The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-11-21

at Czis tie InnocS< by5tahder
breathed an u::=;.:s77=S1rd but fervent little
prayer OF Thanksgiving, whose spirit
he doubted not was shared by Alan.
For It stuck in the memory Of Bar
Gus that their friend, the prospector
(whose shack had sheltered Rose and
Barcus after their transit Of the desert
and prior TO the man.made avalanche,
which had afforded this temporary Inn
munity from pursuit) had mentioned
in the hearing Of Rose the fact that
his string OF burros was Limited to
three. IT.
This. then, must have been the nub
of the lovers quarrel: Roses insist
ance that Judith be left behind, Alan's
reluctance to consent to this lest he
convict himself of the charge Of rank
ingratitude, remembering the great
service bls erstwhile antagonist had
done him.
If only Judith might not find cause
to change her mind! ".z..
He set himself sedulously to divert
Judith with the magic Of his conversa-
tional powers-an offering Indifferent
gossiping when Judith flung away to
her sisters side.
The ensuing quarrel seemed but the
more portentous in view OF the re-
straint imposed upon themselves by
both parties thereto.
He believed, however, that crisis
impended when the tinkle OF mule.
bells sounded down the canyon road;
and at this he threw discretion to the
winds and ran toward the two with
hands upheld in mock horror and q
manner Of humorous protest.
Ladies, lad1es!" he pleaded. II
beg OF you both, let dogs delight to
bark and bite
He got no farther: Judith's ears
were as quick as his own; she, too,
had caught the sound of bells behind
the base Of the hill. And Of sudden,
without another word, she turned and
flung away into the heavy thickets OF
underground that masked all the can.
yon, to either side of the wagon-trai1.
In twinkling she had lost herself to
view in their labyrinthine shadows.
The remainder of that business was
transacted rapidly enough. There
were no preparations to be made;
once Alan had ridden up with his
three burros, nothing remained but to
mount and make off without delay.
Before morning they were all rid
ing iike5so many hypnoti2ed subjects,
fatigue bearing SO heavily on all their
senses that none spoke or cared to
speak.
Broad daylight surprised them in
this state, still stubbornly travelling;
and shortly afterward showed them
one place SO perilous that It shocked
them temporarily awake.
This was simply a spot where the
trail came abruptly to an end on ono
side of cleft in the hills quite thirty
feet wide and several hundred in
depth, and was continued on the far
ther side, the chasm being spanned by
a bridge OF the -!mplest character
no more than footway Of boards
bound together with ropes none too
substantial In seeming, with another
rope, breast.high, to serve as a hand
rail.
Alan tested the bridge cautiously.
It bore him. He returned, helped Rose
to cross, aud with her once safely
landed on the other side, took his life
in his hands and, aided by Barcus
unaftectedly afflicted with qua1ms,
somehow or other (neither Of them
knew precisely how persuaded the
burros to cross. \
After that, though the way grew
more broad and easy and even showed
symptoms Of a decline, they had not
enough strength left to sustain
through another hour.
And what they thought good for;
tune, opportunity at this pass, brought
them to clearing dotted with the
buildings Of an abandoned copper
mine. Not soul was in evidence
there, but the rude structures offered
shelter for beast as well as man.
Barely had they made Rose as com
Portable as might be upon the rough
plank flooring Of one Of the sheds
and tetliered the burros out Of sight,
when Alan collapsed as Il drugged,
while Barcus, who had elected himself
to keep the first watch and purposed
doing it In sitting position. with
his back against the doerjamb, felt
sleep overcoming him like a dense,
dark cloud.