Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-25
The Furnace of Gold
Continued from rage 4

Beth looked the two mounts over critically.
They seemed to be equally matched as to gen
eral characteristics, since neither appeared
either strong plump. She said, Shall we
ride very far?"
NO, oh no. just a pleasant little jog re-
Piled the horseman. They call it forty miles
to Goldite by the ridge; "but it isn't an inch
over thirty"
Thirty mies-over the mountains-with an
unknown man and her maid! Beth suppressed
a gasp of despair and establishment. not to
mention trepidation by making an effort that
verged upon the heroic.
But we've can never arrive in Goidte to-
night'' she said. I'VE can't expect to, can
WEI
1t takes more than that to kill these bron-
cos" Van cheerfully assured her. 81 can only
guarantee that the horses will make 1t-by
sunset
Beth flushed. He evidently entertained a
poor notion of her horsemanship. Her pride
was aroused She would show him something
at least that no horse could make this Jour
ney without her' THANK you" she said, and
advancing to the roam she addressed herself to
Dave Will you please help me ups Mr. Van
can help my maid
Dave grinned and performed his offices
best he could which was strongly, if not with
grace. Van shook threatening fist behind
his captive's back. He had meant to take this
honor to himself
Fairly tossing the greatly delighted little
Elsa to the seat on the bay he mounted his
for the canon below, leaving Beth and her maid
to trail behind.
The girls heart all but failed her. Whittier
were they going, and toward what fate? What
could be the outcome of journey like this, I'M
dertaken SO blindly with no chance for resist
ance! The horseman had stubbornly refused
reply to her question: he was calmly riding
off before them now with the utmost indiffer-
ence in his manner. There was nothing to do
but to follow and resign herself to-the Lord
deed, required no urging; she Juggling at
the bit to be off. With one last look of help
lessness at the station and Dave, who some
way bore the hint of fatherly air. she
charged her nerves with all possible resolution
and rode on after the leader.
Elsa permitted her bronco to trudge at the
tail of the column. She dared to cast one shy,
disconcerting little glance at Dave-and he
suddenly felt that he would burst into flame
and consume himself utterly to ashes.
THE great canon yawned prodigiously where
its rock gates stood open to grant the party
admission to the sanctum of the hills. Sheer
granite walls, austere and frowning, rose in
sculptured immensely on either side but the
trail under foot was scored between some scat
tered wild peach shrubs, Interspersed with
caslonal bright green clumps of manzanita
The air was redo1ent of warmth and fragrance
that might with fitness have advertised the
presence in the hills Of some glorifed goddess
of 1ove,-some lofty, exalted, invisible god
dess. guarded by her mountain SHOWS, vet still
too 1anguorous and voluptuous to pass without
at least trailing on the summary air the breath
that eNhaled from her being 1t was all de-
light, despite vague alarms, and the promise
ahead was inviting.
Van continued straight onward, with never
SO much as turn of his head to the horses in
the rear. He seemed to have quite forgotten
the two half-frightened women in his wake
Beth had ample opportunity for again observ-
ing his look of strength and grace However
she found her attention much divided between
tumultuous joy in the mountain grandeur
bathed in the marvelously life exciting air. and
concern for the outcome of the dav. If faint
suggestion of pique at the manner in which
the horseman ignored her presence crept sub
consciously into all her meditations, She did
not confess it to herself.
Elsa's horrid little habit of accepting any,
thing and everything with the most irresponsi-
BILE complacency. rendered the situation aggra-
waiting. 1t was SO utterly impossible to discuss
with such being even such of the mornings
developments as the relationship of mistress
and maid might otherwise have permitted
A mile beyond the mouth of the canon the
Slight ascent was ended, the chasm widened,
rough slopes succeeded the granite walls and
a charming little valley, emerald green and
dotted with groups of quaking aspen trees,
stretched far toward the wooded mountain
barriers looming hugely ahead. 1t was like a
dainty hill surrounded lake of grass, album
dainty supplied with little islands.
The sheer enchantment of it, bathed as it was
in sun gold and sheltered by prodigious, snow