The Pulaskian., 1921-02-03
CHAPTER VIII-continued.

Shelby visioned all this in his mem- ory, questioning his chance of 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 h. dian accessories had ridden on. anx- ious to reach this security with as lit tie delay as possible. But would Shel- 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 mo conscious thought of himself, cold ly and deliberately counting the chances, and decided to make the at- tempt.
 # Convinced as to his duty, and urged to it by the personal interest he felt in t the girl, Shelby cast all hesitaney aside. He would make the attempt: fortune had surely favored him thus NldI, anu ullSuL dSdLl. I16 WpnJ DdCK 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 nal, desirous only at present of keep 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- strativa, 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 well 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 tdesert, white with alkali. It was tttiu ucNoiu even Ol dHiihdI UT UlIu ille, Waterless and forlorn, avoided even by Indians except for concealment. In all those hours of darkness he heard no sound of life except the distant howl of coyote.
 The first faint gray of dawn gave him glimpse of his surroundings, and. on slight ridge of land, he finally
 z|eW up his tired mount, and gazed