The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1917-04-25
Nan ST
Music
Mountain

By
FRANK H. SPEARMAN
Author of WHISPERING SMITH"

fresh cartridges. The belt was gone.
The discovery sent a shock through
his failing faculties. He could moi
recollect why he had no belt. Believ
ing his senses tricked him, he fell
again and again for 1t before he would
believe 1t was not buckled somewhere
about him. But 1t was gone, and he
stuck back in his waistband his useless
revolver. One hope remained-hlght,
and he spurred his horse cruelty.
Blood running continually into mis-
eyes from the wound In his head made
him think his eyes were gone, and d.
rection was a thing quite beyond his
power OF compass. He made little eff
fort to guide, and his Infatuated horse
few along as II winged.
A warm, sticky feeling In his right
boot warned him, when he tried to
make some mental inventory OF his
condition, Of at least one other wound.
He could not see twenty feet ahead or
behind. Even when he hurriedly wiped
the cloud from his eyes his vision
seemed to have failed, and he could
only cling to his horse to put the miles
and more OF the Morgans.
A perceptlble weakness presently
forced him to realize he must look to
his wounded foot. Before he slackened
speed he tried to look behind to recon
noiter. With relief he perceived his
sight to be a trifie better, and In scan
ming the horizon he could discover no
pursuers. Choosing a secluded spot,
he dlsmounted, cut open his boot, and
found that n bullet, passing down
ward, had torn an artery under the
arch Of the foot. Making a rude tour
niquet. he succeeded in checking pretty
well the squirting flow that was sap
ping his strength. After he had ad.
justed the bandage he stood up and
looked at II.
Then he drew his revolver again and
broke 1t. He found FIVE empty shells
in the chambers and threw them away.
The last cartridge had not been fred.
He could not even figure out how he
had happened to have six cartridges In
the cylinder, for he rarely loaded more
than five. Indeed. 1t was his fixed
hablt-to avoid accidents-never to
carry a cartridge under the hammer
Of his gun-yet now there had been
one. Without trying to explain the
circumstance. he took fresh stock of
his chances and began to wonder
whether he might yet escape and live.
He climbed agnin into the saddle,
and, riding to a ridge, looked carefully
over the desert. 1t was with an effort
that he could steady himself, and the
extent OF his weakness, surprised him.
What further perplexed him as he
crossed long divide, got another good
view and saw no pursuit threatening
In any direction, was TO identify the
country he was in. The only landmark
anywhere in sight that he could recog-
nlze was Music mountain. This now
lay to the northwest, and he knew he
must be a long way from any country
he was familiar with. But there was
no gnlnsaying, even in his confused
condition, Music mountain. After
looking at It a long time he headed
with some hesitation cautiously toward
1t, with Intent to intercept the first
trail to the northeast. This would take
him toward Sleepy Cat.
AS MS eyes continued 10 sweep the
horizon he noted that the sun was
down and 1t was growing dark. He
was aware at intervals that he was
steadying himself like a drunken man.
His efforts to guide the horse only be-
wildered the beast, and the two trav-
eled on maudlln curves and doubled
back on their track until De Spain de
cided that his sole chance of reaching
any known trail was TO let go and give
the horse his head. A period of uncon-
sciousness, blank In De SPANS mind,
soon followed. How long he rode In
this way, or how far, he never knew.
He was reused to consciousness by the
unaccustomed sound of running water
underneath his horses feet.
1t was pitch dark everywhere. The
horse after the hard experience OF the
evening was drinking welcome draft.
De Spain had no conception Of where
he could be, but the stream told him he
had somehow reached the range,
though Music mountain itself had been
swallowed up in the night. A sudden
and uncomfortable thirst seized the
wounded man. He could hear the wa
ter falling over the stones and climbed
slowly and painfully out of the saddle
TO the ground. With the lines In his
left hand he crawled toward the water