Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-07-19

~ Nsu SOoe. iatef In ne aftesD000.
over to c~alabasaA The two that
would not be restrained had made
their appointment at the lower lava
beds halfway between the gap and
Calabasas. The sun vas sinking be-
hind the mountain when De Spain mi.
loped out OF the rocks n Nan turned
from the trail and rode toward the
black and weather-beaten meeting
place.
They could Lardly slip from their
saddles fast enough to reach each 9TH
er's arins-Nan. trim us a model In
fresh Khaki. trying with a handker.
chief hardly larger than a postage
stamp to wipe the flecks of dust from
her pink checks. while De Spain, be-
tween dabs. covered them with impor-
tunate greetings. Looking engrossed
into each others eyes, and both, In
their eagerness. talking at once, they
led their horses into hiding and sat
down to try to tell all that had hap
pened since their parting. Wars and
rumors OF wars, feuds and raldings,
fights and pursuits, were no more to
them than to babes In the woods. All
that mattered to them-sitting or
pacing together and absorbed, in the
path of the long-cold volcanic stream
buried in the shifting sands of the
desert-was that they should clasp
each others clinging hands, listen each
to the others answering voice, look
unrestrained into each others eyes.
They met in both the lava beds
the upper lay between the gap and
town-more than once. And one day
came a scare. They were sitting on
a little ledge well up in the rocks
where De Spain could overlook the
trail east and west, and were talking
about n bungalow some day to be in
Sleepy Cat, when they saw men riding
from the west toward C~alabasas. There
were three in the party, one tagging
well behind. The two men leading.
Nan and De Spain made out to be
Gale Morgan and Page. They saw the
man coming on behind stop his horse
and lean forward, his head bent over
the trail. He was examining the sand
and halted quite a minute to study
something. Both knew what he was
studying-the footprints of r. Mans
pony heading toward the lava. Nan
shrank back and with De Spain moved
a little to where they could watch the
intruder without being seen. Nan
whispered first: Its Sassoon." De
Spain nodded. "What shall we do?"
breathed Nan.
Nothing yet" returned her lover,
watching the horseman, whose eyes
were still fixed on the pony's trail.
but who was now less than a half
mile away and riding straight toward
them.
DE Spain, his eyes on the danger
and his hand laid behind Mans waist,
led the way guardedly down to
where their horses stood. Nan, need
ing no instructions for the emergency,
took h lines of the horses, and De
Spain, standing beside his own horse,
reached his right hand over in front
of the pommel and, regarding Sassoon
all the while, drew his rifle slowly
from its %scabbard. The blood fled
Mans cheeks. She said nothing. With.
out looking at her, De Spain drew her
W rifle from her horses side, passed
1t into her hand, and, moving wei in
front Of the horses, laid his left hand
reassuringly on her waist again. At
that moment, little knowing what eyes
were on him In the black fragments
ahead, Sassoon looked up. Then he
rode more slowly forward. The color
returned to Mans cheeks. "Do you
want me to use this?' she murmured
indicating the rifle.
Certainly not. But if the others
turn back, l may need it. Stay right
here with the horses. He will lose the
trail In a minute now. When no
reaches the rock I'll go down and
keep him from getting off his horse
he won't fight from the saddle"
But with an instinct better than
knowledge, Sassoon, like a wolf scent
ing danger, stopped again. He scanned
the broken and f%orbidding hump in
front, now less than n quarter of u
mile from him, qucstioningIy. His
eyes seemed to rove inquisitively over
the lava pile as If asking why a Nor
gan Gap pony had visited it. In an
other moment he wheeled his horse
and spurred rapidly after his compan-
ions.
The two drew a deep breath. De
Spain laughed. "Nvhat We don't know
never hurts us" He drew Nan to him.
Holding the rifle muzzle ut arms
length as the butt rested on the
ground. she looked up from the shoul-
der to which she was drawn. What
should you have done If he had come?'
Taken you to the gap and then
taken him to Sleepy Cat, where he be.
longs"
"But, Henry, suppose"
There wouldn't have been my sup
pose"
Suppose the others had come"
with n rife, here, u man could
stand Off IL regiment. Nan. do you
know, you fit into my arm rs IL you
were made for itT'
His courage was contagious. When
he had tired her with fresh importu.
mites he unpinfled her felt Int and
held 1t out Of reach while he kissed
and toyed with and disarrnnged her
hair. In revenge, she snatclied from
his pocket his little black mcmotun.
dun book md some letters and read,
or pretended to read them, aud SELF.