The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1917-05-24

let you do IT.. Ill ride WI We myself,
Henry. j worked for your father"
you're too oldra man. Jim.
"Henry--''
Don't talk to me DOas I tell you !"
thundered De Spain.
McAlpin bowed his head.
"Readyi" yelled Page, buckling the.
rife holster In place. Still talking, and
with McAlpin glued to his elbow, De
Spain vaulted into the saddle, caught
the lines from Bulls hands, and
steadied the Lady as she sldestepped
nervously-McAlpin following close
and dodglng the dancing hoofs as he
looked earnestly up to catch the lust
word. De Spain touched the horse with
the lines. she leaped through the door
way and lie raised backward hand
to those behind. Running outside the
door, they yelled chorus of cries
after the swift-movlng horseman, and.
clustered In an excited group, watched
the Lady with dozen great strides
round the Cnlabasas trails and dIsap-
pear with her rider into the whlrling
snow. 'f!
She fell Mt once into an easy rench-
ing step. and De Spain, busy with his
reflections, lp,rdly gave thought TO
what she wns doing and little more to
what was going on about him.
No moving figure reflects the inpns-
sive more than q horseman Of the
mountains. on long ride. Though
never SO swift-borne, the man, looking
neither to the right nor to the left,
moving evenly and statuelike against
the sky, part of the wlry beast under
him, presents the very picture Of In
difference to the world around him.
The great, swift wind spreading over
the desert enlptied on II snow-lnden
puffs that whlrled and wrapped cloud
Of flakes about horse and rider In the
symbol Of shroud. De Spain give
no heed to these skirmishing eddles.
but he knew what was behind them.
and for the wind, he only wished II
might keep the snow in the air till he
caught sight OF Nan.
The even reach of the horse brought
him to the point where Nan had
changed to the stage wagon. Without
break In her long stride, Lady Jane
took the hint of her swervlng rider,
put her nose into the wind, and headed
north. De Spain, alive to the, difficult
ties of his venture, set his hat lower
und bent forward to follow the wagon
along the sand. With the first CT the
white flurries passed, he found himself
In snOwless pocket. ns 1t were, of the
advancing storm. He hoped for noth-
ing from the prospect ahead; but ev-
cry moment of respite from the blind.
Ing whirl was gain, and with his eyes
close on the trail that had curried Nan
into danger, he urged the Lady on.
When the snow again closed down
about him he calculated from the
roughness of the country that he
should be within q mile of the road
that Nan was trying to reach. from the
gap to Sleepy Cat. But the broken
ground straight phead would prevent
her from driving directly to 1t. He
knew she must hold to the right, and
her curving track, now becoming diff
cult to trail, confirmed his conclusion.
A fresh drive of the wind bufreted
him as he turned directly north. Only
at intervals could he see any trace Of
the wagon wheels. The driving snow
compelled him more than once to dis
mount and search for the traIl. Each
time he lost 1t the effort to regain 1t
was more. prolonged. At times he was
compelled to ride the desert In Wide
circles to find the tracks, and this cost
time when minutes might mean life.
But as long 'as he could he clung to
the struggle to track her exactly. He
saw almost where the storm had struck
the two wnyfarers. Neither, he knew,
was insensible to Its dangers. What
amazed him was that man like Duke
Morgan should be out In II. He found
n spot where they had halted and, with
start that checked the beating of his
henrt, his eyes fell on her footprint
not yet obliterated. beside the wagon
track.
The sight of 1t was an electric shock.
Throwing himself from his horse, he
knelt oyer II in the storm. oblivious for
an Instant OF everything but that this
tracery meant her presence, where he
now bent, hardly half nm hour before!
He swung, after moments keen scru-
tiny, into his saddle. with fresh re-
solve. Pressed by the rising fury of
the wind, the wayfarers had become
from this point, De Spain saw too
pialnly, hardly more than fugitives.
G2od ground to the left. where their
hope of safety lay, Ind been over
Ioot,ad THAR tracks yyanderafl m tho