The Monticellonian., 1918-03-15

for three or four minutes before she received any inkling of what lay ahead, though Blues behavior during that in terval had served to reassure her some what He was Interested still in what lay just out of sight beyond shoulder of the hill, but he not appear to be in the least alarmed. Therefore Billy Louise knew it couldn't be a bear, at any rate.
 They came to the point of the hills shoulder and Billy Louise frightened the reins instinctively while she stared at what lay revealed beneath. The head of the gulch was blocked with q corral small, high hidden from view on all sides save where she stood, by the jagged walls of rock and heavy aspen thickets beyond.
 The corral was but the setting for what Billy Louise stared at so unbe- lievingly. A horseman had ridden out of the corral just as she came into sight, had turned sharp corner and had disappeared by riding up the same slope sine occupied, but farther along and in shallow depression which hid him completely after that one brief glimpse.
 Of course the guleh was dusky with deep shadows, and she had had only a glimpse. But the horse was a dark bay and the rider was slim and tall and wore a gray hat. The heart of Billy Louise paused a moment from its steady beating and then sank heavily under a great weight. She was range born and range bred. She had sat wide eyed on her daddy's knees and heard him tell of losses in cattle and horses and of cor rals found hidden away in strange places and of unknown riders who dis appeared mysteriously into the hills. She had heard of these things; they were a part of the stage setting for wild dramas of the West
 With white line showing around her close pressed lips and a horror in her wide eyed glance she rode quietly along the side of the bluff toward where she had seen the horseman dis appear. He was riding a dark bay and he wore gray hat and dark coat, and he was sim and tall. Billy Louise made a sound that was close to a groan and set her teeth hard together after ward
 She reached the hillside just above the corral There were cattle down there, moving uneasily about in the shadows. Of the horseman there was, of course, no sign-just the corral and a few restless cattle shut inside-and on the hilltops a soft, rose violet glow and in the sky beyond blend of pur- pie and deep crimson to show where the sun had been. Close beside her as she stood looking down a little, gray bird twttered wistfully.
 Billy Louise took deep breath and rode on, angling slightly up the bluff so that she could cross at the head of the gulch. It was very quiet, very ble of hills and deep gashed canyons But Billy Louise felt as though some thing precious had died. She should have gone down and investigated and turned those cattle loose-that is, if she dared We'll, she dared; it was not fear that held her to the upper slopes She did not want to know what brand they bore or whether an iron had scar ed fresh marks.
 "Oh, God v she said once aloud, and there was prayer and a protest, curse and a question all in those two words.
 So trouble-trouble that sickened her very soul and choked her into dumb ness and squeezed her heart so that the ache of 1t was agony-came and rode with her through the breeding dusk of the canyons and over the brighter hilltops.
 Billy Louise did not remember any, thing much about that ride except that she was glad the way was long. Blue carried her steadily on and on end needed no guiding. and though Wolver- inc canyon was black dark in most l places she liked 1t so.
 John Pringle was standing by the