The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1914-12-17
CHAPTER XII.
Nc rran o. FIyInu tioof.PrIn,s.

chill Of night fingered stubbOrnly--
and would until the shadow Of the
eastern rampant had crept slowly
down the canyons western wall. tele.
scoped upon itself and vanished. let.
ting IN the sun TO make the place
pit Of torment and OF burning.
Refreshed from rest and exhilarated
by this grateful GOODNESS, his horse
responded willingly TO the FIRST light
touch Of Alans spur In a twinkllng
the overnight camp dropped from view
behind the rounded shoulder OF hill.
side mosluite-cloaked
Then from It's first spirited flight
the horse settled down TO steady go
INK. heightened lie stride. and ran for
leagues with the long. apparently et.
fortress and tireless lope OF the plains.
bred broncho. ventre-a.terre.
Alans departure from camp had an
tlcipated by a round quarterhour the
appearance on the upper trail Of
friends 81 the slain bandit. 10 the
number Of four or Ave, who had both
discovered and recovered his body.
called his death murder and pledged
themselves 90 its avengement--layi
responsibility for the putative crime
at the door OF the man and woman
10 be seen In the canyon. immediately
below the scene Of Hopi Jlm's fall
Between the moment when discov.
cry OF the men on the ridge trail In.
terrupted their simple and hurried
breakfast and that which found Rose
and Barcus mounted on the back OF
their own horse and making the best
Of their way down the canyon In pur.
suit Of Alan. but little time had
elapsed
And even with Its double burden.
their horse made better time upon
the broad lower level than those who
followed the ridge trail by midmorn.
ing. when they approached the foot.
hills that ran down TO the desert, tho
pursuit was more than a mile In the
rear and shut OF TO boot by n mono
lithic hill. while Alan was many a
weary mile in advance.
He sat upon his horse just then, at
standstill upon the summit OF a round
cd knoll, the Painted hills lifting up
behind aim. the desert before unfold
ing like map-but like map all
blurred.
Only In the near foreground was
anything definite TO be distinguished
In the aspect OF that sunbitten waste
bleached earth patterned In almost or.
derby arrangement by sagebrush and
gnarled cacti. At the distance OF half
a mile all blended into one vast plain
Of glazing gray that stretched over
the round OF the world to a broken
wall OF purple hills that reeled drunk.
emily In tho haze-veiled southwest.
Was Judith out there, somewhere.
lost. defenseless. forlorn, impotent TO
lift hand to shield her face from tho
blast of that savage sun!
Staring beneath a shading hand, he
discerned nothing that moved upon
the surface Of the desert but is
myriad heat.devils jigging monoio-
nously their Internal danso macabre
Or-as seemed more probable-was
she back there among the Painted
hills. lying still and liieless. crushed
beneath the weight Of that fallen
horse!
No rest for Alan tlll he knew
Descending the knoll he refined his
tagging mount back into the trail. fol
loving its winding course through the
foothills and round the base of that
monolit1.,s mountain toward the June
ton with the ridge trail, miles away
II approached the hour Of noon be
fore he gained the point where The
two trails Joined and struck out across
the desert. And here he discovered
what he thought indisputable indlca
tion that the fright OF JudIth's hors'
had persisted,
Abandoning Immediately all notion
81 returning through the hills by The
ridgetrail. he turned and swung aval
at the best pace he could spur from
his broncho. delivering himself int
the pitiless embrace Of that implaca
Bile wilderness OF sun and sand.
At long intervals he would checl
the broncho and. reelIng in his saddle
endeavor to sweep the desert with hi
binoculars.
And toward the middle OF the after
noon he fancied that something re
warded one such effort. somethinI