Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-10-04

horses had slowed down to a walk.
the heavy sand retarding progress. It
was gloomy. depressing scene In the
spectral gray light. a wide circle OF
intense loneliness. unbroken by either
dwarfed shrub or bunch of grass. .
barren expanse stretching to the sky.
Vague cloud shadows seemed to MT
| across the level surface. assuming fan
ttastic shapes, but all OF the same dull
coloring, imperfect and unfinished.
Nothing seemed tangible or real. but
rather some grotesQue picture OF do
| lfrium. ever merging into another yet
more hideous The very silence 01
those surrounding wastes seemed bui-
densome, adding immeasurably to the
horror. They were but specks crawl
! ing underneath the sky-the only lit-
| ing. moving objects In all that Inn
mense circle Of desolation and death.
+ Keith turned In his saddle. looking
back past Neb-who swayed in his
seat, with head lolling on his breast
as though asleep, his horse plodding
after the others-along the slight trail
they had made across the desert. So
far as eye could reach nothing moved.
nothing apparently existed. Fronting
again to the north he looked upon the
same grim barrenness. only that far
OF, against the lighter background OF
ldistant sky, there was visible faint
blur. blush haze, which be believed
to be the distant sand dunes border
/ Ing the Arkansas. The Intense dreari-
ness OF it all left feeling ofdepression.
His eyes turned and regarded the girl
riding silently beside him. The same
look OF depression was visible upon
her face, and she was gazing on into
the dull distance with lack-luster eyes.
her slender form leaning forward. her
hands clasped across the pommel.
The long WEAKNESS of the night had
left traces on her young face. robbins
1t OF some Of Its freshness. yet Keith
found 1t more attractive In the grow
ing daylight than amid the lamp shad.
ows OF the evening before. He had
not previously realized the peculiar
clearness OF her complexion. the ross
tint showing through the olive skin
or the soft and silky hneness OF hcs
hair which. disarranged. was strange
ly becoming under the broad brim ~
the hat she wore. drawn low until It
Swallowed her eyes. 1t was not face
to be easily associated with frontier
concert halls. or any surrender to
evil: the chin round and frm. the lirs
full. yet sufaciently compressed; the
whole depression that Of pure ard
dignifieds womanhood. She puzzled
him, and he scarcely knew what 10
believe, or exactly how to act toward
her.
Our friends back yonder should be
turning out from the corral by now
he said finally. anxious to break ira
i silence, for she had not spoken since
he ended his tale. 1T will not ~
long until they discover Hawleys
predicament. and perhaps the welkta
already rings with profanity. That
may even account for tho blue haze
out yonder."
She turned her eyes toward him.
and the slightest trace Of a smile ale
peared from out of the depths of their
/ weariness.
III they would only remain satisfied
! with that. Will they follow US. d.
| you think? And are we far enough
! away by this time to be safer"
ut is hardly likely they will let us
escape without q chase" he answered
slowly. I'VE possess too much infor-
!: nation now that we have their rem
s devious located. and Black Bart will
| have a private grudge to revenge. !
wonder If he suspects who attacked
him! But don't worry. Miss Hope;
we have miles the start. and the wind
has been strong enough to cover our
trail. Do you see that dark irregular
, ity ahead?"
Yves; is 1t a cloud?''