The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-10-24
Bv Randall Parrish
CoDvdsht by A. c. MeClurs s Co.

Il plant him, after these others clear on!
3 Casebeer's outfit must be through b,
> this time. Go on down and start back
. You paid him?"
"Si, senior; he never unload till
do he what you call 'hard-boil.'"
Hes hard-bolled, all right, but BY
Cd, he's got to hold his d-n tongue
/, over this deal I'll go on down with
you and have a final word with him
I'll tell that guy something he'll not
: forget. Come on; there's nothing
more for us to do up here"
Z 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
|
finally struggled to her feet, clinging
to the rock edge for support. 1t was
| all plain enough, yet she could not
| seem to think clearly, and her limbs
were so weak they would scarcely sup
port her body. Kelleen had been
killed, murdered. Meager had crept
up in the dark, and shot the man down
In In oil fad
against that CLEAN of fire. The victim
had toppled over the cliff, and, If MOI
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 a miracle,
and yet to what end? 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 unsupported. 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 slender chance
Assured at last that the men had |
really departed. 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. 1t was like night
mare, the horrid memory which haunt
ed her of Kelleen's body whirling
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.
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 Dan
lei Kelleen-and suddenly, unexpect-
eddy the girl realized what this last
meant to her. She refused to ac-
the truth, fought 1t back
here alone in the darkness, yet it
would not be altogether ignored. Dan
el Kelleen was dead-gone from out
Ter life forever-and there came into
Ter heart desire for revenge, mad
impulse to fifty punish the murderer. I
She longed to become the instrument ,
% prove her loyalty to him by action. {
Yet how? What was 1t possible for 4
Ter to do? 6
She stared helplessly about into the I
tense blackness of the desert, and up
It the desert stars overhead, her mind [
'bsessed with these questions. 1t was s
10 longer herself so much as the '
lroused memory Of him. She would I
AIRY on his work; she must at what
yer cost. But how? The cavalry &
men stationed at Box canyonl They v
we're waiting for the approach of G
,asebeer's outfit, or else some word S
# command from Kelleen. They g
ould not be far away over thereto t
he south he said, and he had pointed |,
n that direction. The stars would t
elp her to keep the points of the k
ompass until daylight came, and then Il
urely she could discern something 7
lse to steer her course by. She must Il
o on foot, straight out into the des- O
TT; there might not be one chance in Il
hundred Of her going right-yet the il
ne chance was better than remaining d
here for Bob Meager to find her. She v
'ould rather die miserably in the sand r,
taste than feel that wretch touch her a
gain; God, yes, the kiss of Death a
'ould be sweet, compared to the touch IL
his lips. She shuddered at the S,
hOuQhf His wtfo tho crhjact 90 b;e | !,