The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-06-13

m the darkness into the empty cyl
inder, TO close the breech, and hand
the gun back.
"Now, Nam" he said, you know me
You ma have doubts-they will all
die. You will hear many stories about
me-but you will say 4 put the car
tridges In his revolver with my own
hands, and | know he won't abuse the
means Of defense | gave him myself.
There can never be any real doubts
or MISUNDERSTANDING between us
again. Nan" He waited for her to
speak, but she remained silent.
you have given me my life, my de-
Tense" he continued, passing from a
subject that he perceived was better
left untouched. "Who Is nearest and
dearest 10 you ut homer"
"My Uncle Duke"
"Then | never will raise n hand
against your Uncle Duke. And this
man, tonlght-this ~cousin-Gale? Nan,
what is that MANI"
II hate him."
"Thank God! SO do IT,
"But he is IA cousin"
Then / suppose he must be one of
mine
"UnleSS he tries to kill you"
"He won't be very long in trying
chat. And now, what about yourself?
What have you got to defend yourself
against him, and against every other
drunken man?'
She laid her own pistol without a
word in De SPANS hand. He felt it,
opened, closed, and gave it back.
THAT'S a good defender-when it's in
reach. When it's at home it's a poor
one"
ut will never be at home again ex-
cept when I am"
"Shall tell you n secret?"
what is it?' asked Nan unsuspect-
ingly.
I'VE are engaged to be married"
She sprang from him like a deer. Its
a dead secret" he said gravely; mo
body knows it yet-nOt even YOU"
you need never talk again like
that If you want to be friends with
me-" she said Indignantly. ~ hate
It."
"Hate 1t If you will it's so. And
1t began when you handed me that
little bit OF lead and brass on the
mountain tonight. to defend your life
and mine"
"Ill hate you if you prosecute me
the way Gale does. The moon is
almost up. You must 60"
"You haven't told me-" he persisted,
show you got away ut ALL" They had
walked u of the trees. He looked
reluctantly to the east. Tell me and
I'll 60" he promised.
"After went up to my room l wait
ed till the house was all quiet. Then
l started for Calabasas. When | came
back got up to my room without be-
ing seen, II sat at the window n long
time. l waited till all the men stopped
riding past. Then | climbed through
the window and down the kitchen roof,
and let myself down to the ground.
Some more men came past, and | hid
on the porch and slipped over to the
horse barns and found a hackamore,
and went down to the corral and hunt
ed around till | found this little pinto
she's the best to ride bareback"
81 could ride a razorback-why take
all that trouble for me?"
IF you don't start while you have
q chance, you undo everything / have
tried to do to avoid a fight"
The wind, stirring softly, set the
aspen leaves quivering. The stars
chilled in the thin, clear night air
hung ~diamondlike in the heavens ant
the eastern sky across the distant des
ert paled for the rising moon. The
two, standing ut the horses head. lis
tened a moment together in the dark
ness. De Spain, leaning forward, sale
something in a low, laughing voice
Nan made no answer. Then, bending
he took her hand and, before she coult
release it, caught it up to his lips.
For a long time after he had gon,
she stood. listening for a shot-won
dering, breathless at moments, wheth
er he could get past the waiting traps
De Spain, true to all she had eve
heard Of his %Indianlike stealth. ha,
left her side unabashed and unafraid-
living, laughing, paying bold court t
her even when she stubbornly refuse
to be courted-and had made himsel
in the twinkling Of an eye a part @
the silence ~beyond-the silence Of tn
night, the wind, the stars, the vast
of sand, and Of all the mystery tina
brooded upon 1t. She would have we
coined, In her keen suspense. a sour
of SOM kind, some reminder that h
Is yet lived and could yet laugh; nor
came.
.
Day was breaking when the nigl
boss, standing In the doorway at tn
le Calabasas barns, saw a horseman ri,
u ing at a leisurely pace up the Thi,
,e River road. The barnman scrutinize
the approaching stranger closet
" There was something strange an
lie something familiar In the outlines
q. the figure. But when the night rid,
tcI Itcrno,,r<od In frou< ~ xho hc~