The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-12-18
CHAPTER vII-continued.

CHAPTER VIl-Continued.
-
j. Yet II was actually true; impossible
as II seemed, 1t was nevertheless an
incontrOvertible fact. He had never
spoken to her single word of love
he had never even kissed her. and
still, before both God and man. she
was his wife. The strangeness of the
situation bewildered him. Why, he
did not even know who she was
what right she had to claim the family
name under which he had married
her; what strange story of crime
might shadow her history. 1t was all
mystery. mystery in which he was
becoming deeply involved. Calkins
had evidently been hiding her from
some fate. hut whether of good or
evil. could not yet be determined. This
present abduction. beyond question,
had to do with that concealed past,
perhaps with some happening before
she was even born. These fellows
were not robbers; their raid was not
intended for any such purpose: they
had touched nothing even the horses
we're left undisturbed In the corral.
and the moment they gained posses
sion Of her they had hurriedly depart
ed. II had all been carefully planned.
with Macklin to choose the time. and
then executed quietly. Their only mis-
take was in leaving him behind alive
But for that one error no one ever
would have known what had occurred
or dreamed of her fate. And now. as
sured Of safety. believing the dead
would tell no tales. that they had left
behind no evidence of their crime. the
outfit was riding carelessly across the
lonely prairie. seeking somewhere a
safe rendezvous.
Shelby refined his horse to the left.
and sought water hole he remem-
bered, himself drinking first, and then
standing by while the animal quenched
It's thirst. Leaving the buckskin there.
with rein trailing on the ground. he
climbed the steep side of butte. and
swept the distant horizon with a field
glass 1t was trackless waste. drear
and deserted of all life. Not a thing
that moved crossed his range of
vision; and, at last, he snapped the
field glasses back into their case,
slipped down the steep face of the
butte. and silently remounted.
The sun was some time past the
meridian. and he felt convinced those
he followed could not be far from the
trail he was endeavoring to locate. He
came upon II In less than an hour
leading straight down a narrow VAL
ley. whose general course was directly
west. He dismounted. and studied the
tracks with care. This was his party
beyond doubt-flve horses, one with
a split hoof.
An hour later he found where the
party had halted. made a fire among
some rocks and prepared food. He
studied every sign with care. hoping
for some message of guidance from
her; but there was none. Either she
had been too carefully watched by her
captors. or had given up in despair
any thought of rescue. Doubtless she
believed him dead also; perhaps had
even Witnessed the blow struck. but if
not would assuredly have been in
formed of what had happened. The
stamping of the ponies hoofs indi-
Gated that the party had remained in
that spot for some time. In no hurry
to proceed. Shelby studied the foot
prints, satisfying himself that four
were Indian, and one white. unaues-
ficnabiy MackIin. With only five
horses this meant that the girl rode
with one Of the men. probably the Kid.
He discovered where she probably
was sitting during the meal. torn
piece of crumpled sacking bearing
mute testimony that her hands had
been bound. and released so that she
might eat The fellows were evident
ly unafraid of her any longer, and
Ind not tied her up again when they
resumed the journey.
1t was nearly shutdown when the
trail he followed swerved 10 the right
=, steep bank. where the ponies
foofs slipped in their struggle to at
tain the top. Shelby gave the buck
skin his head. and the game little
devil went scrambIing up. until they
came forth on fiat plain above. Shell
nv dropped his rein. and climbed to
a higher point Of rock. lying concealed
behind les summit. while he swept the
scene below through the field glasses.
He never had been there before. yet
ne knew about where he was: this
must be Dragon creek. and not far
below would be Wolves hole. OF which
ne often had heard--a famous hiding
RAaaa Cor cattle thieves and border