The Holbrook news., 1921-06-03
CHAPTER VIII-continued.

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 Shelby visioned all this in his mem- Ory, questioning his chance O. ever successfully invading such a spot with out arousing suspicion. It 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 1t by the personal interest he felt in the girl. Shelby cast all hesitancy aside. He would make the attempt 1; 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. It was a dark, clear night, the stars overhead like lamps in the sky, the air cool and fresh. He turned the pony up the val ley, making no effort to hurry the ami anl s,k l. ing well in the rear of the two horse men ahead. He knew the course they would take. must take. up the valley of the Dragoon as far as the great bend. and then across the plateau un- 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. It 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 it 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 we'll beyond the range of his own cattle, or any region he had ever hunted over. All about stretched the desert of the Bad Lands: he could picture in his mind the scene presented from those bluffs, either of broken. rocky country. or dismal desert, white with alkali. It was a land devoid even of animal or ird life, waterless and forlOrn. avoided even by all those hours of darkness he heard no sound of life except the distant howl of a coyote.
 The first faint gray of dawn rave him glimpse of his surroundings, and, on a slight ridge of land, he finally drew up his tired mount, and gazed curfously about. He dismounted, and, after few moments scrutiny of the ground. decided that he was still safe Iy on the trail of those travelling ahead. There were two traces suffi- ciently defined to indicate the passage within a few hours of both Macklin's party, and the two others. Neither outfit had made any effort at conceal ment, but Shelby. fearing the latter might be camped for breakfast, left his horse to crop on the short grass, while he advanced on foot. The trail was obscure. but not difficult to fol- low when once discovered. Hanley