The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-05-12
CHAPTER xXtV.-Continued.

tCopyTishs By Charles Scribuers sonsl

il
Another bullet, deliberately aimed
Clipped the rock above him. Nan
agonizing in her suspense, cried on
she must join him and go with hin
If he went. He steadied her with ;
few words. A bullet struck agaiI
viciousay close between them. D,
Spain spoke slowly: Give me YOU
rifle" Without turning his head. h.
held out his hand, keeping his eye.
rigidiy or the suspicious spot on the
ridge. How far Is 1t to that road
kah?'
She looked toward the faint line
that lay 10 the deep shadows below
"Three hundred yards"
Nan, If it wasn't for you, couldn't
travel this country at ALL" he re.
marked with studious unconcern
Last tiiae | had no ammunition-this
time, ne sit1e-you always have what's
needed. How high are we, NanT'
Seven hundred feet"
Elevate for me- Nan, will YOU ?''
Remember the wind" she faltered.
adjusting the sight as he had asked.
With the cautioning words she
passed the FURNISHED weapon. glitter
ing yet with the raindr0ps, into his
hand. fash came from the distant
ridge. Throwing his rifle to his Shout
der, DE Spain covered a hardly per-
ceptible black object on the trail mid
way between Sass0ons raneh-house
and little bridge. Then he fired be-
fore Nan could believe he had lined
the sights Once, twice, three times
his hand fell and rose sharply on the
lever, with every mark Of precision.
yet so rapidly Nan could not under.
stand how he could discover what his
shots were doing.
The fire came steadily back, and de-
ltberateiy, without the least intimation
OF being affected by De Spain's return,
She had never before seen q man
shooting to kill another. The very
horror Of watching De Spain, at bay
aiHong the rocks, fascinated her. Since
the first day they had met she had
hardly seen rifle In his hands. She
strove to took. The butt of the heat-
Ing rife lay close against the red
marked cheek she knew so well, and
to the tips Of the fingers every par
tide OF the mans being was alive
with strength and resource. Some
strange fascination drew her senses
out toward him as he knelt and threw
shot after shot at the distant figure
hidden GA the ridge. She held out
her arms and clasped her hands
toward him in an ACT Of devotion.
Then. while she looked, breathlessly.
he took his eyes an instant from the
sights. Hes running" exclaimed De
Spain as the rife butt went instantly
back TO his cheek. whoever he u.s.
Cod help him nowr
The words were more fearful to
Nan than nm imprecation. He had
driven his enemy from the scant cover
of a rut in the trail, and the man was
fleeing for new cover and for life.
Bullet after bullet pitilessly led the
escaping wretch. Suddenly De Spain
5erked the rifle from his cheek, threw
back bis head, and swept his left hand
across his straining eyes. Once more
the rifle came up to place and flame
shot again In the gray morning light
from the hot nnuzzle. The rifle fell
away from the shoulder. The black
speck running toward the ranchhouse
stumbled. as If stricken by IN ak, and
SPRAYED headlong on the trail. Throw
Jug he lever again like lightning. De
Spain held the rifle back to his cheek.
He did not fire. Second after sec
ohd he waited. Nan watched the rife
slowly come down, unfired, and saw
his drawn face slowly relax. Without
taking his eyes off the spraying
speck. he rose stifi1y to his feet. AS IL
In dream she saw his hand stretched
toward her and heard, as he looked
across the far gulf, one word: Gomez! |
They reached the end of the trail. |
DE Spain. rife in hand, looked back. |
The sun, bursting in splendOr across
the great desert, splashed the valley
and the iow-lying ridge with ribboned
gold. Farther up the gap horsemen,
stirred By the firing, were riding rap
idly down toward Sassoon's ranch
house. But the black fling in the
Lay quite still.