The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-07-30
CHAPTER Xiv.
AZ In Glass, parkiy.

A. In Z Glass, DarkIy.
Thoughtfully Mr.. Barcus returned
his attention to the lovers.
II the evidence of his senses did not
mislead him, he was witnessing their
first difference of opinion. 1t was not
an argument acute enough to deserve
the name of quarrel; but undoubtedly
the two were at odds upon some ques-
tion-Rose insistent, Alan reluctant.
The last gave way in the end,
shrugged, returned to the a
I'm going back up the TRAIL" he
announced, and hesitated oddly.
Feeling the need of some little ex.
ercise, no doubt" Barcus suggested.
Rose thinks it's dangerous to stop
here" Alan began to explain, ignoring
the interruption. :.
Miss Rose is right-eh, Miss Ju.
dith?' Barcus in%terpolated.
Judith nodded darkly.
$50 I'm going to see If I can't buy
burros from the p%rospector back there.
Rose says he has some-doesn't know
how many" j.
"Three will be enough" Judith inter.
posed. Il mean, don't get n for me.
I'm stopping here"
But" Alan started to protest.
She gave him pause with a weary
gesture.
please! It's no good arguing, Mr..
Law: I've made up my mind; l can be
most helpful here, by my fathers
cidao che occorfoI n~1 ~@lI1l ~
Urine with a significant smile that
maddened him. HE needs me-and
no harm can come to me; I'm pretty
well able to take care Of myself"
At this the innocent bystander
breathed an unheard but fervent little
prayer Of thanksgiving, whose spirit
he doubted not was shared by Alan.
For 1t stuck in the memory Of Bar.
u 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 i'm.
munity from pursuit) had mentioned
in the hearing of Rose the fact that
his string of burros was limited to
three. i.
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 his erstwhile antagonist had
done him. !
II only Judith might not find cause
to change her mind! :
He set himself sedulously to divert
Judith with the magic of his converse
tional powers-an offering Indifferent
ly received. He was still blithely
gossiping when Judith flung away to
her sisters side. /,
The ensuing quarrel seemed but the
more p%ortentous in view Of the re!
straint imposed upon themselves by
both parties thereto. |
He believed. however, that a 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 a
manner of humorous protest.
Ladies. ladies!" he pleaded. Il
beg of you both, let dogs delight to
bark and bite"
He got no farther: Judith's ears
were as quick az his own; she, too,
had caught the sound of bells behind
the base of the hill. And of a 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-trail.
In q twinkling she had lost herself to
view in their l%abyrinthine shadows.
The remainder of that business was
transacted rapidly enough. There
were no preparations to be made:
one Alan had ridden up with his
three burros. nothing remained but to
mount and make of without delay.
Before morning they were all rid.
ing like 81 many hypnotized 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 1t shocked
them temporarily awake.
This was simply . spot where the
trail came abruptly to an end on one
side Of q cleft in the hills quite thirty
feet wide and several hundred in
depth, and was continued on the far.
Their side, the chasm being spanned by
. bridge of the simplest character
no more than q footway Of boards
bound together with ropes none too
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