Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-08-30

hofcr tibet heads near ghe tran Z few
miles down." Nels was saying, as he
frightened his saddle girth. .-Thet hof-
l@ heads into a big canyo Once In
tibet, It'll be every man fer hisself. l
reckon there won't be anythin' wuM
than a rough ride"
NeIs smiled reassuringly at Made
line, but he did 0 speak TO her.
Monty took her canteen and filled IL
at the spring and hung IL over the
pommel of her saddle. He put a couple
OF biscuits In the saddle-bag.
Don't fergit TO take a drink an a
bite as you're ridin' along" he said
AN don't worry. Miss Majesty. Stew
art IL be with you, an me an Nels
hangin' on the back trail"
His somber and sullen face did not
change In Its strange intensity. but
the look In his eyes Madeline felt she
would never forget. Left alone with
these three men. now stripped of all
pretense. she realized how fortune had
favored her and what peril still hung
In the balance. Stewart swung astrids
his big black. spurred him. and whis-
tied. At the whistle Majesty Jumped,
and with swift canter followed Stew
art. Madeline looked back to see Nels
already up and Monty banding him &
rife. Then the pines Md her view.
Once In the trail, Stewards horse
broke into a gallop. Majesty changed
his gait and kept at the blacks heels.
G&an-arf ooI1ad haolr a .~o~ntp, Th1
low, wide-spreading branches of trees
might brush Madeline out of the sad
die. Fast riding through the forest
along q crooked, INSTRUCTED trail called
forth all her .alertness.
Before long Stewart wheeled at right
low between two low bluffs. Madeline
saw tracks In the open patches of
ground. Here Stewards horse took to
a brisk walk.
At last Madeline was brought to a
dead halt hy Stewart and his horse
blocking the trail. Looking up, she
saw they were at the head OF a can
yon that yawned beneath and wldened
its gray-walled, green-patched slopes
down to a black forest of FIR. Retract-
Ing her gaze, Madeline saw pack
cross an open space q mile be-
low, and she thought she saw the stag
hounds. Stewards dark eyes searched
the slopes high up along the craggy
escarpments. Then he put the black
to the descent.
He led off to the right, ~zlgzagging
an intricate curse through the rough
est ground Madeline had ever ridden
over. He crashed through cedars,
threaded a %tortuous way among
bouiders, made his horse slide down
5lanting banks of soft earth, picked a
and cautious progress across
slopes of loose rock. Made
line followed. finding In this ride a
on strength and judgment. 1t was
lust and heat; a parching throat, that
caused her to think of time; and she
was amazed to see the sun sloping TO
he west. Stewart never stopped; he
never looked back; he never spoke.
after a mile or so of easy travel
he ground again began to fall de
clOPAbN III NUMEROUS AAdECCs
With draws between. Soon night
ihadowed the deeper gullies. Madeline
vas refreshed by the cooling of the air.
Stewart Travelled slowly now. The
of coyotes seemed to startle him.
often he stopped to listen. And during
me of those intervals the silence was
,roken by sharp rifle shots. Madeline
,ould not tell whether they were heal
IT far, TO right or left. behind or be-
ore. Evidently Stewart was both
Harmed and baffied. He d~ismounted.
lie went cautiously forward to listen.
fadeline fancied she heard a cry, low
nd far away Ii was only that OF a
oyote, she convinced herself, yet 1t
so wailing, so human, that she
huddered. Stewart came back. He
Tipped the bride of both horses. and
y~~--- &c., -