The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-12-05

from beneath the stiff brim Of his
scouting hat; then they hardened, and
the man swore softly under his
breath. t-
The peculiar nature of this mission
which he had taken upon himself had
been recalled. He was always Goine
something like that-permitting him
self to become involved in the sfain
of others. Now why should he be
here, riding alone through the derh
to prevent this unknown girl from
reaching Devere? She was nothing
to him-even that glimpse Of her
pictured face had not impressed him
greatly; rather interesting, to be
sure, but nothing extraordinary; be
sides he was not woman's man, and
through years of isolation, he ha6
grown to avoid contact with the sex
and he was under no possible ob1iga
ton to either Mcdonald or Travers
Yet here he was, fully committed
drawn into the vortex, by hasty i'll
considered decision. He was tired still
from his swift journey across the
desert from Fort Union, and now
faced another three days ride. Then
what? A headstrong girl to be con
WINGED Of danger, and controlled. The
longer he thought about it all, thc
more intensely disagreeable the tash
appeared, yet the clearer did he ap
preciate it's necessity He chafei at
the knowledge that it had become mis-
work-that he had permitted himself
to be ensnared-yet he dug his spurs
into the mustang and rode steadily.
grimly, forward.
The real truth was that HamliD
comprehended much more fully than
did the men at Devere the danger
menacing travellers along the main
Union much quicker than it did that
isolated post up on the Cimarron. He
knew of the fight in Ration Pass, and
that two stages within ten days had
been attacked, one several miles east
of Bent's Fort This must mean that
a desperate party of raiders had sue
ceeded in slipping past those scat
tered army details scouting into the
northwest Whether or not these
warriors were in any considerable
force he could not determine-the re-
ports of their depredations were but
rumors at Union when he left-yets
whether in large body or small, they
would have a clear run in the Ar
kansas Valley before any troops could
be gathered together to drive them
out. Perhaps even now, the stages
had been withdrawn, communication
with Santa Fe abandoned This had
been spoke of as possible at Union
the night he left, for it was welf
known that there was no cavalry force
left at Dodge which could be utilized
as guards. The wide map of the sur
rounding region spread out before him
in memory; he felt It's brooding DESC
lation, its awful loneliness. Never
theless he must go on-perhaps at the
stage station near the ford of the
Arkansas he could learn the, truth.
So he bent lower over the buckskin's
neck and rode straight through the
black, silent night.
1t was waterless desert stretching
between the Cimarron and the Arkau-
sas. consisting of almost a dead level
OF alkali and sand, although toward
the northern extremity the sand had
been driven by the ceaseless wind
into grotesque hummocks. The trail,
cut deep by traders wagons earlier
In the spring, was still easily trace
able for greater part of the distance.
and Hamlin as yet felt no need Of
caution-this was a country the In
dams would avoid, the only danger
being from some raiding party from
the south. At early dawn he came
trotting down into the Arkansas val
ley, and gazed across at the green.
ness Of the opposite bank There,
plainly In view, were the deep ruts
of the main trail running close in
against the bluff. His tired eyes
caught no symbol of life either up or
down the stream, except thin spiral
Of blue smoke that slowly wound its
way upward. An instant he stared,
believing it to be the fire of some emf.
grants camp; then realized that hi
looked upon the smouldering debris OF
the stage station. -
-. CHAPTER III Is iH