The Bossier banner., 1921-01-20

youth. the service she had done him
these would not count q straw. Hc
was lost to all the instincts of honor
that govern even hard desperate men
Of his class.
They struck into the mountains. fol-
lowing cattle trail that wound up
ward with devious twists. The man
rode. and the girl walked In front with
the elastic ughtness. the unconscious
dexuous grace Of poise given her body
by an outdoor life. By 4nsk .,e. were
up ID the headwaters :. .Oe creeks.
The resilient muscles Of tne girl had
lost their spring. She moved wearily.
her feet dragging heavily SO that some
times she staggered when the ground
was rough. Not once had the man Of.
fered her the horse. He meant to be
fresh. ready for any emergency that
might come. Moreover. 1t pleased his
small soul to see the daughter of Luck
Cullison tagged and exhausted but still
answering the spur Of his urge.
The moon was up before they came
1pon q tent shining In the cold silvery
light. Beside It was q sheetiron stove.
hox. the ashes Of camp fire. and q
side Of bacon hanging from the limb
Of stunted pine. Cautiously they
stole forward.
The camp was for the time deserted.
No doubt its owner. q Mexican sheep
herder In the employ Of Fendrick and
Dominguez. was out somewhere with
his flock.
Kate cooked q meal and the convict
ate. The girl was too tired and anx-
ious to care for food. but she made
herself take little. They packed the
saddlebags with bacon. beans. coffee
and -four. Blackwell frightened again
the cinches and once more tfe two
took the trail.
They made camp in pocket open
ing from gulch far up In the hills.
With her own reata he fastened her
hands behind her and tied the girl Sc
curely to the twisted trunk Of Joshua
tree. To make sure Of her he lay on
the rope. both hands clinched to the
rife. In five minutes he was asleep,
but It was long before Kate could es-
cape from wakefulness. At last she
fell into troubled catnaps
From one OF these she awoke to see
that the morning light was sitting
through the darkness. She was shiver-
ing with the chill Of an Arizona noun
tain night. Turning her body, the girls
eyes fell upon her capto-. He was
looking at her In the way that no de-
cent man looked at woman. Her I'm
pulse was to scream. to struggle to her
feet and run. What did he mean?
What was he going to do?
But something warned her this
would precipitate the danger. She
called upon her courage and tried to
still the fearful tumult in her heart.
Somehow she succeeded. A scornful
confident pride flashed from her eyes
into his. It told him that for his life
he dared not lay finger upon her In
the way Of harm. And he knew II was
true, knew that II he gave way to his
desire no hole under heaven would be
deep enough to hide him from the ven
geance Of her friends.
He got sullenly to his feet. "Come
Wen be going"
Within the hour they saw. some Of
his hunters. A wisp Of smoke rose
from the basin below. Grouped about
It were three men eating breakfast.
Don't make 4 sound" warned
Blackwell.
His rife covered her. With all her
soul she longed to cry for help. But
she dared not take the risk. Even as
the two on the edge Of the bowl with
drew from sight one Of the campers
rose and sauntered 10 little grove
where the ponies were tethered. The
distance was too far to make sure, but
something IN the gait made the girl
sure that the man was Curly. Her
hands went out to him In piteous lit
tie gesture Of appeal.
She was right Il was Curly. He
was thinking Of her at that momen,
despairinsly. but no bell of warning