The Raymer enterprise., 1921-04-21
CHAPTER !.
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Return o. ths Wandsrsr.

Return Of the Wanderer.
Shelby, alone In the blackboard,
drove to the summit Of the ridge. halt.
ing the broncs. AZ his eyes swept over
the scene outspread below. The ami
mails, their dusty sides streaked with
sweat, stopped willingly after their
sixty-mile trip from the Cottonwood.
Below was q deep. narrow valley.
In the midst Of which Ponca spread
ont along the bank Of the creek that
gave the town its name. To Shelby,
wearied with the dull plains. here was
Q scene Of beauty.
Just beyond there was life, fresh.
luxuriant, sweet: running water, lusci.
Gus green grass, and above all, that
which he craved most, human COM
panionship. To be sure, he knew
Ponca Of old, and possessed no illu.
sions. Ugly. dirty, unkempt, Ponca
made no pretense to either cleanli.
ness. or respectabillty: II possessed
no pride. no hope Of q future. It
seemed to recognize its destiny. and
be content, mere mushroom town Of
the frontier, an adjunct Of the cattle
trade. permitted to flourish today. but
- certainly doomed to perish tomor.
row.
The man who sat there on the ridge
gazing down. the reins held Idly In
his hand, his eyes following the wind.
ing Of the valley, was perfectly nat.
ural part Of the picture-he belonged.
Beneath the tan and dust was a
smoothly shaven face, face Of
twant; five, or twenty-six, the features
strong, nose somewhat prominent. lips
firm and full. with dark-gray eyes
shadowed by heavy lashes. In truth,
he appeared all man, certain reck-
iess gayety about MIN not to be mis-
taken. yet as evidently not to he light
ly taken advantage Of.
1T certainly beats h-l," he NUT.
tered, unconsciously aloud. shat a
man should dream about visiting
dump like this. Shows what sort o.
place Cottonwood 10 to make a fellow
homesick for Ponca. Town looks
kinder dead; no cattle In the corrals.
HI. what's the difference? There'll
be some Of the old bunch hangin'
round. an well make things hum for
awhile. Come. broncs. jog along Let's
show Ponca we're live outfit"
II was q rough. curving descent, the
trail in places barely wide enough for
The wheels, but the driver never lost
control. guiding the broncos with ex-
pert hand, until they finally swung
about the edge Of great rock at the
bottom, and went charging at full
xdilop Into the main street. To better
express the exuberance Of his feelings
at this return to civilization. and IN.
neunce bic arrival. Shelby whipped ont
his gun and began shattering the at.
mssphere. driving the animals frantic
% ~ sharp reports rang out over
their baeks.
But u any sensation was expected.
Il signally failed to materialise. Poncs
remained deserted, and unimpressed.
Long expesiencs had either rendered
the Inhabitants Indifferent to such Z
display. o. else the town had gone
utterly dead. The silence and desols.
ton caused Shelby to utter 40 oath.
and suddenly swing his team up to
hitcbing rack In front Of McCarthy's
saloon, the door Of which stood IN.
willingly open. An instant the per-
picked driver at there. staring grim.
y about from end to end Of the de-
serted street.
"what the bill" be CALCULATED at
last, sis up anyhowf b this grave
yard Tve got intoi Lord. II can't be
an the boys have got ont: but some
thing IL sure dead wrong. Well. Macs
open anyhow. RI 60 In and And out"
BE sprang ont over the wheel. stiff.
fened from the long ride. yet standing
erect nevertheless, and strobe up the
sAloop steps and in through the open