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

where's Jess?" asked Martin Kill
rain Of his sister when they had sat
down to dinner without the girl.
Agnes shrugged her shoulders.
"Gaddin'," she said sententiously.
It's well for you, Martin. that my feet
don't itch"
He asked the same question in a
different tone when he came in for
his supper.
II wonder" said his sister, has she
took up again with the Cardross galT
Does you mean she amt in? That
she amt been in?" Kilrain demanded.
Good God, Agnes, s'pose somethin'
happened to herr"
He ate his supper in haste. Then he
went out to Bucks cabin.
He found Buck playing on his con-
certina. The young fellow sprang up
so suddenly at the sight Of Kilrain's
grave face that the rawhide chair he
had been sitting in fell over. He
threw the concertina upon the bed
Whats itT' he asked tersely.
ITS Jess. She's missin'. Since
early mornin'."
Ten minutes later, with Perry Green,
they were in their saddles. Jess had
been seen to ride off through the home
pastures in the morning, so they
turned that way. Beyond that their
direction was blind.
Their fear was the river.
1t still ran high enough to be a source
of danger by way of the fords, and
Buck remembered shudderingly that
landslide by which once before Jess
had been in peril. So they pushed on
ward toward the woods until they
reached the river.
There the futility of their search
came home to them. The hight was
only starlit-the forests were dark.
From its banks the river could be seen
merely as an objectless void. Yet they
Vent on, riding at haphazard toward
the north and scanning the bank close
ly for any evidence of a fresh crum-
bling. After slow progress they came
to the upper ford by which Jess had
crossed some hours earlier on her way
to the smithy.
They could conceive of no reason for
Jess crossing the river, yet, examin-
ing the soft ground at the mouth of
the ford, they saw the imprint of hoofs
the irnprints of more than one horse.
Puzzled, the three men looked at one
another in the Pickering light of their
matches.
There want none OF US this way
today" said Buck, certain relief in
his voice, for his dread had been terri
BILE, and he welcomed any surcease
from that she must "a gone over"
with who?" asked Kilrain.
Perry Green was down again on his
launches, burning matches over the
tracks.
with no one" he said after a mo-
ment "Afore or behind some one. Be-
hind, for here's a small hoof in big
ger one"
STILL" said Kilrain, she might "a
been just behind" Buck, too, had been
studying the imprints.
"Them's Busters hoofs. Kilrain," he
declared with assurance. I'm goin'
over. Don't you two come till call"
He mounted and took the ford. He
breathed more easily when he found
that, though swift, the current was not
ugly-that only for a few strokes did
his horse have to swim.
In going ashore he drew the horse
well to one side, that he might not
trample the middle ground. Examin-
ing this, his relief was again great to
find the footprints the same as on the
opposite shore.
If some of them were those of Jess
pony, and he was sure they were, for
the animal, given to Jess by Worthing,
was of superior breed and had clean,
fine hoofs, then Jess had made the ford
in safety, unless in going back over
He dashed that thought from his
mind. At least now they had some clue.
Fortune had favored them thus much.
He called softly to the others. In
stinctively now he used caution. Those
other hoof marks were to be accounted
for.
They tried to account for them, lin
gering over them as they talked, for
again they knew not which way to
turn. Strangely enough they did not
think of Grange-did not think clearly
of anything the signs might portend,
though vague uneasiness was on them
all.
Their horses started first, ears point
ed at sound the men did not them
selves hear, though they listened. Pres
emily Buck dropped his reins and ran
forward. A little way ahead they
heard his cry-glad, startled, alarmed.
When they made their way to him,
leading the horses, they found him
holding Jess pony by the broken bride.
But Jess herself was not there.
His BRIDES busted" said Buck in
a curiously contained voice. Strike a
match, Perry, an let us look at it."
The pony squatted at the flash of
light, WINGED nervously as Kilrain
placed reassuring hand upon its
flank.
what's this?" he cried suddenly,
and struck a match himself.
Raw on the pony's flank was the
fresh brand Of the Raccoon River
ranch!
The eyes of the three men met
bill Grange!" cried Buck, and his
voice was hoarse.
Kilratn's match flared and went out.
In the meanwhile what might have
been called Bill Oranges camp was
presenting quiet enough appearance
as the two men busted themselves over
the fire preparing a supper.
The newly branded horses which
they had rounded up from the drove Of
the LOOP stood tethered nearby with
their own and Jess Kilrain's pony. Jeas.