The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-10-04
Gift of the Desert

ulu"h HE bcfOtNtts uHu HStN /" INV
lessly In his hand,
"You are such a dirty, low-down
brute" he said coldly. 1T would really
be a pleasure 70 put you out Of the
world. sometimes wonder why /
don't. The Mex tells me you got mar
ried last night. Was II the real thing
this timer"
THAT'S none of your ID business"
perhaps not, but let's be social
while we are together. Partners cdght
not to quarrel. Surprises me you
should desert the fair bride 30 soon.
You seem TO have your head wrapped
up-couldn't be a love tap, could itf'
Meagers temper obtained full con-
troll at this unpleasnntry.
Ill, I was drunk |" he growled
~viciously. But she'll pay for 1t, the
next time l get hands on the wench."
80, she got away, them Lord,
Bob, I always thought you was a
woman tanner. This one IL Of another
sort. then, than those you are accus-
toned to handling doesn't take kind
ly to the cave-man sturf
shell take Il, all right, the On
little vixen. She hit me when I vas
drunk, and then got away hid in the
old lady's room, ! reckon, for couldn't
And her nowhere. But I'll bring the
girl out o. there tonight, by Cd, an
she won't have no drunk man to deal
with neither"
Kelleen laughed, evidently well sat
isfed with what he had learned, and
having no further desire to add to
Meager's discontinue. His FESTIVE
horse suddenly sprnng forward under
the quick thrust Of the mans heel,
crushing through the tangle Of sage,
and up the steep bank to the level of
the desert above Deborah had barely
time to sink her body lower into the
sand behind her covert, when the
startled animal swept past. one hoof
scarcely missing her. Meager, with
an oath, swung a hand back TO his PTS
tol butt. yet was already too late
Kelleen had gone over the crest, the
faint echo Of a laugh floating behind
him tantalizingly.
All the girl could do was to remain
silently where she lay behind that
cluster Of sage. II was already grow
ing dusk. and shadows hung over the
gully, becoming deeper with every
passing moment. II she had escaped
observation 81 far she would soon be
perfectly safe. And she was-she was |
The certainty was like a glass Of
wine. the blood coming back to her
heart. her pulse steadying. Kelleen
had ridden on, e pausing; she
could hear the dull thud Of his horses
hoofs In the sand. until the sound died
away In the distance. And Meager
stood there, revolver In hand. cursing
smpotently; finally leaping forward
across the gully to where he could
stare out over the edge Of the hank
toward where his enemy had disap-
peared. Neither man. then. had seen
her; yet she dare not move. or attempt
to change position; the slightest mo-
ton might mean betrayal. She shrank
even closer in the shadow waiting.
Would Meager stay there, or 90 away?
In truth, Of the two men she dreaded
him the least, despising the fellow so
thoroughly as to have largely lost her
fear-but Kelleen! She was actually
afraid OF him. II she had still retained
any lingering doubt MS TO what he was,
that doubt had entirely vanished dur
ing this conversation. The mar had
worm no mask talking with Bob Mea-
ger; made no attempt to disguise
himself. She recognized him now as
thief and border desperate, no better,
probably, than those he associated
with-and far more dangerous.
II seemed to Deborah as though
that dimly outlined figure standing at
the edge OF the bank would v
move. Els actions. and certain NUT
tered words, aroused her interest, and
held her In concealment watching his
every movement. The fellow pur-
posed something--but whatf These
surely were night glasses through
which he searched the horizon. cross
ing from side TO side OF the ravine,
and lying fiat on the sand while sweep
ing the circle before him inch by inch.
Evidently nothing was discovered to
awaken suspicion, for he came back
to his horse and loosened a long rope
coiled about the saddle pommel. and.
with this OF his arm. tramned down
the gully, within a yard Of where
she lay. his figure fading almost In
stantly into the darker shadows below.
At that moment the girp scarcely
conceived what his mission might be.
Her whole mind seemed to concentrate
on the opportunity for escape which
his absence offered. She arose crouch
ng upon her feet. yet hesitated an In
slant, feeling a sudden curiosity to
learn what Meager might be searching
for. He could not go far, for the ra.
vine ended abruptly against a rock
wall. She had a mental picture of the
scene. Good G--di could the man be
seeking after that narrow openins
through which she had Just escaped
Could II be possible he knew Of Ia
presence tharef where II led9 the sc
cret Of that mysterious tunnel In thu
cliff
The opportunity to escape was nov
open: Meager had entirely disappeared
ii the darkness; she could no longer
oxon d~isftnruIgh the sound Of tn,