The Washington herald., 1912-08-11

| of il in his own. It was too hot to
smoke, but he drew forth case Of Gig
afettes and offered one 10 Billinger.
The agent accepted one, and both light
ed in silence, eying each other over their
matches
won't do" said BiIlinser, splitting on
his match before tossing it among the
grass. IT'S ten miles across this wire
| dip, and we won't make il until night
Il we make it at all. I've got an idea.
! You're better trailer than am, so
you follow this through. I'll ride on
and see il / can pick up the trail some
where in the edge of the clean prairie.
What do you say!'
"Good" said Philip. 81 believe you
can do it.
Billinger leaped into his saddle and
was off at gallop Philip was almost
eagerly anxious for this opportunity,
and scarcely had the other gone when
he drew the linen handkerchief and the
crumpled lock of hair from his pocket
and held them in his hand as he looked
after the agent Then, slowly, he raised
the handkerchief to his face. For full
minute he stood with the dainty fabric
pressed to his lips and nose Back
thereLwhen he had first held the hand
kerchief-he thought that he imagined.
But now he was sure. Family the bit
of soiled fabric breathed to him the
sweet scent of hyacinth His eyes
shone in an eager bloodshot glare as
he watched Billinger disappear over a
roll in the prairie mile away.
Making a fool of yourself again.. he
muttered, again winding the golden hair
about his fingers. There are other
| women in the world who use hyacinth
besides her. And there are other wom-
en- with red-gold hair-and pretty, pref
ty as Billinger says she was, aren't
I there?"
He laughed, but there was something
uneasy and Unnatural in the laugh. In
spite Of his efforts to argue the absurd
ity of his thoughts, he could feel that
he was trembling in every nerve OF his
body. And twice-three times he held
the handkerchief to his face before he
reached the rise in the prairie over
which Billinger had disappeared. The
agent had been gone an hour when the
| trail of the outlaws brought him to the
knoll. From the top of it Philip looked
over the prairie to the North.
A horseman was galloping toward
him. He knew that it was Billinger,
and stood tip in his stirrups so that the
other would see him. Half a mile away
the agent stopped and Philip could see
him signaling frantically with both arms.
Five minutes later Philip rode up. to
him. Billinger's horse was half-winded,
and in Billinger's face there were tense
lines of excitement
There's some one out on the prairie"
he called, as Philip reined IN. Il
couldn't make out horse, but there's
man in the trail beyond the second
ridge. l believe they've stopped to ra-
ter their horses and feed at little lake
| Just this side of the rough country"
BiIlinger had loosened his carbine, and
was examining the breech. He glanced
anxiously at Philips empty saddle
straps.
It'll be long-range shooting, il
they've got guns" he said. Sorry l
couldn't find gun for you"
Philip drew one of his two long-bar-
relied service reviewers and set his lips
in a grim and reassuring smile as he
followed the bobbing head of coyote
some distance away.
Were not considered proficient in
the service unless we can make use OF
these things at 200 yards, Billinger, he
replied, replacing the weapon in its hol-
ster IF its running fight I'd rather
have 'em than carbine. 1t It isn't
running fight we'll come in close"
Philip looked at the agent as they gal
Hoped side by side through the long
grass. and Billinger looked at him. In
the face of each there was something
which gave the other assurance. For
the first time it struck Philip that his
companion was something more than an
operator at Bleak House Station. He
was a fighter He was a man of the
stamp needed down at Headquarters,
and he was bound to tel him so before
this affair was over. He was. thinking
of it when they came to the second
ridge.
Five miles to the north and west
doomed the black line of the Bad Lands.
To a tenderfoot they would not have
appeared to be more than a mile dis
tant Midway in the prairie between
there toiled human figure Even at
that distance Philip and Billinger could
see that it was moving, though with a
slowness that puzzled them. For sew
eral minutes they stood breathing their
horses, their eyes glued on the object
ahead of them Twice in a space of
hundred yards it seemed to stumble and
fall. The second time that it rose Phil
ip knew that it was standing motionless,
Then it disappeared again He stared
until the rolling heat waves Of the bis
tered prairie stung his eyes The object
did not rise. Blinking, he looked at Bill
linger, and through the sweat and
CRIME of the others face he saw the
question that was on his own lips. With
out a word they spurred down the slope,
and after time Billinger swept to the