The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-06-01
CHAPTER XXI (Continued).

passed among them.
She wondered little that at no time
had she caught even a fleeing glimpse
OF Grange. he had not been so far
ahead OF her that, II he had followed
the direct course she was taking to
reach the crossroads, she should not
have seen him somewhere on the
plains ahead; yet, thinking he might
have made his crossing somewhere else,
Jess pursued her way.
1t was a lonely war now, less IA
miliar to her, and broken by frequent
the rock promontories in a seas vast
sweep, mysterious, low lines Of hazy
gray and green.
In the scar buffalo grass she started
many long cared rabbits. which bound
ed away from under her pony's ever
startled nose with giant leaps. She
came to a spot, grim evidence Of the
past summers toll among the herds Of
the Loop, where many bleaching bones
and stiffened hides struck a snorting
distaste in her ponys nostrils.
Far beyond the dip OF the prairie q
blue dot on the clear horizon, she could
see the smithy at the crossroads.
Intuition told her as she drew near
to 1t. though still afar, that it was
closed, as, indeed, was its general
state. Then a sense of annoyance at
her own credulity beset her. What
was wrong with the forge on the Rae
coon river that II should be sending
its work so far abroad? Grange had
lied to her!
Assurance of this grew upon Jess.
She could see the smithy clearly
now and the dark lines of the two
roads, lonelier than the plains them
selves, because of man and deserted by
him. But II Grange was not there,
and she saw now that he was not,
where was he, and for what purpose?
A sinister answer came to Jess,
daughter Of the cattle country as she
was.
She recalled the mans furtive man
ner, when she had first detected his
presence, the fash of his anger at her
taunt, and his own lettering threat.
And aware now that she had stumbled
across some nefarious plan of the dis
credited cowpunCher, Jess turned her
pory about and retraced her steps.
But not so exactly as she thought.
Confused by the eternal sameness
Of the prairie she drifted to the south
ward.
She was surprised, too, to find the
day so far gone. A chill grayness had
begun to steal over the plains, obscur-
ing the soft masses Of the chaparral,
intensifying the solitude, leveling the
SoundleSSneSS into an eery sOundful-
ness that throbbed at the ear drums.
Jess was not afraid, but she became
acutely aware Of her loneliness, her
unprotected state. She found herself
lodging the punches of grazing cattle.
She suddenly found herself lost.
Buster" she said softly to her
pony, where are We? Why'd you do
this?"
She twisted her plant body on the
saddle, hand upon the flank of the
pony, and gazed about her.
Around a spur of chaparral far to
the south, there suddenly came run
ming a number of dark objects. They
were not cattle. Partly because Of the
distance, partly because OF the fading
daylight, Jess was uncertain what they
were, until she remembered the drove
Of horses Worthing had recently add
ed to his stock.
The girl watched them silently, saw
their evidently startled flight in her
direction gradually change into the
high swinging trot, still frightened,
but protesting now as though against
an unprovoked indignity, when
abruptly at sight Of her, their leader
paused, then like a wild thing broke
into a plunging gallon, and, followed
by the freshly alarmed drove behind
him, tore off to the east in a pound
ing echo Of flying hoofs.
So that was 1t, thought Jess.
that distant clump Of woods which as
she drew nearer fell away before her
over a dip in the prairie, stretching
southwark to join the advance woods
that held the river in their depths.
She knew that chaparral, and when
she reached 1t, rode into it, keeping
straight ahead until her pony came
out into the open beyond.
There she turned and skirting the
x,onao xyapf eastward and QOufhwa r6
the ground sloping ever gradually to-
ward the main forest.
It was dusk now on the plains
night in the bordering woods. Jess
was aware that presently she must
strike into those woods, and, trusting
to her pony to find cow trail, follow
It to the lower ford. She was just
about to do this when ahead of her she
saw what gave her abrupt and inter-
ested pause, drawing her pony aside
into the deeper shadow of the trees.
On the very verge Of the woods a
number Of horses and men were gath
cred.
The girl had ridden SO near that she
could catch the occasional commands
shouted at the nervous horses, could
see the shadowy forms Of at least two
men as they moved about, and saw the
glow Of a fire that burned behind
them. She needed not to be told what
the scene meant nor who was at least
one Of the actors in 1t.
She knew when the figure bending
over the fire Strengthened and turned
about that she would hear the sound
she did hear--the suffering groan Of
a horse who. with nostril clamped and
leg tied under him, quivered under the
red hot brand upon his flank.
Jess quivered, too, and rocking not
Of consequence, rushed forward upon
the group.
$50 you've come to horse stealin',
Bill Grange" she cried, a fierce in
dignation holding her fearless. Spy
an tale bearer, midnight raider. an
now horse thief, an always a skunk
an a liar! Born crooked to straighten
out in halter. Didn't I tell you so,
you cross eyed buzzard?"
The man, dropping the iron from
his hand, leaped forward.
shut up" he growled. You fol-
lowed me, did you, Jess Kilrain? Well,
I reckon you'll stay rows you come"
So quick he was that the girl was
in his arms before she knew II, swept
from her saddle by lift and jerk
that was not too gentle, swung upon
the ground and held there by Oranges
restraining arms.
1T Give you warufn'" he mnttered.