Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-02-22
The Kisses He Had Dreamed Abou

The Kisses He Had Dreamed About.
"By gum, there he is now, Luck" /"
Sweeney's finger pointed to- an, ad-
vancing rider.
Cu1lison swung as on pivot IN time
to see some one drop into the dip In
the road, just beyond the corral. "Who
.Blackwell?"
"No. Cass."
Fendrick reappeared presently and
turned In at the lane. Cullison,
standing on the porch at the head Of
the steps looked like man. who was
passing through the inferno. But he
looked, too, personlfied day of judg-
ment untempered by mercy.
The sheepman spoke, looking
straight at his foe. I've just heard
the news. I was down at Yesler's
ranch when you 'phoned asking If they
had seen anything of Miss Cullison. !
came up. to ask you one question.
When was She seen last?"
"About ten o'clock this morning.
Why?"
IT saw her about noon. She was on
Mesa Verde, headed for Blue canon,
it looked like"
"Close enough to speak to herr" Sam
asked.
ayes. We passed the time Of day.
"And then?" Luck cut back into the.
conversation with voice like file.
"She went on toward the gulch and /
kept on to the ranch. The last saw
Of her she was going straight on. wed
better travel over toward Mesa Verde,
so as to be ready to start ut day
break"
,Cullison's gaze had never left him.
It observed, weighed, appraised. Good
enough. Wen start"
He left Sweeney to answer the tele-
phone while he was away. All OF his
other riders were already out combing
the hills under the supervision of
Curly. Luck had waited with Sam
only to get some definite information
before starting. Now he had his lead.
Fendrick was either telling the truth
or he was lying with some sinister pur-
pose in view. The cattleman meant to
know which.
The party pushed up the guIch as
rnpidly rs they could. The ashes Of
camp fire halted them few minutes
later. Scattered about lay the feath-
ers and dismembered bones of some
birds.
Cass stopped and picked up some of
the feathers. "Quails, I reckon. Miss
Culison had three tied to her saddle
horn when met her."
"Why did she come up here to cook
them?" Sam asked.
Luck was already Off bis horse. quar-
tering over the ground to read what 1t
might tell him.
-"She wasn't alone. There was q
man with her. See these tracksT"
1t was Fendrick who made the next
discovery. ITe had followed draw
for a short distance and climbed to
little mesa above. Presently he called
to Cullison.
Father and son hurried toward him.
The sheep owner was standing at the
edge of Il prospect hole pointing down
with his finger.
"SOme one has been in that pit re-
Gently, and he's been there several
days"
"rhen how did he get out?" Sam
asked.
Fendrick knelt on the edge of the
pit and showed him where rope had
been dragged so heavily that 1t had
cut deeply into the clay:
"Some one pulled him ont"
"iNhHt's ii mean anyhow? Kate
wasn't in that hole. was :;he?'
CaSS shook his head. "'rhS Is my
s,rrS>. Some one was coming SoHs
here in the dark and fell in. Suppose
Miss Clilisan heard him calling us she
came Il? the gulch. What would she
do?"
Come up and help the-fellow out"
"Sure. she would. And If he was
hungry-as he likely was-slc would
cook iIcr quail for him."
"And then? Why didn't she come
home?"