The state herald., 1917-08-03
CHAPTER VII.
A Rangers Horse.

OnWuTu through tne uehse IOlluse
the two friends wound. Now and
then they stopped to listen, but the
rain was heavy enough to drown all
other noises. Encounterlng fresh
tracks finally, Dave leaned from his
saddle and studied them. He had
gone perhaps half mile when Bessie
Belle raised her head. and he noted
that her nostrlls were working sensi-
lively. Law fancled that he could de-
tect the smell Of a wood fire. Farther
along they came to place where the
brush was low, and there, rising
through the treetops beyond, he saw n
waverIng plume of blue smoke.
The Ranger rode into sight of the
branding fire with his repeater
across his saddle horn and his thumb
upon the hammer; what followed
came with almost the binding sud-
denness of lightning crash. First
there was the picture of sandy glade,
in the center of which burned fire
with branding irons In It, and spot
ted calf tied to tree, but otherwise
no sign OF life. Then, without warn
Ing. Bessie Belle threw up her head
In that characteristic trick of hers, and
simultaneously Dave saw figure rise
out Of the grass at his left with
rifle leveled. With the first Jerk of
his horses head his own gun had
leaped to his shoulder-he wns M
conscious Of having willed 1t to DO
so-and even us he pressed the trig-
ger he felt Bessie Belle give way. The
next instant his feet. still In the stir
rups, were on the ground and his
horse lay between them. motIonless.
That nervous fling Of her head had
saved Dawes life. for the rustler's
bullet had shattered her skull In Its
flight. and she lny prone. with scarcely
muscular twitch. so sudden had been
her end
For 4 moment the Ranger was
dnzed. He stood staring down ut his
pet; then the truth engulfed him. He
realized that he had ridden her to
her death. and ut the thought he be-
came like q woman bcreft Of her
child. like a lover who had seen his
bWeetnehrt hinln.
A shout-lt was q hoarse, inarticu-
late cry: q swift, maddened scrutiny
that searched the sodden scene Of the
ambush: then he was down beside the
mare, calling her name heartbrokeniy,
his arms around her neck. his face
against her warm. wet, velvet hide.
Law knew TINT two men hnd en-.
tered the thicket, and therefore one
still remained to be reckoned with,
but he gnve no thought to that. From
the corner OF his eye he could zee n
pair Of bootsoles staring at him out
of the grnss, and they told him there
was not need for investigation. Near
the body he heard the calf stirring. but
he let It struggle.
Bessie Bellies bright eyes were glaz-
Ing; she did not hear her lovers
voice. Don Ricardo md his son burst
out of the brush from opposite dIrec-
tions almost Mt the same moment. to
find the Ranger with his face buried
In his horses name.
"Caramba whnt Is thisi" The old |
man Hung himself from the saddle
md came running. "You nre injuredi"
Pedro. too. bent over the officer. his
brown fncc pnie with apprehension. |
Mother OF God" brcnthcd tho latter.
ut was n wild thing TO do. TO ride
alone"
I'm NIL right" Law saId. rising
stifly. whcrcupon both Mcxicans
voiced their relief.
'"rhc saints be prniscdw
"sl What hnppencd1 There was
n shot! Did you see nothlng7
Law jcrkcd his hcnd In tho dIroc-
ton OF the fallen man Mt his bncii and
Pedro uttered loud cry.
"Look!" Father and son ran through
the grass, then recollcd nnd broke
Into n jnrgon OF oaths md exciamn.
tlons.
Fright In tho mouth The fellow
wns In death before he realized H."
"Scc! II IL ny we thought. Pedro;
ono OF Lewis! Tsci Use! Tsci
whnt n sight'"
"who In hci" qucried the officer.
"Plno Gnrxa. one Of tho worst!"
chlmed tho two Guxmnns.
Ricardo WINS dancing IN his excite
mont. II told you TINT Lewis knew
something. The other onc got pnst
mo. but I cannot shoot iIkc--thls."
II wns difficult 10 secure connected
stort froin uicnrdo Lut ho annt1v