The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-04-09

ar know they do" admitted the 9TH
er, and then. with sharp side glance
which BloUnt missed, especially II
they are travelling On q secret mission"
you needn't DO alarmed. You have
not told me anything the government
could make use Of" returned Blount,
carrying the Jest one necessary move
further along.
It was precisely at this point, ss
Blount remembered afterward. that
the forestry subject was dropped.
Later on, after the talk had driftsd
back to mining and from mining into
politics, the hawk faced man anno0nc-
ed his intention Of going back 70 his
section In the body Of the car to take q
nap.
A little further along toward evening
the great range which had been visible
for hours In the west began to define
itself In peaks and high. bald shoulder
ings Of wind swept mesas, and Blount
was glad 10 fnd some STRINGS Of
the Homecoming wanderers quickened
pulse answering to the nearer view Of
the mountains.
At the dining car dinner, which was
served while the high peaks Of the
main range were stu rejecting the
crimson and gold OF the sunset, Blount
missed his luncheon companion.
Now that he recalled It he remem-
bered that he had seen nothing Of the
hawk faced man since the early after
noon. But the absence Of companion
ship was Q relief rather than depriva-
ton.
Almost without knowing 1t he found
himself fastening through his dinner
30 that he might return to the Pullman
window. When at length he had the
longed for sight Of a bunch OF cattle,
with the solitary night herd hanging
by one leg In the saddle to watch the
passing train, the call OF the west was
once more trumpeting in his ears.
At small timber shipping station
well within the mountains where the
logs were shot down to the mills In a
trough-like water chute from the wood
ed heights twenty miles distant there
Blount got OF to make inquiries.
There was a freight wreck at some
point a few miles farther west, and
the train would probably be delayed
for several hours.
BY this time Blount was on well re-
membered ground. Forty miles away
In a direction somewhat east Of north
Law the pIor1rf horna daroat1 rayha~a ~
had spent his happy boyhood. An
hours gallop to the westward the level
rays Of the setting sun would be play
ing upon the little station Of Painted
Hat, which had been the shipping point
| for the home ranch. And halfway be-
tween Painted Hat and the Circle Bar
lay the horse corrals Of one Debbleby,
a hermit OF the mountains and the
boy Evans earliest schoolmaster in the
great book of nature.
Since Blount could not 60 on by
train, what was to prevent the taking
Of an immediate and delightful plunge
into the land Of heart stirring recol-
lectionsf
Arranging with the Pullman con-
ductor to. have his hand baggage left
in Gantry's Office at the capital, Blount
crossed quickly to livery stable op-
pOsite the station. bargained for sad
die horse, borrowed a poncho and q
lyair Of leggings and presently, with
the squeak Of the saddle leather max
ing sweet music In his ears, had bro
ken violently, for the moment at least
with all the civilized traditions.
He would go to see Debbleby: drop
in upon the old ranchman without
warning and thus get his first taste Of
the homeland unmixed with any of
the disappointing changes which were
doubtless awaiting him at the real
journeys end.
Now, 1t CHANGED that the livery sta
BILE was an adjunct to the single ho-
tel In the small sawmill town, and as
Blount swung up into the saddle he
was little surprised to see his COM
panion Of the Pullman smoking COM
partment standing on the porch of the
hotel in earnest talk with three 9TH
ers who from their appearance might
have figured either as timber jacks''
or cowboys.
Blount was on the point of speaking
when he rode past the porch on his
way to the northward trail pointed
out by the liveryman, but a curious
feeling restrained him.
He was almost sure that the pros
porous looking gentleman with the
bird Of prey eyes was making him the
subject Of his earnest talk with the
three men Of doubtful occupation.
Quite naturally this Impression deep
ened into a conviction when he looked
back from the road crossing of the
railroad track and saw that all four
Of the men on the porch were watch
ing him.
After leaving the railroad BIount
found himself crossing the broad mesa,
with the eastern mountains near at
hand. and the Lost river range struck