The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1915-07-03

tuna, and 1t 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 off at the start; but If
| they trailed him-and he devouty
| 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 or
down, and as the morning star ap-
peared In the east she slept while Bud
sat patiently by.
1t was no new task for him, this
watching and waiting for the dawn
For weeks at a time, after hard
days work at the branding, he had
stood guard half the night. Sleep was
a luxury to him, like water to noun
tain-sheep-and so we're all the other
useless things that town-bred people
required.
She trusted to his courage to pro-
tect her, and that he could do. but 1t
was to q 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.
1t 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
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 heI
ways, and to enter into her life-there
he was no man at all.
He sighed now as he saw the frs,
flush Of dawn and turned to where she
slept, calm and beautiful, in the solemn
light. How to waken her, even thai
was a question, but the time had come
to start
Already, from Fortuna, Del Rey ant
: his man-killing rurales would be on the
trail. He would come like the wind
4 that dashing little captain. and moth
: Ing but a bullet would stop him. for hi
honor was at stake. Nay. he had tolt
! Bud in 80 many words:
8 "She is mine. and no man shall come
l. between us!"
It would be hard now II the rurale'
Z should prove too many for him-if I
bullet should check him If their figh
!. and she be left alone. But how II
I wake her! He tramped near as h
led up the unwilling mounts; then, g.
time pressed, he spoke to her. and q
q last he knelt at her side.
"say!" he called. and when that di'
9 not serve he laid his hand on he
;. shoulder.
\ Wake upi" he said. shaking he
gently. Wake up. it's almost day!
Even as he spoke he went back t
I the phrase of the cow-camp-wher
p men rise before 1t is light. But Graci
a woke up wondering and stared abou
Q her strangely, unable to understand.
y "Why-what is IT." she cried. Their
as he spoke again and backed ava,
r she remembered him with smile.
"Oh," she said, rs it time to get up
Where are we, anyway
, About ten miles from Fortuna" al
II swered Hooker soberly. TOO close
Q we ought to be over that divide"
He pointed ahead to where the va
3 leg narrowed and passed between tw
hills, and Gracia sat up, binding BAG
J. her hair that had fallen from its plact
q Eyes, yes!" she said resolutely. wv
= must 70 on-but why do you look g
s me so Strangely"
Is Don't know" mumbled Bud. "Didn
% know I was. Say. let me get them sa1
dle-blankets, will your"
. He went about his work with en-
3 barrassed swiftness, Shaping on sat
L dies and brides, coiling up ropes, an
Il Offering her his hand to mount Whe
he looked at her again 1t was ne
strangely.
9 Hope you can ride" he said. Nv
u got to get over that pass before an!
~ body else makes it-after that we ca
- take q rest"
10 "As fast as you please" she al
- swered steadily. Don't think abo,
- me. But what will happen if-the
- get there first?"
She was looking at him now as b
u, o.,A tho f,.nil ahoad hut b