The evening world., 1912-03-09

he drove the horses over rocks
- where they left no blabblng
cracks behind. Oace well into the Bad
Lands, he was as e~rectually lost as II
The earth had opened and swallowed
|him.
SO they turned their tired horses back.
reachins the ranch long after shutdown.
~ltalston was still unconvinced that II
was not n case OF mistaken identity.
and. hoping against hope. he asked
Some one loafing about while he and
Bear Chief unsaddled IL Macarthur had
Srsturned.
lies been off prowlin' all day, and
amt In yet" was the answer: and Bear
Chief grunt.sd at this confirmation OF
mis- accusation.
The Indian woman was waiting in the
NORWAY when they came up the path.
You see Susie?"
There was uneasiness in her voice.
IL was an urIheard-of thing for Susie
not 10 return from her rides and visits
before dark.
Not since morning." Ralston replied.
HAS n one gone to look for her? Is
Smith here?'
smith no come home for supper"
Ihere seems to have been a general
exodus to-day" Ralston observed. Are
you feeling worried about Susie ?'
Il no like. Vas. 1 feel worry for
Susie" ~ ""
II was the first evidence OF maternal
interest that Ralston ever had seen the
st1cal woman show.
If Ling will give me a bite TO eat.
~ saddle another horse n ride down
pelow. She may be spending the night
With some of her friends"
Sne no do that without tell me-" de.
ciared the woman positively. Susie no
do that" "'
She brought the food from the kitchen
nerseil' m padded uneasily from VIM
DOW to window while they ate.
What was in the wind, Ralstor asxea
himself. that Susie. Macarthur, ana
smith should disappear In this fashion
on the same day? 1t was a singular
coincidence. Lik her mother, Ralston
had no notion that Susie was stopplng
the night at any ranch or lodge below
He. too, shared the Indian woman's mis-.
givings.
He had finished and was reaching for
his hat when footsteps were heard on
the ard-beate dooryard. They were
slow. tagging. unfamiliar to tho list.
eners. who looked at each other in.
.quir1ngiy. Then the Indian woman
throw open the door. and Susie, like the
ghost OF herself, staggered from tho
darkness outside into the light,
NO ordinary fatigue could make her
look as she looked now. Every stem
showed complete and utter exhaustion.
Her dlshevelled hair was hanging in
strands over her face. her eyes were
dark-circled. she was streaked with
aust and CRIME. and her thin y oulders
dropped YEARLY.
h Where You been. Susie?" her mother
asked sharply.
Teacher said" she made a pitiful at.
ternp TO laugh. TO speak lightly
Teacher said ridin' horseback would
Keep you from gettin' fat. live been
reducln' my hips
Don't you do dis no more!"
Don't worry-I shan't!" And as n
her mothers reproach was the last
straw. Susie covered her face with the
crook of her elbow and cried hyster.
ically.
Ralston was convinced that the day
PAD held something out OF the ordinary
Tor Susie. He knew that II would take
an extraordinary ride SO completely TO
exhaust n girl who was all but born in
n the saddle. But 1t was evident from her
REPLY that she did not mean to tell where
she had been or what she had seen
doing.
Although Ralston soon retired, he was
awake long after his numerous ROOM
mates We're snoring In their hunks.
There was 'nuch 10 be done on the NOR
row. yet he could not sleep. He was
not able to rid himself OF the thought
that there was something peculiar In
, the absence of smith just at this time,
nor could he ~Ctt'rely abandon the be-
lief that Macarthur would yet come
~straggllng In, with nm explanation of the
mole AFFAIR, lie could not think OF any
mat would be satisfactory, but an un-
derlyiDg faith In the little scientist's
oonesty persisted.
Ef3I Toward morning he slept. and day was
Beakins when a step on the doors!ll OF
,tVne bunk house awakened him. He
Yaised himself slightly on his elbow and
tared at Macarthur, looming large In
the gray dawn, with a skull carried
carefully IN both hands.
: An, I'm glad to find you awake"
He tlptoed across the floor.
N His clothing was wrlnkled with the
rdamp night air, and his face looked bag.
V gard In the cold light. but the Are OF
enthusiasm burned undlmmed behind nj,
II spectacles. 800.
NJ congratulate me-
n ~ do-what for?"
"My dear sir, II I can prove to the
eailsiacton OF scientific sceptics that
J this Uranium II not pathological. shall
have bounded in a single ~day-night-
A bounded from comparative obscurity 10
the pinnacle OF fame ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
yond question-a race OF giants existed
In North Americn'--
"Pardon me- Rals;on interrupted his
husky ~eloouence: "but where have YOU
been all night"
All. where have ] not been? Walk
tng-walktng under the stars. Under
the stimulus OF success. 7 have covered
miles with no feeling OF fatigue. Have
o ever experienced. my dear sir, the
sensation which comes from the realiza-
tion of u life-dream?"
Not yet l,alston replied. prosaicaiiy.
where was your horse?"
An. yes. my horse. Where II my
horsey | asked myself that question
each time that stopped to remove one
Of the poisonous spines OF the cactus
from my feet. Whether my horse lost
me or i lost my Morse. ! am bic 10
say, left him grazing In q guich. and