The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1913-07-18
coeoRnm 1912 ~ A.c.mdueo e ca

one side.
I'll take i. out of him before morn
ing" was the reply. Come on, boy!
easy now-easy! How about the ra.
tons, captaino"
Garter will have them for you at
the gate Of the stockade. Do you know
the "trail?"
well enough to follow-yes."
Mcdonald was waiting with Carter,
and the dim CLEAN Of the lantern re-
vealed his face.
Remember, sergeant, you are to
make her turn back il you can. Tell
her / wish her to do So-yes, this let
ter will explain everything, but she
is a pretty high-spirited girl, and may
take the bit in her teeth-imagine
she'd rather be here with me, and
al that. II she does l suppose you'll
have to let her have her own way
the Lord knows her mother always
did. Anyhow you'll stay with her till
she's safe"
II sure WILL" returned the sergeant,
gathering up his reins. "Good-by to
you"
"Good-by and good luck" and Nc
Donald put out his hand, which the
other took hesitatingly. The next in
slant he was In the saddle, and with a
wild leap the startled mustang round
ed the edge Of the bluff, flying into
the night.
All had occurred SO quickly that
Hamlin's mind had not yet fully ad-
justed itself to all the details. He
was naturally a man Of few words, de-
Gliding on a course Of action quietly,
yet not apt to deviate from any con-
clusion finally reached. But he had
been hurried, pressed into this ad-
venture, and now welcomed an OPP
portunity to think 1t all out coolly.
At first. for a half mile or more,
the plunging buckskin kept him busy,
bucking viciously, rearing, leaping
madly from side to side, practising
every known equine trick to dislodge
the grim rider in the saddle. The man
fought out the battle silently, immov-
able as a rock. and apparently as in
different. Twice his spurs brought
| blood, and once he struck the rearing
head with clenched fist. The light Of
the stars revealed the faint lines of
the trail, and he was content to per-
nit the maddened brute to race for
ward, until, finally mastered, the ami
NAL settled down into a swift gallop,
but with ears laid back in ugly def
ance. The riders gray eyes smiled
pleasantly as he settled more com.
fortably into the saddle, peering out
from beneath the stiff brim Of his
scouting hat: then they hardened, and
the man swore softly under his
breath.
The peculiar nature of this mission
which he had taken upon himself had
been recalled. He was always doing
something like that-permitting him
self to become involved in the affairs
Of others. Now why should he be
here, riding alone through the dark
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 a woman's man, and
through years Of isolation, he had
grown to avoid contact with the sex
and he was under no possible obliga-
ton to either Mcdonald or Travers
Yet here he was, fully committed
drawn into the vortex. by a hasty i'll
considered decision. He was tired still
from his swift journey r the
desert from Fort Union, and now
faced another three days ride. Then
what? A headstrong girl to be con
vinced OF danger, and controlled. The
longer he thought about It all, the
more intensely disagreeable the tasl
appeared, yet the clearer did he ap
preciate It's necessity. He chafed a
the knowledge that 1t had become his
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 Hamlin
comprehended much more fully than
did the men at Devere the danger
menacing travellers along the mair
trail to Santa Fee. News reached Fort
| Union much quicker than 1t did thai
isolated post up On the Cimarron. He
knew OF the fight In Ration Pass. and
! that two stages within ten days hat
been attacked. one several miles east
OF Bent's Fort. This must mean thai
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