Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-17
HEART OF THE SUNSET B2REx Hs,.s * BEACH E.1. i

quence the signs became more dlfficult 10
follow. They seemed 20 lead In the dlrec-
ton OF Las Palmas. which Dave judged
must be fully twelve miles away. and when
they continued TO maintain this course the
Ranger became doubiy interested Could Il
be. he asked himself that his quarry would
have the 0udacity 20 ride TO the Austin
headduarters7 II 30. his Identification
promised TO become easy, for n man on a
sorrei oow-pony was more than likely 20 be
observed. Perhaps he thought himself Sc
cure and counted upon the assistance OF
some friend or confederate among the Las
Palmas ranch hands I'm case OF pursuit
That seemed not unreasonable. particu-
larry inasmuch as he could have no sus-
picion that II was a Ranger who was on
his trail
Dave lost the hoof prints for time, but
picked them up again at the pasture gate
few miles farther on. and was able to trace
them TAR enough 60 assure himself that his
quarry was indeed headed for the Austin
house and had no intention OF swinging
southwark toward the Lewis headquarters
BY this time the rain had done its work.
and TO follow tho tracks became matter
OF guesswork. Night was coming on also
ana Dave realized that Mt this rate dark
ness would ind him far from his goal
Therefore he risked his own Interpretation
or the riders intent and pushed on with
out pausing TO search out the trail step by
step, AT the second gate the signs indi.
Gated that his man was little more than an
hour ahead OF him
The prospect OF again seeing the ruddy.
haired mistress OF Las Palmas stirred Law
more deeply than he cared TO admit Alaire
Austin had been seldom out OF his thoughts
since their first meeting. for after the fash
ION OF men cut of from human society, he
was subject to insistent fancles Dave had
many times lived over those incidents at
the water hole, and for the life of him he
Alaire's coldness To him. at least, she
mad appeared very human. and after they
had once become acquainted she had been
unaffected and friendly
Since that meeting Dave had picked up
considerable Information about the object
OF MS interest, and although much of this
was palpably false, II had served TO make
her stu more romantic figure In his eyes.
Alaire now seemed to be n sort OF super.
woman and the fact that she was his
friend, that something deep within her had
answered 20 him, afforded him a keen salts.
faction, the greater. perhaps, because OF his
surprise that IL could be so
| Nevertheless. he was uncomfortable
/ aware that she had a husband. Not only
so but the sharp contrast in their posi-
tons was dlsagreeable to contemplate; Ahe
was uhoellevably rich, ana n person OF in
| huence IN the state while he had nothing
except his health. his saddle and his horse
With desperate pang Law realized tina,
| now he had no horse. Bessie Belle, his
| best beloved, lay cold and wet back yonder
In the weeping mesquite. He found several
cubes OF sugar In his pocket. and with ar
oath flung them from him. Don Rlcardo's
horse seemed stifr-gaited and stubborn.
Dave remembered how Mrs Austin had
admired the marc. No doubt she would
| grieve at tho fate that had besallen her
and that would give them something e
talk about His own escape would interes
her. too, and-I.aw realized, not withou
some natural qualification, that he woult
appear TO her as sort of a hero.
The mist and an early ausk prevented
him from seeing Las Paimas itself unti
ne was well In among the irrigated fields
A Few moments later when he rode uI
TO the outbuildings he encountered a middle
| Gonzalez. the range boss
Dave made himself known. and Benit,
answered his questions with apparen
honesty. No. he had seen nothing OF ,
sorrel horse or strange rider. but he ha,
just come In himself. Doubtless they coul,
learn more from Juan, the horse wrangler
who was somewhere about.
Juan was finally found. but he prove,
strangely recalctrant At first he kney
nothing. though after some questioning h
admitted the possibility that he had seel
horse OF the description given but wa
not sure. More pressure brought forth tn
reluctant admission that. the possibility wa
| almost a certainty.
What horse was 2" Benito inquired
but the lad was noncommittal. Probabl,
It belonged to some stranger. Juan coul'