Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-08-16
THE TRIANGULAR
BAR GUN FIGHTER
By CHARLES ALDEN SELTZER.


some distant mountains. She haitee
her pony suddenly, patting its fiani
lightly, her eyes filling with a sligh
concern.
ct will be sundown in an hour, Gin
ger" she said aloud, speaking to the
little animal who slanted his ears bach
as though aware that this observation
had been directed at him, land We
must be fully ten miles from the Lazy
L." She looked around rcgretfully, re-
luctant to leave the river trail on whicf
she had fingered for the greater par
of the afternoon. But we must pe
travelling" she continued, gathering uE
the reins with sudden decision. Dad.
dy will be worried"
She spoke sharply to the pony and
he responded with a rush that tooB
them both to the crest Of the slope al
the head of the gully and out upon q
dead, fat expanse of unfeatured plain
Still reluctant to desert the river
with its painted buttes, its weird, giant
rocks and spires, its vegetation, Its
tinkling waters, for the dead hot SAND
of the plains, Miss Hubbard held her
pony to the trial that led along the
fringe of trees above the bed Of the
stream. The trail over the plains was
shorter by several miles, for the river
swung around in the shape Of giant
horseshoe toward the cluster Of build
ings belonging to the Lazy l. ranch
But Miss Hubbard 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 COM
Portable.
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 sudden
fear. Ginger struggled and snorted'
tugging desperately at his left foreleg'
which presently came out Of prairie
dog hole, twisted into horribly queer
shape.
Miss Hubbard's face went white.
"Ohl" she exclaimed, clasping her
hands over her eyes with shudder OF
pity. And then again, in tones that
were eloquent with pity: % Ginger!
Still resting his weight upon one
knee, the pony turned his head and
looked at her, with an appeal In his
ewes that brought a sudden moisture
into her own. He struggled again to
rise, failed, and then sank prone on
the grass, with a groan so nearly hu-
man in it's despair that Miss Hubbard
again covered her face with her hands
and sobbed aloud.
Five minutes later as she kneeled In
the grass, patting and smoothing Gin
gers sleek neck, a pony loped around
sharp bend in the trail and came sud-
denly to a halt near her. Then a tall
man swung down from the saddle and
advanced with swift strides. In the
swift, fleeting glimpse that she had got
of him from the instant 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
time when she had been very near
yielding to the flood Of emotion that
had threatened her since Gingers fall
When she looked up at the man he was
standing near her. his arms crossed
over his chest, one hand caressing his
chin. He even smiled slightly as his
gaze met hers.
We'll" he said, drawling a little, SO
little that she was sure it was unaf-
fected. 1T amt so much Of picnic
is it?"
"P-pic-nic?" she returned, her lips
quiveringly suspiciously, even in heI
sudden slight resentment over what
she considered was unwarranted levity
on his part. "Of course it isn't a pic
mic. Why" she continued, her eyes
flashing at him through the moisture In
them, cant you see that Ginger's leg
is b-broken?"
Well" he said, looking down at heI
quizzically, but speaking more gravely
"I expect it is. An that certainly ain't
no picnic. But it amt half so bad as II
might have BEEN"
Il don't see how it could be-be any
worse she said, not looking at him
because she was trying hard to control
her voice to keep the tears out Of 1t.
Il expect it could be a whole lot
worse" he returned, moving toward
the pony. You might have got your
neck broke when he tumbled. Thai
would sure have made me feel pretty
DaQ-tO run dCTOSS u WOHldH Will hSi
neck broke.
Il don't think you would have beer
excited-even over that" she declared
experiencing a sensation of irritation
over the serene calm that radiatet
from him.
But he was down in the grass beside
Ginger, and he ignored her sarcasm
so his names 'Ginger'?" he said
as he patted the animals neck ant
ran light hand down the injured
foreleg. That's a nice name for
horse. l expect you think heap o
him."
He had suddenly turned to her, an'
she saw his eyes, blue and steady
looking into hers with grave expires
sion: His voice, followed, also grave
"Of course you like him." he said, %
you wouldn't be cryin'." He place'
both hands on his hips and regarded
her with narrowing eyes. You liv'
anywheres around here?" he question
ed.
The movements of his hands hat