The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-04-07

found, expostulated strongly. When
De Spain persisted, Lefever, huiIfed
confided to Bob Scott that when the
general manager got ready he cfuld
catch Sassoon himself. M
De Spain wanted for Mans saket as
well as his own, to see what could be
done to pacify her uncle and his rlela-
tives so thar wedge might be driven
In between them and their notorious
henchman, and Sassoon brought to
book with their consent; on this point,
however, he was not quite bold-faced
enough to take his friends into his
confidence. A
De Spain, as fiery lover as he was
fighter, stayed none of his counting
because circumstances put Music
mountain between him and his mis-
tress. And Nan, after she had once
surrendered. was nothing behind III the
chances she unhesitatingly took to ar
range her meetings with De Spain. He
found In her, once her girlish tirnidity
was overcome and woman's conf
dence had replaced it, disregard Of
consequences, SO far as their own rSSgss
were concerned, that sometimes todk
away his breath.
The very day after she had got her
uncle home, with the aid of Satterlee
Morgan and an Anticipated spring wag-
on, Nan rode, later In the afternoon,
over to Calabasas. The two that
would not be restrained had made
their appointment at the lower lava
beds halfway between the gap and
Calabasas. The sun was sinking be-
hind the mountain when De Spain gal
Hoped out of the rocks az Nan turned
from the trail and rode toward the
black and weather-beaten meeting
| Place.
They could hardly slip from their
saGiles fast enough to reach each 9th
er's arms-Nan, trim as model In
fresh khaki, trying with a handker-
chief hardly larger than a postage
stamp to wipe the fiecks Of dust from
her PINK cheeks, while De Spain, be-
tween dtbs, 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 raidIngs
fights and pursuits, were no more to
them than to babes In the woods. All
that mattered TO them-sitting or
pacing together aid absorbed, in the
path of the long-co)d volcanic stream
buried In the shifting sands of the
desert-was that thay 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 add
town-more than once. And one day
came scare. They were sitting On
a little ledge well up in the rocks
where De Spain could overlook the
trail east and west, and We're talking
about bungalow some day to b. 10
Sleepy cat, when Trey saw mel ri6ihg
from the west toward Calabasas. 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 minute to study
something. Both knew what he was
studying-the footprints Of Mans
pony heading toward the lava. Nan
shrank back and with De Spain moved
little to where they could watch the
intruder without being seen. Nan
whispered first: "It's Sassoon." De
Spain nodded. "What shall we dor
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 half
mile away and riding straight toward
them. as
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 the 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 life slowly
from its scabbard. The blood fled
Mans cheeks. She said nothing. With
out looking at her. De Spain drew her
own rifle from her horses side, passed
1t into her hand, and, moving over 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 be
rode more slowly forward. The color
returned to Mans. cheeks. "Do you
want me to use thisT she Dsrmured
indicating the rifle.
Certainly not. But II the others
turn back, may need 1t. Stay right
here with the horses. He will lose the
trail in a minute now. When he
reaches the rock I'll go down and
keep him from getting off his horse