Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-10-21

days work at the branding. he hat
stood guard half the night. Sleep was
a luxury to him, like water to a noun
tain-sheep-and SO were all the othel
useless things that town-bred people
required. .
People like Gracia, people like Phi
they were different in all their ways
To ride, to fight, to find the way
there he vas a better man than Phil;
but to speak to a woman, to- know hel
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 II
was to a man such as Phil she
would give her love. Phil could not
love her more than he did, but Phil's
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
1t 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 e her safely through to-
Phil. g r,"..
Y He sighed now as he saw~the frs
flush of dawn and turned to where she
slept, calm and beautiful. in the solemn
light. How to waken her. even thai
was q question. but the time had come
to start. & w ~
Already, from Fortuna, Del Rey ant
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 htt
honor was at stake. Nay. he had told
Bud in so many words:
She is mine, and no man shall come
between us!"
1t would be hard now II the rurales
should prove too many for him--if
bullet should check him in their flight
and she be left alone. But how tc
wake her! He tramped near as he
led up the unwilling mounts; then, al
time pressed, he spoke to. her, and a
last he knelt at her side.
"Say!" he called, and when that die
not serve he laid his hand on hel
shoulder. - (
Wake up!" he said, shaking hel
gently. Wake up. it's almost day!'
Even as he spoke he went back tt
the phrase Of the cow-camp-where
men rise before it is light. But Gracis
woke up wondering and stared about
her strangely, unable to understand.
"Why-what is it?" she cried. Then
as he spoke again, and backed away
she remembered him with a smile.
oh" she said, sis it time to get up
Where are we, anyway" -
About ten miles from Fortuna" an
swered Hooker soberly. TOO close
we ought to be over that divide"
He pointed ahead to where the val
ley narrowed and passed between two
hills, and Gracia sat up. binding bacl
her hair that had fallen from its place
Eyes. yes!" she said resolutely. "Wt
must go on-but why do k you LOO look 'l'.' a
me SO Strangely" vi
Don't know" mumbled Bud. "Didn'
know l was. Say, let me get them sad
die blankets, will your"
~ ne tW0uLf dUOul. LIE WIN WILL Gill
barrassed swiftness, slapping on sad
dies and brides, coiling up ropes, ant
offering her his hand to mount. Whe1
he looked at her again it was no
strangely. -'& III ~.
Hope you can ride" he said. wv
got to get over that pass before any
body else makes it-after that we cal
take a rest" .5.,r .E4
LAS fast as you please" she an
swered steadily. Don't think abou
me. But what will happen it---the,
get there hrst?" I.
: She was looking at him nowaas b
searched out the trail ahead, but h
pretended not to hear. One man i
that pass was as good as q hundred
and there were only two things h
could do--shoot his way through, o
turn back. He believed she would no
want to turn back.