The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-05-11


her back on one side as Bull Page
threw the saddle across her from the
other; hostlers caught at the cinches,
while others hurriedly rubbed the legs
of the quivering mare. De Spain, his
hand on McAlpin's shoulder, was CIV
ing his parting injunctions, and the
barn boss, head cooked down, and eyes
cast furtively on the scattering snow
flakes outside, was listening with an at
tention that recorded indelibly every
uttered syllable.
Once only, he interrupted: Henry,
you're ridin' out into this thing alone
don't do it,"
81 can't help it," snapped De Spain
impatiently.
Its man killer"
81 can't help it,"
"Bob Scott, If he WIS here, 'ud never
let you do it. I'll ride wi We myself,
Henry. worked for your father"
you're too old a man, Jim"
Henry"
Dat talk to me Do as tell you"
'thun FED De Spain.
Nc pin bowed pS head.
Ready" yelled page, buckling the
rifle 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 sidestepped
nervously-McAlpin following close
and lodging the dancing hoofs as he
looked earnestly up to catch The last
word. De Spain touched the hose with
the lines. She leaped through eor-
way and he raised a backwe| Gid
to those behind. Running out the
door, they yelled chorus les
after the swift-moving horsem Ind,
clustered in an excited group, I.hed
the Lady with dozen great ides
round the CalabaSaS trail an .isap-
pear with her rider into the irling
snow.
She fell at once into an cas- reach
ing step, and De Spain, busy With his
reflections, hardly gave thought to
what she was doing, and little more to
what was going on about him.
No moving figure reflects the impas-
sive more than a horseman Of the
mountains, on long ride. Though
pever so swift-borne, the man, looking
neither to the right nor to the left,
moving evenly and statuelike against
the sky, part Of the wiry beast under
him, presents the very picture of in
difference to the world around him.
The great, swift wind spreading over
the desert emptied on it snow-laden
puffs that whirled and wrapped cloud
Of flakes about horse and rider in the
symbol of a shroud. De Spain gave
no heed to these skirmishing eddies,
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 swerving rider,
put her nose into the wind, and headed
. north. De Spain, alive to the difficult
ties of his venture, set his hat lower
and bent forward to follow the wagon
along the sand. With the first of the
white flurries passed, he found himself
in a snowless pocket, as it were, of the
advancing storm. He hoped for moth
ing from the prospect ahead but ev-
| cry moment of respite from the blind
Ing whirl was a gain, and with his eyes
close on the trail that had carried 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 a mile of the road
that Nan was trying to reach from the
gap to Sleepy Cat. But the broken
ground straight ahead would prevent
her from driving directly to It. 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 buffeted
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 it the effort to regain IL
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 chung to
the struggle to track her exactly. He
saw almost where the storm had struck
the two wayfarers. Neither, he knew
was insensible to its dangers. What
amazed him was that man like Duke
Morgan should be out in it. He found
a spot where they had halted and, with
a start that checked the beating of his
heart, 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 over it in the storm, oblivious fol
an instant Of everything but that this
N,.aS II