Mexico Missouri message., 1914-10-15

lay OF the ground threw him to the
east and there we're no passes between
the hills. The country was rocky.
with long parallel ridges extending to
tho northeast, and when he saw where
the way was taking him Bud called a
halt till dawn.
By the very formation he was being
gradually edged back toward For
tuna, and ii would call for fresh
horses and a rested Gracia to outstrip
their pursuers by day. II the rurales
travelled by landmarks. heading for the
northern passes In an effort to out
ride and intercept him, they might
easily cut him of at the start; but If
they trailed hlm-and he devoutly
hoped they would-then they would
have a 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 a day
OF excitement and a night Of hard rid
ing there Is no call for a couch Of
down, and as the morning star ap-
peared In the east she slept while Bud
sat patiently by.
II was no new task for him. this
watching and waiting for the dawn.
For weeks at a time, after q hard
days work at the branding, he had
stood guard half the night. Sleep was
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.
II 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 to
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 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 us!"
1t would be hard now II 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! He tramped near as he
led up the unwilling mounts; then, as
time pressed, he spoke to her, and at
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 her
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 is it," she cried. Then,
as he spoke again and backed away.
she remembered him with smile.
oh" she said. is 1t 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 back
her hair that had fallen from its place.
yes, yes!" she said resolutely. I'VE
must go on--but why do you look at
me so Strangely"
Don't know" mumbled Bud. Didn't
know was. Say. let me get them sad
dle-blankets. will your"
He went about his work with en-
barrassed swiftness, Shaping on sad
dies and brides, coiling up ropes, and
offering her his hand to mount When
he looked at her again it was not
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 a 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