Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-12-21
CHAPTER Xxx.

EOR two days and two nights the girl
= fought on alone against the cutlery
Of her heart until she recognized the fu-
'ility Of il. and then she ordered Ragtime
to be saddlcd. And Miriam Burrell, sight
M Barbara's face as the latter wheeled
toward the hills. flew from her window to
scratch off Il note to Garry-her third note
that day, for she seemed always emitting
most important things which needed say
ing ITS come" she scrawled in delighted
haste. When are we going TO be
married."
Once before Barbara had ridden that
road with him alone in her thoughts. Now
Ishe realized that she had loved him then
as she must have loved him always and
marveled ut such blindness. Once, on that
other day, she had told herself that all
icnoble and unworthy comparisons of her
self and him were done and gone. Now
she did not need such reinsurance, when
her lips were tremulous.
She grew pensive ut times. At times in
an abandon Of gayety she chartered bach
at a quarrelsome squirrel in the thicket.
She could rest later. and if she could not
60 to him Immediately at least every step
the horse took was bringing them a little
closer together. And her tomorrow was
only one twilight and one dawn away. Her
tomorrow would be his as utterly as was
she herself.
Dusk came. and regretfully she told her
-aft ,I.+ he ,.,.t L. t,. lo.l- lo~oo
Two rifle shots, sharp and startlingly
close, whipped through the quiet Of that
lazy afternoon. but they meant nothing to
her. She had REACHED the height of land.
where he had found her the day her roam
mare ~traved off while she sat incoming on
a log. She was holding out both arms to-
ward the spot where the valley of Thirty
Mile must lie when 2 team of heavy
horses broke around a turn in the road
slowed to 4 trot AZ the sight of her and
came 10 an abrupt standstill. When the
girl rode nearer to them. merely surpris-
ed and curious at first. they snorted and
showed the whites Of their eyes and SHE'D
back ~nervously.
Something chill elutched at Barbara's
heart while she spoke peremptorily to
Rastime who was dancing in sympathetic
panic. There was nothing to tell her, but
she knew that these were Big Louie's
horses. And Big Louie was a dreamy in
competent. He had left hem for a NOM
ent, that was all. and they had become
frightented and bolted. But Big Louie
never neglected his team-they were not
wet-they had not been running far. And
their fright became less when she dis
mounted and approached them. soothing
them with her voice until they LET her touch
their sleek sides without rearing away.
Dusk had come and gone. for IL was
growing dark. Uncertain. more and more
unnerved n she stood and gazed ut the
f%orbidding. black Swallowed ridges beyond
her. the girl had Ia fight suddenly against
an impulse 10 turn and race back "a tho
lower country and Morrison and home.
Even then the rifle shots meant nothing to
hcr-and pride would not let her run. She
%remounted and rode on n rod or two and
stopped to look back at the team which
was watching her. She pressed on and
The curve. Ragtimc reared and
snorted there. and she barely stifled the
cry which his strange behavior brought 70
her lips. Because Of her senselcss panic
she punished him the more severely and
sent him on. And then she saw what the
horse had already seen.
A blue shirtcd figure lay half in the
road. half in the underground that fringed
it.. one arm rocked under him and his
face prone in the dust. A bulkier mass
was stretched wholly within the Trail
and she recognized him too Biy I%eaie's
face was upturned. and the expiara'.on of
the two rifle shots and the dnyerle>~ team
was here, FOR Big Louie's hand still clutch
the handle of a canvas pail. They had
stopped 10 water fine horses: they had
been shot down from hchind. And first of
an. unable to move. while horror parched
her lips. the girl remembered words which
the limp one. half in fhe road and half in
the mderbrush. had spoken to her in al
moment 81 SternneSs.
"He has fired upon me from cover,r
the man who loved her had said. .IIe has
been taking money from a man who was
bent On beating me ut any pricer
blood sickens mer' she whimpered
alond. 3Blood sickens melr But she man
aged to turn him over upon his hack. With