Meade County news., 1918-01-31

with flattering attention whenever his |
lady spoke. The horse went on, calm
ly stepping over this rock and around |
that as If it were the simplest thing In |
the world to find sure footing and car |
ry his lady smoothly up that trail. He
threw up his head so suddenly that |
Billy Louise was startled out Of her |
aimless dreamings and pointed nose
and ears toward the little creek bot
tom above, where Marthy had lighted
her campfire long and long ago.
A few steps farther and Blue stop
ped short in the trail to look and lis
ten. Billy Louise could see the nerv-
Gus twitchings Of his muscles under
the skin of neck and shoulders, and she
smiled to herself. Nothing could ever
come upon her unaware when she rode
alone so long as she rode Blue. A
hunting dog was not more keenly alive
to his surroundings.
"Go on, Blue" she commanded after
minute. IF it's bear or anything
like that you can make a run for it;
if it's wolf I'll shoot it. You needn't
6ltAllu hCLG lA6hlg any wa
Blue went on, out from behind the
willow growth that hid the open. He
returned to his calm, picking smooth
trail through the scattered rocks and
tiny washouts. 1t was the girls turn
to stare and speculate. She did not
know this horseman who sat negligent
ly in the saddle and looked up at the
I l,,ep xryhfI
horse stood knee deep in the little
stream. She did not know him, and
there were not so many travellers In
the land that strangers were a matter
of indifference.
Blue welcomed the horse with dem
ocratic nlcker and went forward brisk
ly. And the rider turned his head,
eyed the girl sharply as she came up
and nodded a cursory greeting. His
, horse lifted its head to look, decided
that it wanted another swallow or two
and lowered its muzzle again to the
water.
t Billy Louise could not form any opln-
ion of the mans age or personality, for
. he was encased in a wolfskin coat
which covered him completely from
hat brim to ankles. She got an impress
sion Of thin, dark face and a sharp
glance from eyes that seemed dark
l also. There was q thin, high nose, and
> beyond that Billy Louise did not look.
If she had the mouth must certainly
3 have reassured her somewhat.
. Blue stepped nonchalantly down into
{ the stream beside the strange horse
' and went across without stopping to
drink. The strange horse moved on
also, as II that were the natural thing
t to do-which it was, since chance sent
D them travelling the same trail. Billy
Louise set her teeth together with the
: queer little vicious click that had al
0 ways been her habit when she felt
!. thwarted and constrained to yield to
: circumstances and Strengthened herself
! In the saddle.
] Looks like a Storm" the fur coated
= one observed, with a perfectly trans
i parent attempt to tighten the awk-
: wardneSS.
I Billy Louise tilted her chin upward
8 and gazed at the gray sweep of clouds
moving sullenly toward the mountains
: ut ber back. She glanced at the man
t and caught him looking intently at her
( face.
! lie did not look away Immediately,
r as he should have done, and Billy Lou
e ise felt little heat wave Of embar-
9 rassment, emphasized by resentment.
}. Are you going far?" he queried In
: the same tone he had employed before.
e six miles" she answered shortly,
/ though she tried to be decently civil.
: I've about eighteen" he said
Il Looks Ike we'll both get caught out
j in a blizzard"
> Certainly he had a pleasant enough
Il voice, and, after all, 1t was not his
fault that he happened to be at the
y crossing when she rode out of the
e gorge. Billy Louise, in common JUS
o tice, laid aside her resentment aud
y looked at him with hint Of a smile
= at the corners Of her lips.
That's what we have to expect wher
e we travel in this country in the win
Y ter" she replied. Eighteen miles viii
l. take you long after dark"
o well, was sort of figuring on put
ting up at some ranch If 1t got too bad
2, There's a ranch somewhere ahead OF
& the Wolverine, isn't thereT
& "Yes." Billy Louise bit her lip, bu
E. hospitality is an unwritten law of thu
@ West, q law not to be lightly broken
d That's where live. Well be glad Il
e have you stop there Of course"
s, The stranger must have felt and ad
c mired the unconscious dignity Of he
n tone and words, for he thanked he
l. simply and refrained from looking to-
d intently at her face.
1t Fine siftings Of snow, like meal fiuni
j. down from a gigantic sieve, swept int,
% their faces as they rode on. The maj
r. turned his face toward her after lonj
it silence. She was riding with bowet
head and face half turned from hin
u and the wind alike.
IS You'd better ride on ahead and ge
in out Of this" he said curtly. "You
d horse is fresh. It's going to be wors'
ID aud more OF it before long Thii
e cayuse Of mine has had thirty mile