Phoenix tribune., 1922-09-02
CHAPTER ~

Wond2rment which got nowhere.
The sheriff's car returned before Fair
child reached the bottom of the grade,
and again stopped. to survey the scene
of defeat
Dangerous character?" Fairchild
hardly knew why he asked the ques
lion. The sheriff smiled grlmly.
"lf it was the fellow we were after
he was plenty dangerous We were
trailing him on word from Denver
described the car and said he'd pulled
a daylight hold-up on a pay-wagon
for the Smelter company-so when
the car went through Golden, we took
up the trail couple Of blocks behind.
He kept the same speed for a little
while until one of my deputies got a
little anxious and took a shot at a
tire. Man, how he turned on the juice !
thought that thing was jack rabbit,
the way it went up the hill / guess
it's us back to the Office"
The automobile went its way then,
and Fairchild his, still wondering
And so thoroughly did the incident en-
had come to full stop behind him,
and driver mingled a shout with the
footing of his horn, that he turned to
allow its passage.
Didn't hear you, old man." he apol-
ogized. "Could you give a fellow a
liftT
Guess So" 1t was friendly, even
though bit disgruntled; "hop on"
And Fairchild hoped, once more to
sit on the tailboard, swinging his legs,
but this time his eyes saw the ever
changing scenery without noticing 1t.
In spite of himself, Fairchild found
himself constantly staring at vision
Of pretty girl in riding habit, with
dark-brown hair straying about
equally dark-brown eyes, almost fren-
zied in her efforts to change a fire in
time to elude pursuing sheriff. Some
way, it all didn't blend. If she hadn't,
committed some sort Of depreciation
against the law, why on earth was she
willing to part with ten dollars, mere
ly to save a few moments in changing
tire and thus elude a sheriff? If
there had been nothing wrong, could
not moment of explanation have sat
isfied anyone of the fact?
1t was too much for anyone, and
Fairchild knew 1t. Yet he clung grim
ly to the mystery as the truck clat-
tered on, mile after mile. A small
town gradually was coming into view.
A mile more, then the truck stopped
with jerk
'Where you bound for, pardner%
''Ohadi"
"That's it, straight ahead 1 turn
off here. Miner"
Fairchild shrugged his shoulders
and nodded noncommittally
'Just thought I'd ask. Plenty of
work around here for single and
double jackers. Things are beginning
TO look up bit-at least in silver"
"Thanks. Do you know a good place
TO stop?"
"Yeh Mother Howards boarding
house Everybody goes there, sooner
or later, You'll see 1t on the left-hand
side of the street before you get to
tAAO OAONhs 0OOQ Olu gill hHOWS
how to treat anybody in the mining
game from operators on down. She
was here when mining was mining!"
Fairchild lifted his bag from the
rear Of the vehicle, waved a farewell
to the driver and started into the vii
lage And then the vision of the girl
departed, momentarily, to give place
to other thoughts, other pictures, of
day long gone
The sun was slanting low, throwing
deep shadows from the hills into the
little valley with its chattering. milk
white stream, softening the scars of
the mountains with their great refuse
dumps; reminders of hopes of twenty
years before and as bare of vegeta-
tion as in the days when the pick and
CAD and drill of the prospector tore
the rock loose from its hiding place
under the surface of the ground The
scrub pines of the almost barren
mountains took on fluffier, softer
tone; the jutting rocks melted away
into their own shadows; it was a pic
ture of peace and of memories.
And 1t had been here that Thornton
Fairchild. back in the nineties, had
dreamed his dreams and fought his
fight A sudden cramping caught the
sons heart, and it pounded with some
thing akin to fear. The old forebod-
ing of his fathers letter had come
upon him, the mysterious thread of
that elusive, intangible Thing great
enough to break the will and resist
ance Of strong man and turn him
into a weakling-silent, white-haired
sitting by a window, waiting for
death What had it been2 Why had
1t come upon his father? How could
1t be fought7 He brushed away the
beady perspiration with gesture al