The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1923-08-11

other members OF the party appeared
on the cliff above. They were In ex-
cellent spirits, appearing to treat the
matter as huge joke.
Ambrose put Christine on a horse
and rode away through the pines;
frankie Slade did likewise with Helen.
Stewart led Madeline's horse up to
her, helped her to mount, and spoke
one stern word, "WaitW Then as fast
as one of the women reached the level
she was put upon horse and taken
away by cowboy escort. Few words
were spoken. Haste seemed to be the
great essential. The horses were
urged, and, once in the trail. spurred
and led into a swift trot. One cowboy
drove up four pack-horses, and these
were hurriedly loaded with the party's
baggage. Castleton and his COM
panions mounted, and galloped off to
catch the others in the lead. This left
Madeline behind with Stewart and
Nels and Monty.
They're goin' to switch of at the
boiler tibet heads near the trail few
miles down." Nels was saying, as he
frightened his saddle-girth. 'Thet hol-
lsr heads into q big canyon. Once in
tibet, it'll be every man fer hisself. I
reckon there won't be anythin' wuss
than a rough ride"
Nels smiled reassuringly at Made
line, but he did not speak to her.
Monty took her canteen and filled it
at the spring and hung it over the
pommel of her saddle. He put couple
Of biscuits in the saddle-bag.
"Don't fergit to take drink an q
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 astride
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 handing him a
rifle. Then the pines hid her view.
Once in the trail, Stewards horse
broke into a gallop. Majesty changed
his gait and kept at the blacks heels.
Stewart called back warning. The
low, wide-spreading branches Of trees
might brush Madeline out of the sad
die. Fast riding through the forest
along a crooked, obstructed trail called
forth all her alertness.
Before long Stewart wheeled at right
angles off the trail and entered hol-
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 q
dead halt by Stewart and his horse
blocking the trail. Looking up, she
saw they were at the head of a can
yon that yawned beneath and widened
it's gray-walled, green-patched slopes
down to a black forest of fir. Retract-
ing her gaze, Madeline saw pack
horses cross an open space a 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, zigzagging
an intricate course through the rough
est ground Madeline had ever ridden
over. He crashed through cedars,
threaded tortuOus way among
bOulders, made his horse slide down
slanting banks Of soft earth, picked a
slow and cautious progress across
weathered slopes Of loose rock. Made
line followed, finding in this ride a
tax on strength and judgment. 1t was
dust and heat, a parching throat, that
caused her to think of time; and she
was amazed to see the sun sloping to
the west. Stewart never stopped; he
never looked back; he never spoke.
"After mile or 50 of easy travel
the ground again began to fall de-
cidedly, sloping In numerous ridges,
<..NIHh,