Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1915-01-08

could not long endure. Judith had the
price to pay for her own trials. suf-
fering and privation: the strain began
to tell sorely upon her. She reelcd
slightly as she walked, weaving a
winding trail across and across the
straighter line Of footprints that
marked Alan's course through the or
dered pattern of the powdered sage.
brush.
And Of a sudden she collapsed.
Instinct alone made Alan glance
shoulder: for she had made no
sound whatever.
He turned and came directly back
to her, knelt beside her. lifted her
head, pillowed 1t gently on his arm
and piled her in turn with the dregs
Of the canteen.
With sigh, a stifled moan and
little shiver, she revived
He helped her gently to regain her
leet, passed an arm round her.
In this fashion they struggled on in
strange, dumb companionship OF mis-
cry and wonder
Thus an hour passed: and for all
their desperate struggles neither could
see that the light OH the mountainside
was yard the nearer.
Behind them other lights appeared,
two staring yellow eyes that peered
up over the horizon, seemed to pause
a time in search of the two, then
leaped out directly toward them.
OF this they were altogether ignor-
ant; and when a deep, droning sound
disturbed the desert silence, like the
purring of some gigantic cat, both as
cribed it to the drumming of their
laboring pulses.
The two lights were not mile be-
hind them when, silently, without a
sign to warn the girl. Alan released
her, took step apart and dropped
as if shot.
Instantly she was kneeling by his
side. But in the act of bending over
him she drew back and remained for
several moments motionless. staring
at those twin glaring eyes, sweeping
down upon them with all the speed
attainable by six-cylinder touring car
negotiating trackless desert.
When Judith did move 1t was not to
comfort Alan. On the contrary, her
first act was to draw from her pocket
a heavy, blunt-nosed revolver, break it
at the breech and blow it's barrel
clear Of dust. Her hand went next
to the holster on Alan's hip. From
this she extracted his Colts AS, treat.
ing it as she had the other. Then she
crouched low above the man she loved
as if thinking perhaps to escape notice
from the occupants of the motorcar.
If that were her thought, it was bred
of an idle hope. Alan had chosen to
fall in the middle of wide space SO
arid that not even sagebrush had ven
tured to take root there. When the
glare of the headlights fell upon them
1t was inevitable that discovery should
follow. The motor car stopped within
twenty feet. Three men jumped out
and ran toward the pair, leaving two
in the car-the chauffeur and one who
occupied a corner of the rear seat:
an aged man with the face of a damned
soul, doomed for a little time to live
upon this earth in the certain knowl
edge of his damnation.
AS this happened, Judith Urine
leaped to her feet and stood over the
body of Alan, a revolver poised ii
either hand.
Halt" she ordered imperatively
Hands up"
The three who had alighted obeyet
without a moments hesitation; hel
fathers creatures, they knew thu
daughters temper far too we'll tt
dream of opposing her WILL
In the six hands that were sill
houetted against the headlights radi
ance, three revolvers glimmered; bu
at her command all three dropped
harmlessly to the earth.
Then, sharply, STAND back tive
paces!" she required.
They humored her unanimously.
Darling forward, she picked up ant
pocketed the three weapons, then will
one Of her own singled out the mel
she named.
Nov, Marrophat-and you, Hicks
pick Mr.. Law up and carry him int.
the car. And treat him gently, mind
If one of you lifts finger to harm
him, that one shall answer to me-"
Still none ventured to dispute her
. The two men designated, without /.
, sign of Discrimination, stepped forward
One lifted Alan Law by the shoulders
the other took the legs. Between then
they bore him with every care TOWARD
the motor car.
But now a second will manifested
itself. The man in the rear seat lifted
J up a weirdly sonorous voice:
stop" he cried. stop this non
sense! Drop that man! Judith,
command you"
BE SILENT" the girl cut in sharply
II command here-if it's necessary t,
tell you"
There was pause Of establishment
Then the old man broke out in exas
peration that threatened to wax int
fury: Judith! What do you mean b,