The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-01-06

body half about so that he could stare
down at the newcomer. His close
cropped hair was grizzled, his face
leathery and stolid. The cast of his fea-
lures indicated French-Canadian blood.
The fusillade of the Indians had
ceased the instant their view of the
fugitive was cut off. Yet, after d sim
gle hard look, the man on the bank
turned away TO thrust his rifle up over
the edge and shoot. The rider wheeled
his mare and rode back past the Skit-
fish ponies. The woman had crept in
from the entrance of the gulley to
where she could stand upright without
exposing herself to the fire of the
Indians.
She came up the slope with an easy,
springing step that told of youthful
buoyancy. From under the hem of her
neat Bingham dress peeped the toes of
small, blue-beaded moccasins. Having
reloaded her pistol, she raised her
head to look up at the rider. He was
lifting his hand to touch his hat with
perfunctOry courtesy. Then he saw
her face-calm, proud, wildly beauti-
full.
He removed his hat, with a sudden
change in his manner that brought
CLEAN into the girls blue-black eyes.
The glare of the midday sun exposed
the lines in his strong, plain face and
the pallor under its tropical tan. From
the white hairs that sflvered his thick
rudy locks at the temples, his age
might have been put at thirty-fiye or
DIT <,fY,
contradicted by the clear hazel eyes.
A trifle disconnected by the girls
cool scrutiny, he brusquely demanded:
what is the trouble here?'
She looked from his cavalry puttees
to his army saddle and the butt of his
rifle. ST guess you needn't worry about
your scalp" she assured him, her rich
contraltO voice as soft as it was sweet
ly hooking. 'You came near getting
hair brand, I see. But you're safe
enough now If you keep close
The raillery brought slight flush in
to his sallow cheeks. Yet his gaze did
not finch before her look of disdain.
He asked another question: 'Have
they taken the agency"
mo. We saw this bunch ND the
bank. Reggie cut loose at them before
Pere could stop him."
Perez Ah-your father. The
other man fired at them first, you say?
Can you blame him? He was along
when the agent was shot down. last
week. You may have heard of the
murder"
"Yes. Still it was wrong for him to
invite an attack, with woman in his
party"
"Oh, I'm only a quarterbreed, you
know" replied the girl with ironical
! lightness. Besides, Reggie thought
the party was trying to head us off.
Don't worry. Charlie Redbear crawled
up the road half an hour ago. The
chances are we can hold out until he
fetches the police" A rifle shot pune
tuated the remark.
The rider looked over the coulee
bank across at the jagged crest of the
butte. eff they slip over there" he
said, ''this position will become unten-
able. The butte is the key to the stu
alton"
He looked at the girl, between con-
Germ and swiftly growing admiration of
her remarkable beauty. Her eyes were
like blue-black diamonds An almost
imperceptible film of old-goId enriched
the cream and rose Of her cheeks Her
jet-black hair was of French f1neness
The curve of her rather large mouth
was perfect.
But the red lips were again parting
in disdainful smile. She replied with
out seeking to conceal her scorn: eff
you're afraid they'll take the butte,
you might get away by boiling down
the coulee. Well do what we can to
draw their fire.
'fYou will 2" he said. THANK you for
your suggestion. I believe I'll follow
it. Kindly step aside"
She stood motionIess, her eyes gilt
tering with cold contempt of his cow
! ardice. Unchecked by the look, he
leaned forward in the saddle. The
| mare leaped away like a startled deer.
Once clear of the gulley she swerved
| sharply and raced away down the cOu-
| lee. The flight was SO unexpected, SO
daring and so swift that the fugitive
had been borne good fifty yards down
along the foot of the near slope before
the Indians opened fire on him.
The girl had crept forward and
crouched in the entrance of the gulley
to peer after him.
1.-The coward ~ she cried. 1.-THE cow
ard hope they get him 20
But before one OF the many bullets
could find the leaping, receding mark,
mare and rider shot out OF sight behind
a clump OF willows. AT once the firing
ceased.
The blond young man under the bush
| glanced around at the girl and called
jeeringly: 81 say. Marie. how's that
for a bobtan visit? Took him for 5
gentleman"
"GentIeman? That's the word" she
Knocked. Conduct becoming an officer
and gentleman"
"oficerT he repeated. '.You don't
mean to say"
"Yes." she asserted "He's an army
| officer. could see it sticking out al
over him."
/ The man stared at her in blans