Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-12-23
CHAPTER VIII-continued.

Shelby visioned all this in his men,
DRY, questioning his chance of ever
successfully invading such a spot with
out arousing suspicion, 1t was plain
ly proven by their testimony that
Macklin was taking his captive to this
spot for safe hiding. He and his In
dian accessories had ridden on, anx-
ious to reach this security with as lit
tie delay as possible. But would Shell
by dare to follow To be sure, except
to the Kid, he was unknown, which
might make him welcome. Yet the
danger of detection was great.
Apparently, there was no other
feasible way in which he could hope
to serve Olga. He weighed this, with
no conscious thought of himself, cold
Iy and deliberately counting the
chances, and decided to make the at
tempt.
Convinced as to his duty, and urged
to it by the personal interest he felt in
the girl, Shelby cast all hesitancy
aside. He would make the attempt;
fortune had surely favored him thus
far and might again. He went back
to where the buckskin waited, mount
ed the animal, quiet enough by this
time, rode down to the edge of the
stream, and sat silently in the saddle
while the beast drank. 1t was dark
clear night, the stars overhead like
lamps in the sky, the air cool and
fresh. He turned the pony up the val
10 hi off m hurry
NAL, DESTROYS only at present Of keep
ing we'll in the rear of the two horse
men ahead. He knew the course they
would take, must take, up the valley
of the Dragon as far as the great
bend and then across the plateau I'M
til they reached the Cottonwood. He
would simply follow cautiously until
daylight, then search for the trail to
make sure, and endeavor, from some
elevation, to pick them up with his
field glasses.
The grass in the valley was thick,
but not long. 1t presented no obstacle
to travel, but the horses hoofs made
no noise. Finding the rider undemon-
strative, the buckskin lowered his head
and moved forward steadily at rapid
walk Shelby swaying in the saddle,
half asleep, yet keenly awake to any
unusual sound.
Hour after hour passed, the valley
narrowing as they advanced, the hills
on either hand growing darker and
more sharply defined, and the ribbon
of the sky above constantly contrast
ing. The man endeavored to think,
but found 1t useless; there was little
he could plan In advance-only con-
tinue on and trust to fortune. His
mind leaped from point to point, yet
settled upon nothing. He knew where
he was in a vague way, recalling TO
memory the outlines of this country
as traced upon the map, but by this
time he was well beyond the range
OF his own cattle, or any region he had
ever hunted over. All about stretched
the desert of the Bad Lands; ne
could picture in his mind the scene
presented from those bluffs, either OF
broken, rocky country, or dismal
desert, white with alkali. 1t was
land devoid even OF animal or bird life,
waterless and forlorn, avoided even by
Indians except for concealment In
all those hours OF darkness he heard
no sound of life except the distant
howl OF a coyote.
The first faint gray OF dawn gave
him glimpse of his surroundings, and,
on slight ridge OF land, he finally
drew up his tired mount, and gazed