Semi-weekly herald., 1911-05-29

prepare 70 Dear your part IN what
follows. We have settled Mr.. Hawley
for tho present. and now must deal
with his gang"
"Oh, what would l have done II you
had not been hsrsr'
Let W not think shout that: We
were here. and now have . busy night
before us II We get away safely. Give
me the rope hrst. Good Here Nsh,
you must know how to use this-not
too tight, ~ withost leaving any play
to the armst take the knife out Of his
belt. Now for ths cloth, Miss
Naclafrs.-
please do not cali me thati.
But you said It didn't make any
difference what called you"
Il though It didn't then. but 1t does
now"
"oh. zoo: We are already on q new
footing. Yet must call yaa soms-
thing
She hssitated Just long enough for
him to NOTICE It, Either she had no
substitute ready at hand. or else doubt
cd the advAability of confidins her
real name under present circumstances
to one 70 nearly q stranger.
You may call me Hope"
"A name certainly Of good omen"
he returned. From this moment
shall forget Christie Maclaire, and re-
member only Miss Hope. All right
Neb; now turn over q chair, and sit
! your man up against 1t He will rest
all the easier in that position until his
gang arrives"
He thrust his head out of the door,
peerinx cautiously forth into the night,
and listening. A single horse. prob
ably tho one Hawlsy had been riding.
was tied to 4 dwsrfed cottonwood near
the corner of the cabin. Nothing else
living was visible.
Il am going to round UP our horses.
OUTFIT" he announced In = low voice
'I may be gone for fifteen or twenty
minutes, and. meanwhile. Miss Hope,
get ready for \ long ride. Neb. stand
here close beside the door. and II any
one tries to come In brain him with
your gun-stock. I'll rap three times
when | return"
He slipped out into the silent night,
and crept cautiously around the end
OF the dark cabin. The distinct change
In the girls attitude of friendship to-
ward him. her every evident desire
that he should think well OF her. to-
gether with the providential opportu-
nifty for escape, had left him full OF
confidence. The gambler had played
blindly into their hands, and Keith
was quick enough to accept the sd-
vantage. It WAS q risk to himself, 70
be sure, thus turning again 10 the
northward. yet the clear duty he owed
the girl left such = choice almost i'm
perative. He certainly could not drag
her along with him on his Night into
the wild Comshchs country extend
ing beyond the Canadian She must,
at the very least, be first returned to
the protection of the standardization
along the Arkansas. After that had
been accomplished. he would consider
his own safety. He wondered II Hope
really was her name, and whether II
WAS the family cognomen. or her given
name. That she was Christie Maoiaire
he had no question. yet that artistic
establishment was probably merely
assumed for the work of the concert
hall. Both he and HAwlsy could
scarcely be mistaken ss to her idsnti.
| ty In this respect, and, indeed, she had
never openly denied the fact Yet she
did not at all seem to be that kind,
and Keith mentally contrastsd her
with numerous others whom he had
somewhat intimately known aloAg the
border circuit. II was dif1ioult to As
socists her with that GLASS; she must
have come originally from some sxcsl.
lent family East. and been driven to
the life by necessity; she was more to
be pitied than blamed Keith held no
puritanical views OF life-his own ex.
psrisncss had bsen too rough and
democratic for that-yet he olung to.
naciously to an Ideal OF womanhood
which could not be lowered. However
Interested he might otherwise feel,
no Christie Maolsire could ever md
entrance into the deeps OF his hsart.
whore dwslt alone the memory Of his
mother.
/ He found the other horses turned
into the corral. and was abls, from
their restless movements. to decide
they numbered eight. A nre. nearly
sxtinguishsd. slowsd duly At this
farther corner OF the enclosure. and
he crawlsd CLOSE enough to distinguish
the rscumbsnt forms Of men sleeping
about 1t on the ground. Apparently
NO guard had been set. the fellows bs.
ing worn out from their long ride. and
confident of safety In this isolated
spot. Besides, Hawley had probably
assumed that duty, and told them to
get whatever sleep they could. How.
ever. the gate OF the corral opened be-
side their nre. and Keith dare not
venture upon roping any Of their
ponies. or leading them out past
where they slept. There might
J be clippers in the cabin with which he
( could cut the wires yet If one OF the
! gang awoks. and discovered the herd
absent, 1t would result In An alarm.
and lead to early pursuit. II was far
safer to use their own ponies. He
would lead Hswlsy's horse quietly
through the water, and they could
mount on the other shore. This plan
settled. he went at It swiftly, riding
the captured animal while roundin {
up the others and fastening the three