Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-15
CHAPTER VI.
The Corral In tho Canyon.

NUITE 0u0Oonly, just at suH0OWu,
" B'lly Lou'se's jour a": sov was In,
manner. She was dreaming along 4
fiat bottomed canyon, looking for an
easy way across, when Blue threw up
his head, listened with his ears thrust
forward and shifted with widened nos
trils. From his manner almost any
thing might lie ahead Of them. And
because certain of the possibilities
would call for quick action II any OF
them became q certainty Billy Louise
twisted her CUR belt around so that her
six shooter swung within easy reach
Of her hand. With her fingers she made
sure that the gun was loose in its hol-
ster and kicked Blue mildly as hint
to 60 on and see what 1t was all about.
Blue went forward, stepping easily
on the soft side hill. In rough country
whatever you want to see is nearly al
ways around Z sharp bend: you read it
so In the stories and books Of travels
and when you ride out In the hills you
find It 80 In reality. Billy Louise rode
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 did not appear to be
in the least alarmed. Therefore Billy
Louise knew It couldn't be bear, at
any rate.
. They came to the point Of the hills
shoulder and Billy Louise frightened the
reins instinctively while she stared ut
what lay revealed beneath. The head
Of the gulch was blocked with corral
small. high, hidden from view on all
sides save where she stood, by the
tagged 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 a sharp corner and
had disappeared by riding up the same
slope she occupied, but farther along
and in a shallow depression which hid
him completely after that one brief
glimpse.
OF course the gulch was dusky with
deep shadows, and she had had only
glimpse. But the horse was dark bay
and the rider was slim and tall and
wore a gray hat. The heart Of Billy
Louise paused q moment from its steady
beating and then sank heavily under
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
rails 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 a 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 dark bay and
he wore gray hat and dark. coat, and
he. was slim and tall. Billy Louise
made sound that was close I'd 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 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 little, gray
bird twittered wistfully.
Billy Louise took a deep breath and
rode on. angling slightly up the bluff
20 that she could cross at the head Of
the gulch. It was very quiet, very
peaceful and wildly beautiful, this jum-
bic Of hills and deep gashed canyons
But Billy Louise felt as though some.
thing precious had died. She should
Rave gone down and investigated and
turned those cattle loose-that is, II
sne dared. Well, 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
"a fresh marks. We
"Oh, Godl" she said once aloud, and
thsFe was Z prayer and q protest., =
4 curse andsa question all In those two
wcedA
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