The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-06-02


swimming just above the peaks or
some distant mountains. She halted
her pony suddenly, patting its flank
lightly, her eyes filing with slight
concern.
at 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-
gretfulIy, 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 a rush that took
them both to the crest Of the slope
at the head of the gully and out upon
a 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 trail 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 a giant horseshoe toward
the cluster of buildings belonging to
the Lazy l. ranch. But Miss Hub
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
snofted, Juggling desperately at his
left foreleg, which presently came out
of q prairie-dog hole, twisted into a
horribly queer shape
Miss Hubbard's face went white.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, clasping her
hands over her eyes with q shudder
OF pity. And then again, In tones
that were eloquent with pity: 20
Ginger!H
Still restlng 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
Yhe grass, with groan so nearly hui
Imam in its despair that Miss Hub
bard again covered her face with her
hands and sobbed aloud.
10 he Irwa 81
in the grass, patting and smoothing
Ginger's sleek neck, pony loped
around q sharp bend In the trail and
came suddenly 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 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 time when she
had been very near yielding to the
food 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 a little,
so little that she was sure It was .un-
affected. 1T amt 80 much Of a 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?"
well" he said, looking down at
her quizzically, but speaking more
gravely, II expect 1t is. An that GER
tainly amt no picnic. But it amt
half so bad as It might have been"
II don't see how 1t could be-be any
worse" she said, not looking at him
because she was trying hard to con-
troll her voice to keep the tears out
of IT.
~"I expect it could be a whole lot
worse, he returned, moving toward
the pony. You might have got your
neck broke when he tumbled. That
would sure have made me feel pretty
bad-to run across a woman with
her neck broke"
Il 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. so his names 'Ginger'?" he
said, as he patted the animals neck
and ran q light hand down the in
1ured foreleg. That's a nice name
for q horse. expect you think a
heap OF him?"
He had suddenly turned IN bar
and she saw his eyes, blue and
steady, looking into hers with =
grave expression. His voice followed
also grave.
"Of course you like him." he said
cor you wouldn't be cryin'." He
nIaced both hands on his hips and "a.
sarded her with narrowing ewes
SYou live anywheres around here?'
he questioned.
The movement Of HIS hands hat
hrought her gaze to his hips, wher,