart. Then, by some strange in
tuition both raised their heads. Rec
ognition was mutual and instantan-
eous, for the man ahead of Warren
was Ralph Henderson
rlE IS IL
fear. Not in years had two men met
on that narrow trail. and it seemed
some strange intervention of destiny
that it should be Warren and Hender-
son. While the face of the cattleman
grew anxious, that of Henderson be-
came quickly overshot with a crafty
cunning.
"Hello!' muttered Warren nervous
We'll, what are we going to do
about it?" the city man continued ''It
looks as if you'd have to go back"
Warren. :There's no S turning ''a about
for either of US. Wen have to man
age to pass each other. The place
seems pretty wide here"
Flip coin for the inner side,'' sug-
gested the other. suddenly reaching
hand into his pocket.
Right" agreed Warren, "but let's
have a look at it first
he stayed his hand. 81 declare I'm all
out of COIN" he ratified sheepishly
Here's an eagle replied Warren
with narrowed eyes. "Heave her up!
Heads pass. on the inside, tails pass
on the outside
He tossed the coin to Henderson as
he spoke, who, pale-faced and hest
tating, fumbled with it moment and
let it fly UP into the air with twirl
of a veteran trickster. 1t fell down on
the trail at their feet, ringing out clear
and cold.
''TaiIsl" cried the city man, over
come with excitement His face re-
something of it's natural color
and the old craftiness stole into his
eyes.
Warren accepted his fate nonchal-
antly, although he knew that it might
mean death for him. There was one
thing about it, however, that CALLED
him. He well knew that Henderson
was on his wayto the Patterson ranch
and it came to him as a rather bitter
thought that he might have to play the |
martyr and sacrifice his own life in !
order that the man could do so. But |
without a word he pressed his pony's |
ribs with his heels and rode forward |
Henderson had drawn his horse as |
close as he could against the side of 1
the mountain, but he seemed over |
taken by fits of nervousness, for the 1
reins shook in his hands and the color /
came and went in his dark cheeks.
The ledge where Warren would have /
to pass Henderson was somewhat /
wider than the rest of the trail and he |
rode forward light-hearted and con-
fident that he would easily accomplish /
it. But just as he brushed against the 1
side of Henderson the latter suddenly /
drove his spurs with great force against
his horses ribs. With a snort of ter
ror the animal plunged madly for
ward, dis1odging the other horse and /
rider and sending them hurtling down
and over the edge of the precipice.
Then he went careening down the
slope.
The breath went out of Warren as
soon as he felt himself falling, and I'M