The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-02-11
EMPOWER,

ranch 10 In them box stall. Thezn's
c"aiey. guess you don want
Coaiey. huh7"
Lance bit his Zip. looking at Sam
Pretty Cow intentiy.
You needn't catch up a horse for
me. sam. III ride Coaiey," he said
smoothly. Which brought sur
prised grunt from Sam Pretty Cow
indian tho he was. accustomed the
he was TO tho ways OF the Lorrigans
nut u was not his affair II Lance
and his father quarreied when Tom
returned. Indeed. Tom might not
return very room. In which case he
would not hear anything about
I.ance's audacity.
Lance returned n the house. lie
presently carne down the path again,
this time with a blanket roll. On
his head was black stotson. one OF
Toms discarded old hats.
lie led coaley from tho box stall
where he had never before seen him
stand. saddicd him. mounted and rode
down tho trail. following the hooi
prints that showed freshest.
The tracks led up tho road 10 ths
Ridge. For a long way he skirted
tho rim OF rock that edged the shecr
bluff.
iIo had gone perhaps a mile aionr
the bluff when Coalcy began to perh
his ears backward. turning now and
then TO look. Lance was sunk toe
deep In bitter introspeetion TO oh
serve h-s. first warning movements
which every horscman knows. II,
was thinking Of Mary Hope.
What Douglas had shouted hoarse
ly was not true. Of course. Hs did
no, believe--and yet. there was San
Pretty Cow. implying much while h
actually sald very little. there wni
this unhrraidrd departure OF all th'
DEVILS Tooth riders In tho night. II
tho season between round ups. Their
was coaicy feeling tit for anything
shut up In the box stall whlie Ton
rode another horse.
Where faint. little used trail
went obliruciy down the bluff to th'
creek bottom. Lance naw again tn
footprints which tho rocky grouns
had failed 20 reveal
| lie had covered half the distance
TO sauaw Creek wheh Coaiey agai'
called his attention TO something be
hind him. This time Lance giimpse'
what looked very much like tn
crown Of hat moving In n dry wasl
that he had crossed not more thai
five minutes before. lie pulled up
studied IN. contour OF the Trounl
behind him. looked ahead. saw TN
mark Of n ahod hoof between tw'
rocks. FARTHER up tho valley Lane
turned. rodc deep into tho hpars'
growth. stopped where tho trail
swung round huge. dotaeho'
boulder. dlnmoun,ed and rctraccd HI
steps sUno distance from tho trail
stepping on rocks here and there an'
keeping off damp spotx
He reached the thin edge Of tn
| grove. stood behind q stocky busf
and waited In two or three minutes
M saw tho head and shoulders Of 4
rider jus, emerging from the gull,
he himself had no lately followed.
Back on coaiey. following ths
winding trail. Lance pondcrcd tbs
matter. Tho way tho had come wai
no hixhway--no trail that any rider
would follow on any business save
one. but Just why should he be fol
lowed,
He frowned thouRhtfufiy. turned
Coaiey toward homs and rode swift,
In . long. distance devouring iope.
lie reached tho ranch somewhere
near 10 O'Clock. surprising Belle In
the act Of hnrncssing her pintos
Belle stared ut him roundcycd over
tho backs OF her team.
My good Lord. Lancet You--you
could b. Toms twin. In that hat and
on that horse. what you been doing
doubling for him In a Icad'''
Lance swung down and came
toward her. Belle. where did dad
and the boys go7"
"Oh--fissing with the stock" raid
Belle vaguely. her eyes clouding a
little. We're getting. no many cat.
tic II keeps Tom on the 30 day and
night. And he viii keep buying more
all the while. Did--did you want 10
20 with them, honey? ] guess Tom
never thought you might. You've
been away 40 long You'd better not
ride Coaley. Lance. Tom would just
about murder you II he caught you
NJ Il. And where did you get hold
OF that hat,"
Lance laughed queeriy. II JUS,
picked IL off IN. table as oamc out.
Mine IL too new and stiff yet. And
Coaley's better off under the saddle
that he Is In the stable. Belle"
He caught Belle In n quick. breath
taking hug. kissed her swiftly on the
cheek and wont into the house.
In tho house Lance was kneeling
before a trunk. When his fingers.
prying deep among his belongings.
closed upon the thing he sought. he
brought up n binocular. small but
extremely efficient in their magnify.
Ing power. lie slapped them into his
pocket. From tho mantcl in the liv.
ing room he CLEANED n box OF car.
tridgcs for an extra six.shooter.
THE horse and the hat; he thought
II was dad he was trailingr' he snid
to himself. with his teeth clamped
tight together. "oh. well. whom II
comes TO that kind OF game"
Uo wen. out and down 10 tho cor.
raj. watered Coaley and mounted
again.
Up the slide trail Lance rode.
coaley climbed briskly. contcntedly
rolling the cricket In his bit.
Coaiey duckcd sidewisc, and Lance
raised his head. Down the rough
trail rode n big cowpuncher with
sun.reddencd face and an air OF great
WEAKNESS. His horse plodded wear.
lily. The rider looked at Lance with
eyes, the inflamcd lids
showing slcepIess nights.
'TIow'r yuh7" he greeted perfume
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