Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-02-07
CHAPTER w
- cerral h e. cnnxnn.


utge suddenly. iast Al shutdown.
~ Billy LosIssfsa joarneyias waa In
ssfrppted ia a iaSzt aIlex p$u.tea
manner 3hs was dreaming along a
nas hcstontesi eaayet. locking fer an
easy way asFssis. Vs. lfea Blue threw up
his head, Listened with bis ears thrust
forward and salfged with wiSfeness nos.
trtls. RFasn his aianaer aitnpat any.
thug saight llp aheaa ot shesn And
saeraase certain Of the possibilities
waaid call fer quick aetica Ii any Of
fhesn became d certainty Riiiy Louise
tststed her sua belt aroaad 10 that her
ala earoates @vsag Within easy reach
Of her hand. With her fingers she made
gssrss that the gnn was ieose In itg siol.
sssr and kicked Eine mildly as hint
TO so an and ses wtat II wafg all ahost.
Blue went forward. stepping easily
an the soft side hill In rough country
whatever yon want 10 sss, In nearly al
ways around G sharp bend. you read 1t
so In the stories and hotEs of travels
ard when you ride out la the hills you
hnd II so In reality Billy Louise rode
for tsrce or four minutes before she
EscetYea any iRkling of what lay ahead,
though nlas's behavior during that In.
tervai had served TO reassure her some
what. t3e was interested atill Ia what
lay Just ctat Of sight beyond d shoulder
OF the hill. but he did not appear to be
In the least alarmed. Therefore Billy
Loiise knew 1t couldn't be 81 bear, at
any rate.
They came to the paint OF the hili's
shoulder and Billy Louise frightened ths
arins instlnctively while she stared at
what lny revealed beneath. The head
Of the gnieh was blocked with d corral
email, high, hidden from view on all
sides save where she stood, By the
Jagged walls Of rock and heavy aspen
thickesa beyond.
The corrai wes hi the setting for
what Billy Louise stared at 40 unbe-
iievingly. A hcrsesnan had ridden out
OF the corral just as she came into
sight. had turned sharp corner and
had diss ppeArsd by riding mp the same
slope she occupied. but farther along
aud In shallow depression which hid
him completely after that one brief
glimpse.
or course the gulch was dusky with
deep shadows. and she had had only q
glimpse. But the horse was a dark bay
and the rider was slim and tall and
wore gray hat The heart OF Billy
Louise paused d moment from it's 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.
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 part OF the stage setting for
villa dramas or the West.
With q white line showing around
her close pressed lips and horror In
her Wide eyed glance she rode quietly
along the side OF the blur 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 to croan
and set her teeth hard together after.
ward. e
She reached the hillside Just above
the corrai. There were cattle down
there, moving unsasily shout In the
shadows or the horseman there was,
Of course, no sign just the corral and
a faw restless cattle shut inside and
on the hiittops soft. rose violet glow
and in tha sky beyond blend Of pur-
pie and deep crimson 10 show where
Efhe sun had been. Close beside her as
she stood looking down alitsle, gray
tbind tw3ttered Nistfully.
BILLY Louise took ! deep breath and
rods on, angling slightly up the biufI
lso that ~ could ctoss gat the head 81
lthe fulch II wss very quiet. yery
tpsacsfnl and wndly bsautiful. this jun,