The Lamar register., 1920-03-31

The Kisses He Had Dreamed About.
Sweeney considered. rasplng his
stubbly chin. Il don't reckon Cass
would do Miss Kate meanness. He's
a white man. say the worst of him.
But 1t might be Blackwell. When last
seen he was heading into the hills. II
he met her"
face. MY Godi"
BY gum. there he is now. Luck
Sweeney's finger pointed to an ad-
vancing rider.
Cullison swung as on a pivot In time
to see some one drop into the dip In
the road, just beyond the corral. "Whe
-BlackwellT
mo. Cass."
Fendrick reappeared presently and
turned In at the lane. Cullison.
standing on the porch at the head Of
the steps looked like a man who was
passing through the inferno. But he
looked, too, q personified day Of 1udg-
ment untempered by mercy.
The sheepman spoke. looking
straight at his foe. I've Just heard
the news. was down at Yssler's
ranch when you 'phoned asking II they
had seen anything OF Miss Cullison. I
came up to ask you one question.
When was she seen lsstf'
About ten O'Clock this morning.
why?"
II saw her about noon. She was on
Mess Verde, headed for Blue canon.
It looked like"
"Close enough to speak to herr Sam
asked.
'Yes. We passed the time Of day"
And thenr' Luck cut back into the
conversation with a voice like Q tle.
"She went on toward the gulch and
kept on to the ranch. The last saw
of her she was going straight on. Wed
better travel over toward Mesa Verde.
so as TO be ready to start at day
break"
CullIson's gaze had never left him.
1t observed. weighed. appraised. Good
enough. Well start"
He left Sweeney TO answer the tele-
phone while he was away. All Of his
other riders were already out combing
the hills under the supervision OF
Curly. Luck had waited with Sam
only to get some definite information
before starting Now he had his lead.
Fendrick was either telling the truth
or he was lying with some sinister pur-
pose in view. The cattleman meant to
know which.
The party pushed up the gulch as
rapidly as they could. The ashes Of .
camp fire halted them q few minutes
later. Scattered about lay the feath-
ers and dismembered bones Of some
birds.
Cnss stopped and picked up some of
the feathers. "Quails, reckon. Miss
Cullison had three tied to her saddle
horn when met her"
why did she come up here to cook
themf" Sam-asked.
Luck was already OF his horse. quar-
tering over the ground to read what It
might tell him.
"She wasn't alone. There was Q
man with her See these trscksf'
II was Fendrick who made the next
discovery. He had followed q draw
for a short distance and climbed to Q
little mesa above. Presently he called
to Cullison.
Father and son hurried toward him.
The sheep owner was standing at the
edge of prospect hole pointing down
with his finger.
"some one has been In that pit re-
Gently and he's been there several
days"
''Then how did he get outr' Sam
asked.
Fendrick knelt on the edge of the
pit and showed him where a rope had
been dragged so heavily that It had
cut deeply into the clay.
Some one pulled him out"
whats II mean anyhow2 Kate
wasn't In that hole. was she?"
Cass shook bis head. This 10 my
guess. Some one was coming along
here In the dark and fell in. Suppose
Miss Cullison heard him calling As she
came up the gulch. What would she
dop
IN.-kgu,.l - n.-~ 0S-N