The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-11-22

'f"N'h WV NNfiA UNIV WIN hN' "
the Half Moon cowpunohora and hc
had the direction well defined In his
mind
Sam turned off the old Govern.
mcnt road al the split mesquite ana
struck down the arroyo OF tho GUN.
tanilla Here was narrow stretch
OF smiling valley. upholstered with
a rich mat Of green. curly mesquite
grass, ana Mexico consumed those
few miles quickly with his long. easy
lope. Again. upon reaching VIVA
Duck Waterholc. must he abandon
wclldefincd ways. lie turned now
20 his right up little hill. pebble.
covered. upon which grow only the
tenacious and thorny prickly pear
and chaparrnL At the summit OF
this he paused 10 take his last gen.
eral view OF the landscape for. from
now, on be must wind thru brakes
and thlcketa OF chaparral. pear and
tneHquite for the most part seeing
scarcely farther than 20 yards Ia any
direction. choosing hia way by the
prairie .dwelier'n instinct, guided only
by an occasional glimpse OF n far
distant hilltop. "A peculiarly shaped
knot OF trees. or tho position OF the
sun.
Sam rode down the sloping hili
and plunged into the great pear flat
that lies between the Quintanilla and
the Picdra-
In about two hours he discovered
h. T.
usual confusion OF mind and tho
| hurry 60 get somewhere. Mexico
was anxious 90 redeem tho situation.
twisting with alacrity along the tor.
tuoun labyrinthn OF tho Jungle. AZ
tho moment his masters suronoaa
% the route had failed his horse had
OWNED the fact. There were no
hills now that they could climb 20
obtain view OF the country. They
came upon a few. but 10 dense and
intcrlaccd was the brush that scarce.
~ could rabbit penetrate the mass
They were In tho great, lonely
thickei OF the Frio bottoms.
IL was a mere nothing for cat.
ilcman or a hheepman 60 be lost for
day or night. The thing often
happened. II was merely d matter
of missing n meal or two and sleep.
ing comfortably on your saddle
blankets on a soft mattress Of mes.
quite grass. But In Sans case u
was different. Hc had never been
away from his ranch at night.
Marthy was afraid OF tho country
afraid Of McxicanH. Of snakes. OF
panihern. even OF sheep. so he had
never left her alone.
IL must have been about four IN
the afternoon when Sans con.
science awokc. lie was limp and
drcnched. rather from anxiety than
the heat or fatigue. Untll now he
had been hoping 20 strike tho tran
that led 20 the Frio crossing and
the Chapman ranch. lie must have
crossed II, az some dim part OF q,
and ridden beyond II 40 he wan
now something like nfty miles from
home. n he could strike ranch
"a cafnp-any place where he could
get a fresh horse and inquire the
road. he would ride all night to get
back 10 Marthy and the Md.
So. have limited. Sam was seized
by rsmorso There was a big lump
in his throat as he thought 81 the
cross words he had spoken 20 bis
wife. Surely n was hard enough
for her 10 live in that horrible
country without having 20 bear tho
burden OF his abuse. lie Cursed
himself Trimly. and felt sudden
flush OF shame that ovcrgiowcd the
summer heat as he remembered tho
many times he had floutcd and
rallied at her because nhe had "A
liking for reading fiction.
~Ther only so'ce ov amusement
Their po' gals got" said Sam aloud.
with a sob. which suaccustomed
sound caused Mexico 20 shy bit.
~Allvin' with sore headed klotc
like me-a low-down skunk that
ought to be licked 20 death with n
saddle cinch--acookin' and a-wash.
In and alvin on mutton and beans
and me abusin' her fur takin' a
squirt or two In little bookl'
He thought Of Marthy as she had
been when he first met her In DOG.
town-smart, pretty. and saucy--b be.
fore the sun had turned the roses
In her cheeks brown and the silence
Of the chaparral had tanned her am.
billions
"Ef / ever speaks another hard
word TO ther little gal" muttcred
Sam. "or falls In the love and
affection that's comm TO her in the
deal. hopes a wildoatrn tar me TO
pieces"
He knew what he would do. lie
would write 10 Garcia & Jones, his
San Antonio merchants where he
bought his supplies and sold his
big box OF novels and reading mat.
ter for Marthy. Things were go.
Ing 10 be different lie wondered
whether n little piano could be
placed in one OF the rooms OF the
ranch house without tho family hay.
Ing to move out OF doors.
In nowisc calculated 20 ailay his
selfreproach was the thought that
Marthy and Randy would have TO
pass that night alone. In spite Of
their chickering's. when night came
Marthy was wont to dismiss her
fears of the country. and rest her
head upon Sans strong arm with
a sigh of peaceful content and de-
pendence. And were her fears 10
groundless7 Sam thought OF row.
ing. marauding Mexicans, OF
stealthy cougars that sometimes In
vadcd the ranches, OF rattlesnakcs.
centipedes. and n dozen possible
dangers. Marthy would be frantic