The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-06-05

swimming Just above the peaks of
some distant mountains. She halted
her pony suddenly, patting it's flank
lightly, her eyes filling with slight
concern.
"It will be shutdown in an hour,
Ginger" she said aloud. speaking to
the little animal who slanted his ears.
back as though aware that this OBJ
servation had been directed at him,
"and we must be fully ten miles from
the Lazy LIZ She looked around re-
gretfully, reluctant to leave the river
trail, on which she had fingered for
the greater part of the afternoon.
|But we must be travelling" she con-
tinued, gathering UP the reins with
sudden decision. Daddy will be
Worried"
She spoke sharply to the pony and
he responded with rush that took
lem both to the crest of the slope
- the head of the gully and out upon
y dead, fiat expanse of unfeatured
Dlain.s
Still reluctant to desert the river,
with its painted buttes, it's weird,
giant rocks and spires, it's vegetation,
Its tinkling waters, for the dead hot
); ~and Of the plains, Miss Hubbard
4 neld her pony to the trail that led
/ along the fringe of trees above the
bed of the stream. The trail over the
plains was shorter by several miles,
I, for the river swung around in the
shape of giant horseshoe toward
Ahe cluster of buildings belonging to
HShe Lazy l. ranch. But Miss Hub
J bard preferred to ride near the fringe
of trees, where the matted mesquite
rustled under the whipping tread of
her pony's hoofs, and the shade made
travel more comfortable.
She had been riding half an hour
when she felt Ginger's left shoulder
suddenly sink. He came to one knee,
pitching forward with his muzzle
deep into the grass, and she slipped
out of the saddle and came around to
his head. her eyes wide with a sud
den fear Ginger struggled and
snorted. Juggling desperately at his
left foreleg. which presently came out
of prairie-dog hole, twisted into a
, horribly queer shape
Miss Hubbafd's face went white.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, clasping her
hands over her eyes with shudder
of pity. And then again, in tones
that were eloquent with pity: 20
Ginger!'
Still resung his weight upon one
knee, the pony turned his head and
looked at her, with an appeal in his
eyes that brought sudden moisture
into her own. He struggled again to
rise. failed and then sank prone on
the ayass. with a groan so nearly hui
me- y its despair that Miss Hub
ba ! covered her face with her
har I'd SOhhed aloud
F., VI ilutes later, as she kneeled
in the nTass. patting ands smoothing
Ginger's sleek neck, pony loped
! around a sharp bend in the trail and
! came suddenly to halt near her.
Then d tall man swung down from
the saddle and advanced with swift
strides In the swift, fleeing glimpse
that she had got of him from the in
slant she had first seen him until he
was standing over her, she had not
succeeded in getting an impression of
his appearance. She knew only that
he was big muscular, and active, and
that he had come at a time when she
| had been very near yielding to the
flood of emotion that had threatened
her since Ginger's fall When she
looked up at the man he was stand
ing near her, his arms crossed over
his chest, one hand caressing his
chin. He even smiled slightly as his
gaze met hers.
WELL" he said. drawing little,
so little that she was sure it was un-
affected 1T amt so much of pic
mic. is it?'
'P-pic-nic?" she returned, her lips
quivering suspiciously. even in her
sudden slight resentment over what
she considered was unwarranted lev
ity on his part. "Of course it isn't a
picnic. Why she continued, her
eyes flashing at him through the
moisture in them, cant you see that
Ginger's leg is b-broken?"
We'll" he said looking down at
her quizzically but speaking more
gravely, Il expect it is. An that GER
family amt no picnic. But it amt
salf so bad as it might have been"
81 don't see how it could be-be any
; "Rorse," she said, not looking at him
/. because she was trying hard to con-
0rol her voice to keep the tears out
~ it,
II. expect it could be whole lot
worse" he returned. moving toward
Che pony. You might have got your
neck broke when he tumbled. That
bad-to run across woman with
her neck broke"
~ don't think you would have been
excited-even over that" she de-
clared. experiencing a sensation of ir-
ritation over the serene calm that
radiated from him.
But he was down in the grass be-
side Ginger, and he ignored her sar-
casm. $50 his names eGinger'?' he
said, as he patted the animals neck
and ran light hand down the in
jured foreleg. That's nice name
for a horse. | expect you think a
heap of him."
He had suddenly turned to her,
and she saw his eyes. blue and
steady, looking into hers with a
grave expression. His voice followed,
also grave.
~Of course you like him" he said.
cor you wouldn't be erwin He
placed both hands on his hips and re-
garded her with narrowing eyes.
You live anywheres around Aere2"
he questioned
Hhe ihpvcment OF his hands bad
brought her gaze 10 his. hips where
she saw the butts Of two heavy pis-