The Huttig news., 1909-07-10
CHAPTER III.
Dicksse.

of the sun across the broad alk,li VI icy, saw the smoke of the wreck fire behind them. No breath of wind stirred it With the stiffness of a sig nal column 1t rose. thin and black and high in the air srraad rnotionless like huge umbrella above Smoky creek. Reed Young lad gone with an engine to wire for re-enforo einents. and McCloud, active among the traekmen until the conhagration spent itself, had retired to the shade of the hill.
 Reclining against rock with his legs crossed, he had clasped his hands behind his head ani sat looking at he iron writhing in the dying heat of the fire. The sound of hoofs aroused him, and looking be'ow be saw a horse woman refining up near his men at he wreck. She rode an American horse. thin and rsngy. and the experienced way in which she checked him drew i him back almost to his launches. But McCloud's eyes were fixed on the sien- der figure of the rider Her boot flashed in the stirrup while she sGoke to the nearest man. and her hors stretched his neck and nosed tho brown alkaligrass that spread thinly along the road.
 To McCloud she was something ike an apparition. He sat spellbound un. til the trackman indisereetly pointed him out. and the eyes of the visio- turning his way, caught him with hi. hands on the rock In an attitude open ly curious. She turned immediately away, but McCloud rose and startee down the hill. The horses head wa. pulled up, and there were signs of de l parture. He quieisened his steps | Once he saw, or thought he saw. the riders head so tur led that her eyes might have comma tied one approach ing from his quarter. yet he could catch no further glimpse of her face A second surprise waited him. Juet az she seemed about to ride away. sh dropped lightly from the horse to the l ground. and he saw how confident 1T figure she was. As she began to try her saddles -girths, McCIoud attempte a greeting. She could not ignore his hut held rather high above his heaS as he approached, but she gave hin the slightest nod in return-one tha made no attempt to explain why sias was there or where she had comt from
 Pardon me" venfured McCloud have you lost your way ?"
 He was immediately conscious the he had said the wrong thing. Tn, expression of her eyes implied ths l It was foolish 10 suppose she was los. but she only answered: q saw th, smoke and feared the bridge was or | fire"
 Something in her voice made hin almost sorry he had intervened; fl ne stood in need ef heln of any scr, was not apparent, and her sage wss onfusing.
 q presume Mr Sinclair is here 2 she said, presently
 q am sorry 10 say he is not
 He usually has charge of the wreoks, I think What a dreadful 1re," she murmured. locking down the track. Was it a passenger wreckg' Shc tutucu dpl upity oh MCtiOuu tc ask the question. Her eyes were brown, too, he saw. and doubt as sailed him. Was she rretty?
 Only a freight wreck" he an swered.
 T thought if there were passengers hurt l could send help from the ranch. Were you the conductor"
 Fortunately not
 And no one was hurt ?"
 Only tramp We are burning the wreck to clear the track"
 From the divide ii looked like mountain on fire. I'm sorry MT. Sin clair is not here"
 Why, indeed. yes so am L.
 Because 1 know him. You are one of his men. l presume"
 Not exactly; but is there anything I can do
 "Oh. thank you. nothing, except that the pretty bay colt he sent over to us has sprung his shoulder
 He will be sorry to hear it. I'm sure'
 "But we are doing everything pos. sible for him. Ee is going to make perfectly lovely horse
 And whom may I say the message is fron?' Though d.sconcerted Me Cloud was regaining his wits He felt perfectly certain there was no dan ger If she knew Sinclair and lived in the mountains. but that she would sometime find out he was not con ductor When he asked his question she appeared slightly surprised and answered easily: MT Sinclair will know it is from Dieksie Dunning'
 McCloud knew her then. Every one knew Dicksie Cunning in the hish country This was Dieksie Dun- ming of the great Crawling Stone ranch. most widely known of all tiae mountain ranches. While his stupidity Tn not guessing her identity before overwhelmed him. he resolrcd to ex. haust the last elort to via her inter ost. i