The Arizona copper camp., 1918-03-30

MaZ@r ~ess& 3
NV >,ss>M
She Went Straight to the Elay Corral
and Stopped.
to corner of the hay corral and
stopped with her hands clutching the
top wire.
"Ward Warren, for heavens sake,
what are you doing?" You couldn't
have told from her tone that she had
been crying, a mile back, from sheer
anxiety, or that she "loved him to
pieces" She sounded as if she did not
love him at all and was merely disgust
ed with his actions.
"Tm trying to sink my loop on this
buzzard-head of a horse" Ward re-
torted glumly. 1--WE been trying for
little at his own plight. I
swell, it's lucky thing for you he
won't let you," Billy Louise informed
him sternly, STOPPING to crawl under
the bottom wire. you've got about as
much sense as" She did not say
what. "Give me that rope, and you
take yourself and your crutches out
of the corral Mr.. Smarty. just had
bunch you couldn't be trusted to be-
have yourself
"Brave Buckaroo got lonesome"
Ward said, looking at her with eyes
alight, as he hobbled slowly toward
her. you'll have to open the gate for
me, William. Rattler'll make break
for the open if he sees crack as wide
as your little finger"
By then he was near enough to
reach out an arm and pull her close to
him. ooh, William girl, I'm sure glad
to see you once more. I got scared.
thought maybe just dreamed you
were here; so tackled"
"You tackled more than you could
handle. You ought to know you mustn't
try to ride Rather, Ward. What if he'd
pitch with you?'
Gin that case, I'd pile up, I reckon.
Say William, broken leg does take a
deuce of time to get well. But all
the same, I'll stop old Rather, all right.
I'd top anything rather than spend an
other night in that JAIL
''You'H ride Blue" Billy Louise told
him calmly. 'Im going to ride Rather
myself"
eyes, you are-not!'
"Do you mean to say I can't2 Do
you think
ooh, guess you can, all right, but"
"Well, if 1 can, Pm going to. If you
think can't handle measly old skate
like that"
"He's been running out for nearly
two months, Wilhemina-"
"And look at his ribs! If you'll just
kindly go in the house while I sad
die
'Tll kindly stay right here, lady
girl. You don't know Rather"
"And you don't know Billy Louise
! Macdonald" She wrinkled her nose
at him and turned back to unsaddle
Blue. II really didn't intend to go
back right now" she said, 'but seeing
you've got your heart set on it, I sup
pose we might as WELL" Then she
added: "We're only going as far as
the Cove, anyway; and I really ought
! 10 hurry UdCk 10 look dIloF MdFUuy.
| Charlie Fox and Peter pulled out and
left her there all solitary alone. I've
been staying with her overnight.
told her we'd be down there, and stay
till-further notice.
Billy Louise did not give Ward much
opportunity for argument. He was too
awkward with his crutches to keep up
with her, and she managed to be on
! the move most of the time.
When she had helped Ward upon
BlUe-and that was not easy, either
considering that he only had one leg
fit to stand on-and had gone to the
cabin for her bag of nuggets and
Wards roll of money which he had for
gotten, and had exhausted every other
excuse for delay, she picked up Rat
tiers reins and wound her fingers in
his name, and took hold of the stirrup
as nonchalantly as if she were mount
ing Blue.
''Now we're all right and comfy" she
announced breathlessly, when the first
fight was over and Rather, like his
master, had yielded to the inevitable.
"And we know who's boss, and we're
all of US squindiciously happy, because
we're headed for home. Aren't we,
buckaroo?"
A community church is to be