The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-08

woro. l guess that hoss has kind of made hit with you"
 Collie yawned. 'fMebby. But it isn't in it with the, hit she'll make with you if you try to take up her feet. She's half sister to a shot of dyI l. mite. I'm only telling you SD she won't kick your fool head off,
 You talk like most a, full size man," said Overland.
 Down at the meadow Overland look ed at the colt and shook his head. "He is correct" he said succinctly. "That hoss don't welcome handNn' worth bean"
 Winthrop's silence rather stirred Overlands sensitive pride in his horse mahship. Course I broke and rode hundreds like her down in Mex. But then I was paid for doin' it. It was my business thAn. Now minin' and educatin' Collie is my business, and . busted neck wouldn't help any,"
 Winthrop realized for the first time that Overland's supreme Interest in life was Coilie's welfare. Heretofore the paternal note had not been evident. Winthrop had imagined them chums, friends, tramps together. They were more than that. Overland considered Collie an adopted son.
 | That afternoon, toward evening sC0l- lie arose, refreshed and eager to inspect the claim. Hei could hear the faint click of pick and shovel up the canyon. He stretched himself, drank from the stream and sauntered toward the mead oH., He would see to his pony first.
 He found the horse had been picket ed afresh by Overland when he had come for the saddle. He was return ing tow6rd, camp when he heard a slight noise behind him-the noise a hans boot makes stepping on a peb- ble that turns beneath. his weight. Collie wheeled quickly, saw nothing unusual and turned again toward the camp. Then he hesitated. He would look down the canyon. He realized that he was unarmed. Then he grew ashamed of his hesitancy. He picked his way down the stream. A buzzard circled far above the cliffs. The air hummed with invisible bees in the E rank wild clover He peered past the next bend A short distance below stood a riderless horse. The bride r was trailing For an instant Collie did not realize the significance of the animal waiting patiently for its rider Then, like the flash of speeding film he SEW it all-his, ,pony's tracks up the
 canyon, the rider who had undoubtet ly seen him crossing to the water hol' and who had waited until daylight t l follow the tracks, who had dismountet and was probably in ambush watching | him. He summoned all his reserv' courage. Turning away, he remark ed, distinctly, naturally, casually Thought I heard something. Mus have been the water"
 He walked slowly back to the motel | in the canyon wall. Stepping througl | it, he continued, on up the stream. few paces beyond the notch and fac appeared in the cleft rock, watchin, hir. The watcher seemed in doubt enough. Had he seen the horse! Tn hidden face grew crafty. The eye ! grew coAI The watcher tapped tn side of the cliff with his revolver butt Tbc noise was slight, but in that plac of sensitive echoes loud enough to b.
 heard a long way up the canyon. Thel | it was that Collie made a courageeu | but terrible mistake. He heard tn
 sound and seemed to realize that
 was made Intentionally attract hi
 attention. Yet he was not sure. H
 kept on, ignoring the sound. Had h.
 not suspected some one was in tn
 canyon to have glanced back woul' have been the most natural thing il
 the world. The watcher realized this l He knew that the other had heart
 him-suspected his presence and wa
 making daring bluff.
 "Got to stop that" muttered th watcher. and he raised his hand. (To Be Cpntinued.l