Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-26

that was pilng up. The old man packed
his few belongings, took his saddle from
the rack and went to the corral At his
whistle a gray pony, long past his youth,
trotted to the bars and was let out. A
few minutes later the old cowboy, droop-
ing in his saddle. rode from the ranch and
set his face downward.
An hour later he got off stiffly from
the dusty horse and stumbled into the
barroom of the Nendome Hotel his old
time haunt. After a drink that washed
the alkali out OF his throat and quick
ened his heart he went to a corner and
sat down to brood on the change that
had come into his life. He drank and
brooded and drank, and the afternoon
Waned. Few spoke to him, and it was not
until the room was emptying of its in
mates about O'Clock that he frightened
up.
Into the doorway came an Indian. over
his shoulders was draped blanket thick
" coated with alkali dust. His small,
beady eyes roved around the room and
rested on Dan. Dan was glad TO see MIN.
He was an old crony. lnJun Pete a
Sioux. The friendship between them was
an old one and a strange one, but Ii was
true one.
The Sioux came up and pushed aside
the glass of whisky in front of Dan and
leaned over and in broken English told
him he had been riding along the fiat by
the ranch and had seen Jackmore with
four others leave the ranch. In Jack
more's arms was a girl. bound and gag
ged The four men We're driving bunch
of horses-the pick of the stock, the pride
of Redmuns heart.
Simply, coolly, the Sioux told it. 1t was
plain to Dan Jackmore was a crook. Some
way or other Redmun had been fooled
into trusting him. He was running now
for the Mexican border taking thou
sands of dollars worth of horseiiesh and
the girl.
Dan breathed hard as he thought Of the
girl he loved. He drew himself to his
feet Again in his old heart the fire of
his youth burst into flame. He hurried
out, close to his heels his dark-faced
|crony.
They found the sheriff. but he laughed
and told them that they had been drink
ing too much Silently the Indian TUNED
and Dan followed. No time could be lost
and argument would not convince tne
Indians word was not enough As they
mounted their ponies "Injun Pete leaned
over. "Ketch um-Manajo waterhole." he
grunted Dan nodded.
From the town they rode southwark
toward the blue. misty hills. Jackmore
would probably rest at the .'waterhole,"
in the hills before crossing. He would
feel safe: all the men had been sent
away except his cronies, and he would
never dream that far back on his trail
was coming a gray veteran riding a gray
figure, ''Injun Pete" !.
BY campfire girl sat. unbound save
for her ankles. a little distance away in
the moonlight two men were talking.
Farther off a bunch of horses, under the
watch of two men, were cropping the
thick grass that grew near the waterhole.
1t was a still night save for the move
ment of the horses. the voices of the men
and a soft sob that broke from the girl S
lips Into that silence fell the high, faint
treInulous whimper of a panther. far up
among the surrounding rocks. The horses
-. siI nd he ga
Again came the faint cry like baby
whimpering-a little stronger it sounded,
and the horses snorted and began to cir
Gle. The men rushed toward their mounts.