The Jasper news., 1917-04-12


tives so that 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.
De Spain, as fiery lover as he was
fighter, stayed none of his courtlng
because circumstances put Music
mountain between him and his mis-
tress. And Nan, after she had once
surrendered, was nothing behind in the
chances she unhesitatingly took to ar
range her meetings with De Spain. He
found in her, once her glrlish timldlty
was overcome and q woman's conf
dence had replaced 1t, disregard of
consequences, so far as their own plans
were concerned, that sometimes took
away his breath.
The very day after she had got her
uncle home, with the aid of Satterlee
Morgan and an antiquated spring wag-
on, Nan rode, later in the afternoon,
over to Calabasas. The two TINT
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
loped out of the rocks as Nan turned
from the trail and rode toward the
black and weather-bcaten meeting
place.
They could l.ardly slip from their
| Il e.. y, a. ,ol, aI, @NL
er's arms-Nan, trim rs q model in
fresh khaki, trying with handker-
chief hardly larger than postage
stamp to wipe the flccks of dust from
her pink cheeks. while De Spain, be-
tween dabs, 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
runors 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 and absorbed, in the
| PUN VI thC iOIli'-N'lN NoiNuhlG
buried in the shifting sands of the
desert-was that they 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 and
town-more than once. And one day
|
little ledge well up in the rocks
where De Spain could overlook the
trail east and west, and were talking
about bungalow some day to be In
Sleepy Cat, when they saw men riding
from the west toward Calabasas. There
were three in the party, one tagging
we'll behind. The two men leading,
Nan and De Spain maue 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 wns examining the snnd
and halted quite q minute to study
something. Both knew what he was
studying-the footprints of Mans
pony heading toward the lava. Nan
|
little to where they could watch the
intruder without being seen. Nan
whispered first: ITS Snssoon." De
Spain nodded. "What shall we do2"
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
', tEem.
De Spain, his eyes on the danger
and his hand laid behind Mans waist,
led the way guardedy 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 rifle slowly
from its scabbard. The blood fled
: Mans cheeks. She said nothing. With
out looking at her, De Spain drew hei
own rifle from her horses side, passed
it into her hand, and, moving over II
: front of the horses, laid his left hant
reassuringly on her waist again. Al
that moment, little knowing what eye!
q were on him in the black fragments
t ahead, Sassoon looked up. Then h'
t rode more slowly forward. The colo
returned to Mans cheeks. do yol
O want me to use thls?" she murmuret
\ indicating the rifle.