The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-09-16

days work at the branding, he had
stood guard half the night. Sleep was
a luxury to him, like water to a noun
tain-sheep-and so were all the other
useless things that town-bred people
required.
People like Gracia, people like Phil
they were different in all their ways.
To ride, to fight, to find the way
there he was a better man than Phil;
but to speak to.a woman, to know her
ways, and to enter into her life-there
he was no man at all.
She trusted to his courage to pro-
tect her, and that he could do, but 1t
was to a man such as Phil she
would give her love. Phil could not
love her more than he did, but Pills
ways could be more attractive to her.
His adventurous life with his father
had not been such as to cultivate the
little niceties that appealed to women.
It was only his privilege to serve, but
he gloried in that privilege now as
he watched beside her as she slept,
and his vigil but strengthened his res
olution to see her safely through o
Phil.
He sighed now as he saw the first
flush of dawn and turned TO where she
slept, calm and beautiful, in the solemn
light. How to waken her, even that
was a question, but the time had come
to start
Already, from Fortuna, Del Rey and
his %man-killing rurales would be on the
trail. He would come like the wind,
that dashing little captain, and moth
ing but a bullet would stop him, for his
honor was at stake. Nay, he had told
Bud in SO many words:
"She is mine, and no man shall come
between u.s."
II would be hard now If the rurales'
should prove too many for him-if a
bullet should check him in their flight
and she be left alone. But how to
wake her! lie tramped near as he
led up the un willing mounts; then, as
time pressed, he spoke to her, n at
last he knelt at her side.
"Say!" he eall~d and when that did
not serve no lad his hand on her
shoulder.
Wake up!" lie said, shaking her
gently. "Wtke Up, it's almost day."
Even as he spike he went back to
the phrase OF Inc cow-camp-where
men rise before h is light. But Gracia
woke up wondering and stared about
her strangely, uhable to understand.
"Why-what Is. it," she cried. Then,
as he spoke agLln and backed away,
she remembered him with a. smile.
"Oh," she said. "is it, time to get up?
Where are We, anyway"
About tea mics from Fortuna" an
swered Hooker soberly. "Too close
we ought tt. be ever that divide"
He pointed ahead to where the val
ley narrowed ant passed between two
hills, and Csracla sat up, binding back
her hair that hae fallen from its place.
/ Eyes, yes!" she said %resolutely. I'VE
must go ol-but why do you look st
me so Strangely"
Don't know" mumbled Bud. Didn't
know 1 was. Say, let me get them sad
die blankets, will you"
He went about his work with en-
barrassed swistness. slapping on sad,
dies and brides, coiling up ropes, and
Offering her his hand to mount When
he looked at her again 1t was not
strangely.
Hope you Gan ride" he said. I'VE
got to get over that pass before any
body else makes it-after that we can
take a rest"
"As fast al you please" she an
swered steadily. Don't think about
me. But what will happen if-they
get thnre frst?"
She was looking at him now as he
searched out the trail ahead. but he
preteIted not to hear. One man in
that Isass was as good as a hundred,
and taere were only two things he
coula do-shoot his way through, or
turn back. He believed she would not
wanI to turn back.