Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1910-01-21

his cigar angrily away. HE won't
kill US"
"And you expect me to sit by and
fold my hands while that wretch sheds
more blood, do you?"
1T can't be helped"
81 say it can be helped! l can help
tt will help it-as you could have
done if you had wanted to. l will
ride to Medicine Bend tonight and
help it"
Lance jumped to his feet, with q
string of oaths. well, this is the lin
it," He pointed his finger at her.
"Dicksie Dunning, you won't stir out
of this house tonight"
Her face hardened. How dare you
speak in that way to me? Who are
you, that you order me what to do,
where to stay! Am I your cowboy, to
be defiled with your curses?"
He looked at her in amazement. She
was only IS; he would still face her
down. I'll tell you who am. l
am master here, and you will do as l
tell you. You will ride to Medicine
Bend tonight, will you?" He struck
the table with his clinched fist do
you hear me? I say, by God, not a
horse shall leave this ranch in this
storm tonight TO 80 anywhere for
anybody or with anybody"
Then say to you this ranch is my
ranch, and these horses are my
horses! From this hour forth l will or
der them to 90 and come when and
where l pleased" She stepped toward
him. "HenceforWard l am mistress
here. Do you hear me? Henceforward
I give orders In Crawling Stone house,
and every one under this roof takes
orders from mel"
"Dicksie, what do you mean? For
Gods sake, you're not going to try
to ride"
She swept from the room. What
happened afterward she could never
recall Who got Jim for her or wheth-
er she got the horse up herself, what
was said to her In low, kindly words
Of warning by the man at Jim's neck
when she sprang into the saddle, who
the man was, she could not have told
All she felt at last was that she was
free and out under the black sky, with
the rain beating her burning face and
her horse leaping fearfully into the
wind.
No man could have kept the trail to
the pass that night. The horse took
It as Il the path flashed in sunshine,
and swung into the familiar stride
that had carried her so many times
over the 20 miles ahead Of them. The
storm driving into Dicksie's face
cooled her. Every moment she recol-
lected herself better, and before her
mind all the aspects Of her venture
ranged themselves. She had set
herself to a race, and against her rode
the hardest rider In the mountains
She had set herself to what few men
on the range would have dared and
what no other woman on the range
could do. A gust drove into her face
e They were already at the head Of the
pass, and the horse, with level ground
underfoot, was falling into the long
reach; but the wind was colder.
Dicksie lowered her head and gave
Jim the rein. She realized how wei
she was; her feet and her knees were
wet. She had no protection but hel
skirt, though the meanest rider OF
all her countless acres would not have
braved a mile on such q night withou
leather and fur. The great lapels o
her ridlng-jacket, reversed, were but
} toned tight across her shoulders, ant
{ the double fold Of fur lay warm ant
dry against her heart and lungs; bu
u her hands were cold, and her Skin
l. dragged leaden and cold from he
8 waist, and water soaked in upon he
u chilled feet
3 She became conscious of how fas
she was going. Instinct, made kee
by thousands of saddle miles, toll
q Dicksie of her terrific pace. She wa
riding faster than she would hav
e dared go at MONDAY and withou
~ thought or fear Of accident. In spit
i, Of the sliding and the plunging dow
u the long hill, the storm and the darl
ness brought no thought of fear fc
" herself; her only fear was for the;
o. ahead. In supreme moments a hor-
er like a man when human efforts b
SIS come superhuman, puts the lesser da
IT gers out of reckoning, and the facu
y! ties, set on a single purpose, thong
n strained to the breaking-point, new,
10 break. Low In her saddle, Dicks
gu tried to reckon how far they had con
ell and how much lay ahead. She cou
al feel her skirt stiffening about h
III knees, and the rain beating at h
Is face was sharper; she knew the sic
an as 1t stung her cheeks, and knew VIII
next was coming-the snow.
There was no need to urge Jim. +
es had the rein and Dicksie bent down
IT, speak to him, as she often spoil
IRE when they we're alone on the roa
le' when Jim, boiling, almost threw ht
Ter Recovering instantly, she knew tn
he were no longer alone. She rose ale
GU in her seat. Her straining eyes cou
ne see nothing. Was there a sound
the wind? She held her breath to
lth ten, but before she could apprehel