The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1915-05-08
CHAPTER XII.
The Trail OF rlylno Hoos.prln,s.

chill OF night fingered stubbornly--
and would until the shadow OF the
eastern rampant had crept slowly
down the canyons western wall. tcle-
scoped upon itself a..d vanished. let
ting in the sun to make the place a
pit OF torment and OF ling.
Refreshed from r Il . ald exhilarated
by this grateful coolu,ls. his horse
responded Willingly to ,Ac hrst light
touch OF Alan's spur IL twinkling
the overnisht camp dru ypcl from view
behind the rounded should r OF hill
side. mesquite-cloaEod
Then from it's frrt spirited flight
the horse settled down TO steady go
Ing heightened It's s.riJ., and rans for
leagues with the long apparently ef-
fortress and tir,less lopc OF the plains
bred broncho yentro.Gtcfie.
Alans departure from camp had an
ticipated by round quart r.hour the
appearance on the uilsr trail OF
friends OF the slain baLdt. to the
number OF four or five. NhD had both
discovered and recovered his body.
called his death murder ari pledged
themselves to It's aveu gsmcl lt-laying
responsibility for Ia .ltatlye crime
at the door a. tho III. II aud woman
to be seen in the canyon. iumediately
below the scene o. l!opi Ims fall
Between H. ~ mt vh n discov-
cry OF the men on TIE ridge trail In.
terrupted their simple and hurried
hrau L. chat ID hNsh f#ttYtI
and Barcus mounted on the back OF
their own horse and making the best
OF their way doV a the canyon In pur-
suit OF Alan. bit little time had
elapsed.
Aud even With it3 double burden,
their horse ,ade better time upon
the broad lover level than those who
followed the ridge tran ly mid morn
ing. when they apugu-chtd the foot
hills that ran down to The desert. the
pursuit was more than Il nile In the
rear and shut on 10 boot BY a mono
lithic hill. while Alan was many n
weary mile In advance,
He sat upon his horse. Just then, at
standstill upon the iGmrit of Il round
Nt hhbiif Ail' Hsli9 w
behind him the dc ort before unfold
ing like mnp-but Ike map all
blurred.
Only in the near fer round was
anything definite TO be d stlnguished
In the aspect OF tn, sunbl zen waste
bleached earth patterned ~ almost or
derly arrangement by aIebrush and
gnarled cacti. At the distance OF half
q mile all blended into one vast plain
OF glaring gray that stretched over
the round OF the world TO broken
wall Of purple hills that rceled drunk
enly In the haze-yeiIed southwest
Was Judith out there, romewhere,
lost, defenseless. foriorn, impotent 10
lift hand TO shield her face from the
blast OF that savage sun?
Staring beneath IA shading hand, he
discerned nothing that moved upon
the surface OF the desert but It's
myriad heatdevils Jigg,ng monoto-
nously their Internal danse macabre.
Or-as seemed more probable
she back there among the Painted
hills, lying still and lifeless, crushed
beneath the weight OF that fallen
horse?
No rest for Alan TIL he knew
Descending the knoll he reined his
tagging mount back into the trail. fol-
lowing its winding course through tho
foothills and round the base OF that
mOnolithlc mountain toward the june.
tion 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 indlsputable indica-
tion that the fright OF Judlth's horss
had persisted
Abandoning Immediately all notion
OF returning through the hills by the
he turned and swung away
at the best pace he could spur from
his broncho, delivering himself into
the pitlless embrace OF that lmplaca-
BILE wilderness OF sun and sand,
Al long intervals he would check
the broncho and. reeling IN his saddle.
endeaVor TO sweep the desert with his
And toward the middle OF the after
noon he fancied that something re-
warded one such effort; something
'or an instant swan athwart the Held
)f the glasses: something that seemed |
10 move like a weary horse with
human figure bound to its back.
But now the phenomena were dis
,ernible which, had he been more des-
srt wise. would have made him pause
md think before he yentured farther
rom those hills. already beyond |
reach as they were.
His frat appreciated warning came
when the surface OF the desert seemed