Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-12-04

lay OF the ground EtNeW nm CON
east and there were no passes betW
the hills. The country VAS roeEI
with long parallel ridges exiendlng e
the northeast and when he saw whers
the way was taking him Bud called &
halt till dawn.
By the very formation he was beine
gradually edged back toward For
tuna, and Il would cali for fresh
horses and q rested Gracia % OutstriT
their pursuers by day. If the rurales
travelled BY landmarks. heading for the
northern passes Inn an effort to out
ride and intercept him. they might
easily cut him on at the start; but Il
they trailed him--and he devoutly
hoped they would-then they would
have q tangled skein to follow and he
could lose them In the broken country
to the north.
So thinking, he cut grass among the
rocks. spread down their saddle
blankets and watched over the
browsing horses while Gracia
stretched out on the bed. After q day
of excitement and Q night OF hard rid
ing there Is no call for o couch Of
down, and as the morning star ap-
peared In the east she slept while Bud
sat patiently by.
Il was no new task for him. this
watching and waiting for the dawn
For weeks st q time, after q hard
days work at the branding, he had
stood guard half the night. Sleep was
q luxury to him, like water to q 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 mar 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 It
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 "a 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 al she slept.
and his vigil but strengthened his res
olution to see her safely through to-
Phil.
He sighed now as he saw the frSt
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 30 many words:
"She is mine. and no nan shall come
between us!"
1t would be hard now II the rurales
should prove too many for him-h q
bullet should check him In their flight
antal she be left alone. But how tc
wake her! He tramped near as ne
led up the unwilling mounts; then, Of
time pressed, he spoke to her, and 81
last he knelt at her side.
"Say!" he called, and when that did
not serve he laid his hand on her
shoulder.
Wake up" he said, shaking heI
gently. Wake up, it's almost day.
Even as he spoke he went back to
the phrase of the cow-camp-where
men rise before 1t is light. But Gracia
woke up wondering and stared about
her strangely. unable to understand.
"Why-what IL IT." she cried. Then
as he spoke again and backed away,
she remembered him with q smile.
"Oh," she said, rs 1t time to get upl
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 back
her hair that had fallen from Its place
Eyes, yes!" she said ~resolutely. I'VE
must go on-but why do you look al
me so strangely"
Don't know" mun.bled Bud. "Didn1
know l was. Say, let me get them sad
dle-blankets, will you?"
He went about his work with en-
barrassed swiftness, slapping on sad
dies and brides. coiling up ropes, and
offering her his hand to mount. When
he looked at her again It was moi
strangely.
Hope you can ride" he said. I'VE
got to get over that pass before any
body else makes it-after that we can
take q rest"
"As fast as you please" she an
swered steadily. Don't think about
me. But what will happen if-they
get there first?"
She was looking at him now as he
searched out the trail ahead, but he
o,atauAad pof IN hoor Ono man in