The Holly chieftain., 1923-12-13
Bv Randall Parrish
Css,sish. b. AC. MeQu.s s c..

plant him. after these others clear out.
Casebeer's outfit must be through by
this time. Go on down and start back.
You paid him7"
"Si. senior; he never unload till /
do; he what you call 'hard-boil.'
"He's hard-boiled, all right. but by
Cd. he's got to hold his d-n tongue
over this deall I'll go on down with
you and have final word with him.
I'll tell that guy something he'll not
forget Come on; there's nothing
more for us to do mp here"
The frightened girl, crushed into
the shallow hole, half beneath the
shadowing rock, dare not stir for some
time. The men might decide to re-
turn; some dim suspicion might enter
their minds, causing them to retrace
their steps. She could see nothing.
her face pressed hard against the
sand, and the sound Of the two died
away quickly. At last, unable to re-
main in that posture longer, she eau
tiously lifted her head and gazed
about into the darkness. There was
nothing to be seen or heard, and she
finally struggled to her feet, clinging
to the rock edge for support. 1t was
all plain enough. yet she could not
seem 10 think clearly, and her limbs
were so weak they would scarcely sup
port her body. Keileen had been
killed. murdered. Meager had crept
up in the dark, and shot. the man down
In cold blood as he stood silhouetted
against that CLEAN of fire. The victim
had toppled over the cliff. and. II not
already dead from the bullet, must
have been crushed into pulp on the
rocks below.
These facts came home more and
more visibly to the girls mind. She
had escaped discovery as by miracle
and yet to what end7 She was alone.
lost. without either horse or weapon
to aid her In escape. Both animals
had disappeared In the desert night,
her revolver had gone down with Kel-
leen. But one slender bit Of fortune
remained-her presence there. was
still unsuspected. The man whose
discovery she had most reason to
dread yet believed her back at the
ranch, hiding from him behind locked
doors, but helpless to escape his re-
turn. How she had ever evaded his
recognition was a mystery, yet. thank
God! she had: and this fact alone
gave her q slender chance.
Assured at last that the men had
really departed. a measure of strength
returning as she moved her limbs and
faced the realities. Deborah crept
back upon the fiat surface of the rock,
and gazed frightened into those dizzy
depths below. II was like a night
mare, the horrid memory which haunt
ed her Of Kelleen's body whlrling
down through that glare Of red light.
But by then the light had faded, the
distant fire having died down to red
ash. and her eyes were unable to
penetrate the gloom beneath. She
stared into a black void, seeing no
movement. hearing no sound. The
awful silence and loneliness crushed
her spirit.
What could she dot Where could
she go? Not to those men there In
the valley surely; not to Bob Meager,
asking for mercy and release. He
was impossible; her bitter hatred Of
him more intense than ever. To all
the wrong done her in the past was
added now this brutal murder of Dam
lei kelleen-and suddenly, unexpect-
edly the girl realized what this last
meant to her. She refused to ac-
knowledge the truth, fought 1t back
there alone In the darkness, yet 1t
would not be altogether ignored Dan
lei Kelleen was dead-gone from out
her life forever-and there came into
her heart desire for revenge a mad
impulse TO fifty punish the murderer.
She longed to become the instrument
to prove her loyalty to him by action.
Yet how? What was 1t possible for
her to do?
She stared helplessiy about into the
dense blackness Of the desert. and up
at the desert stars overhead. her mind
obsessed with these questions. 1t was
no longer herself so much rs the
aroused memory of him. She would
carry on his work she must at what
ever cost. But how? The cavalry
men stationed at Box canyon! They
were waiting for the approach Of
Casebeer's outfit. or else some word.
Of command from Kelleen. They
could not be far away over thereto
the south he said, and he had pointed
In that direction. The stars would
help her to keep the points of the
compass until daylight came, and then
surely she could discern something
else to steer her course by. She must
go on foot, straight out into the des-
ert; there might not be one chance in
hundred of her going right-yet the
one chance was better than remaining
there for Bob Meager TO find her She
would rather die mfSerably in thp sand