, 1917-12-20

tuue. Ills rage SuDSlueu, Out Ouly u
be followed by a settled gloom that
they knew might burst into uncon-
trollable anger at any moment.
A report reached McAlpin that Gale
Morgan was making ready to return to
Music mountain with the remnant Of
Sandusky's gang, to make u demand
on Duke for certain property and
partnership adjustments. This rumor
he telephoned to Jeffries. Before talk
ing with De Spain, Jeffries went over
the Information with Lefever. The two
agreed 1t was right, in the circum-
stances, that De Spain should be near
er than Sleepy Cat to Nan. Moreover,
the period of waiting she had enjoined
on him was almost complete.
Without giving De Spain the story
fully, the two men talking before him
let the discussion drift toward a pro-
posal on his part to go down to Gala
basas, where he could more easily keep
track of any movement to or from the
gap, and this they approved. De Spain,
already chatting under a hurdly en-
dured restraint, lost M time In start
ing for Calabasas, directing Lefever to
follow next day. . "
1t added nothing to his peace of
mind in the morning to learn definitely
from McAlpin that Gale Morgan, with
in twenty-four hours. had really disap-
peared from Caiabasas. No word of
any kind had come from Music noun
tain for days. No one at Calabasas
was aware even that Nan had gone
into the gap again. Bob Scott was at
Thief River. De Spain telephoned to
him to come up on the early stage, and
turned his attention TOWARD getting In
formation from Music mountain with
out violating Mans Injunction not to
Illustrate her most delicate effort with
her uncle.
AS a. possible scout to look into her
present situation and report on 1t, Nc
Alpin could point only to Bull Page.
Bull was a ready instrument, but his
present value as an assistant had be-
come a matter of doubt, since prac-
tically every man in the gap had
threatened within the week t. blow his
head off-though Bull himself felt no
scruples against making an attempt to
reach Music mountain and get back
again. 1t was proposed by the canny
McAlpin to send him in with q team
and light wagon, ostensibly to bring
out his trunk, which, If 1t had not been
fed to the horses, was still in Dukes
barn. AS soon as a rig could be got up
Page started out.
1t was late November. A far. clear
air drew the snow-capped ranges
sharply down to the eye of the desert
as If the speckless Sky, lighted by the
radiant sun. We're but a monster glass
to trick the credulous retina. De
in the saddle in front of the
barn, his broad hat brim set on the
level of the western horse
man, bis lips seeming to compress his
thoughts, his lines over his forearm,
and his hands half-slipped into the
pockets of his snug leather coat,
watched Page with his light wagon and
horses drive away. f
J Idling around the neighborhood of
the barns In the saddle, De Spain saw
him gradually recede into the long
desert perspective, the perspective
which almost alone enabled the watch
er to realize rs he curtained his eyes
their long, steady lashes from
the blazing sun, that it was II good bit
of n way to the foot of the great out
post of the Superstition range.
De SPANS restlessness prevented his
quietly anywhere for long.
AS the morning advanced he cantered
out on the Music mountain trail, think
ing of and wishing for a sight of Nan.
The deadly shock of Pardaloe's story
had been dulled by days and nights of
pain. i His deep-rooted love and his
loneliness had quieted his impulse for
vengeance and o%verborne him with a
profound sadness. He realized how
different his feelings were now from
what they had been when she knelt be-
fore him in the darkened room and, moi
to plead for mercy for her uncle,
had asked him only for the pity for
herself that he had seemed so slow
to give. Something reproached him
now for his GOODNESS at the moment
that be should have thought of her
before his own.
1t was while riding In this way that
his eyes, reading mechanically the
wagon trail he was aimlessly following
for nj reason other than that 1t
brought him, though forbidden, u little
to her-arrested his attention.
He checked his horse. Something, the
trail told him, had happened. Page
had stopped his horses. Page had met
two men on horseback coming from the
gap. After n parley-for the horses
had tramped around long enough for
one-the wagon had turned completely
from the trail and struck across the
desert, north; the two horsemen, or
one with a led horse, had started back