The evening world., 1912-02-06
The
X Riders
| Another Great Cowboy Romance
! By {. A. SeAxex Author of"7HE TWOLCUN NAN"


and branded again In strange ptAess.
Or they were killed n made tnto
slows In desolate corners OF the ran6
by rustlers. But they never heh n
contented place In the line that lsd
from tho n to the Eastern mArkot.
Whatevsr the reason. this particuaa'
ysarling svinced . decided anNpothJ
toward capture. A. the man With ths
rope approached. he backed wastly on
and then suddenly took a turn o
the edge Of the corral. trying to mz
with the other cattle. But the 0aD
with h rope would not be denied.
Several times he pursued the ysArilnc
around the sige Of the corral. workins
patiently until he had a fair target.
Then the rope fell true, was vushsd
around the snubbtnG post. and the thing
was done. The yeariing rose pressoty
n rushed franttcally into the herd.
bearing a big ~ o." The young man
coilsd his rope for another cast. Hur-
laugh.
That young man will get anything
that he goes after. Its that new mall
Grant. he raid his name was"
lie watched gravay. while the man
roped another ysariing.
"rhat msn viii get anything that h"
soes After" he repeated. "Dum him."
ne said aftsr . moment. but I kind
NJ like that determined End."
For a time he meditated absentiy.
by Georgs!" No exclaimed then. -,
George. I didn't think q that"
He rose and wanked to . door sha:
led to somewhere within he ranch
house.
"Aiica," he called.
There was a short wait. and then the
door opened and Aiss Burroughs stood
In the opening.
Come in" Invited Burroughs.
The young seated herself be
side the window. where h could ~
the corral.
DO you zee that young man dswr
In tho corral. the sWinsiSg NE
roper" said Burroughs
"of course" Miss Burroughs btushsd.
whats his manner
Grant" returned Mss Burroughs. Asr
face avertsd.
3 twirlsd his thumbs over one anoshsr.
"You know his name I'll riohN osn'f
you7"
Miss Burroughs nodded. Ana nSwoAs
turned and looked her father s9unseV
In ths FACE. ''weli7" she saSA
I've seen him and - Tn.erSo-
sether pretty much In shS ~ <Ases
weeks. I didn't think to 40 ss1ss&
What does II mean3"
at means. Dsddy." 1no BrssssuAs
said. "that I love M. 0soaA o0 70
Ing TO marry hin-4 you 6oat 01D6."
burroughs hooked out a H. vl.09w.
II I don't mind. shs" hs ~: To-:
Eoin' to marry MM--n ] oea'e 0eoe.
He turned and locked e hsf. '1've =.
for. haven't I. Atcar'
He meditated sgaln. How ear aAS
this thing gomez he Qusstieoso.
Tie ma asked me 10 marry him." ~
returned. she met his gass sAeaAAiy.
HIN" said Bu.roS:hs' "Sss 90
II know that he II . ssntisnaA" g.
ciared the young lady.
Burroughs smiled. 'rhsy'rs I'll that
whom you're In love-" no aA. "Dut
what 7 want to know 10 this: what vas
he before he came to the q O ana whore
did he come fromT
She flushed. II imagine ne was always
q c%owpuncher." she returned. He came
here from the r Down."
THE r Down" snapped Burroussa.
Tie brought n Hst heavily down on ~
desk top. THE T Down." he said again.
his face bloat!ng with anger. How In
hell did ne have the nerve to come 10
work here he demanded. why didn't
ask him before ! hired him? b
wouldn't have happened. never
thought Il would happen"
why, father'-- began Miss Bur
roughs.
But her father held up a warning
hand. Ills anger had lsf, him as sud-
denly as II had come and he was nov
very calm.
"Al!ca.' ne said. maybe 7 ough. to
h,y. told you before. Maybe I thought
4, wonldnr be necessary. but since this
thing has come up I've got to tel, you.
Twenty Years ago Everton. VINO S~neS
the 4 Down. put \ bullet In nay shonl-
der during a quarrel over some white
Herotords. II didn't DO him any good.
because he's dead an some day Tn
ao.n' 20 get the Heretords anyhow. But
there's always been bad blood betweea
us and Il got out and got amons the
boys. There's been many a ight over
IL. never spoke to Everton from that
day I, this. He's dead now. and his
boy. who owns a ranch up In Wyoming.
owns the Il Down. too. I've heard that
he's going to sci! Il. and hone 10
does. 1t will get the durn trash out Of
the way"
Il don't see how that affects Mr..
Grant" mterposed Miss Burroughs.
at hadn't ought to- admitted Bur
roughs. after a moments thought. ''6rt
I've always considered that any one
who came from the 7 Down Was taiat-
ed with the old grudsc. Maybe I'm
wrong. but that's a thought that I've
got and always had. There . any.
thing happened IN years to AXE ne
change IT," ~
i Ito Be Contlnuedl