The Winslow mail., 1923-11-09
BY RANDALL PARRISH
Copyright by a. c. MeClus 6 Co.

"Where does this northern gang
come from?"
"Out of Calabasis, senor, by way of
the river"
'Then they will enter down below,
through the gorge. This is no place
for us. Suppose they were delayed
last night, and took u chance to come
on this morning by daylght-and why
not? They'd be under rock cover all
the last part Of the way. It's beyond
here that they'd have the open desert
to cross. Let's ride down there and
wait. Saddle up, both Of you; there
is just as good camping ground down
below"
Within five minutes the three were
trotting soberly down the valley. Not
one of them glanced back, and Deb0-
rah lifting her head higher and higher
to peer after them through the brush
screen, watched until they disappeared
entirely about the sharp protuberance
of rock, which marked the end Of the
vista. Kelleen had done this pur-
pOsely; his conversation with these
men had been largely carried on for
her benefit and guidance. He knew
where she was; that she could easily
overhear. Through these means he
endeavored to convey to her unsus-
pected the complete situation in
which he was involved. and then, this
accomplished, he had inyeigled the two
unsuspecting MeXicanS away, thus Civ
ing her opportunity to escape unseen.
Deborah was not yet wholly con-
vfnced OF the mans innocence. In
spite of his evident intention of shield
ing her from discovery, his intimate
association with Bob Meager, the lln-
derstanding between him and San
chez, was. seemingly proof positive
that he was an important link in this
conspiracy. The man was endeavoring
to make her think otherwise, but the
doubt of him fingered in her mind. In
the night she had begun to trust, to be-
lieve; the fellows very recklessness
and good humor had been attractive
her vague suspicion seemed to vanish
ia, his presence But now this doubt re-
turned with redoubled vigor, and, for
the moment, she actually feared him
as much as the man she had tried to
kill. More, perhaps, for Meager was
only rough, passionate brute, while
the very nature of Kelleen rendered
him far more dangerous adversary.
If he also was Interested in her-and
the girl felt that he WaS-She was in
greater danger now than on the ranch
from which she had fed. She shrank
from the thought, yet it haunted her,
and would not be driven away. Where
could she go? What could she do to
escape the mans return? Suicidal,
impossible as it appeared, she must
find some means Of leaving that fatal
valley before he came back again
alone seeking her.
The girl drew back slowly, with
eyes searching the open valley, intent
first of all on reaching the horse graz
ing below. The only possible way was
the one she had taken in climbing
there, along a ledge of stone close in
against the rock wall. The whole face
of the cliff was a mass of trailing
vines, clinging in some mysterious way
to imperceptible crevices in, the rock,
completely yelling its front far up
above her reach. Deborah pressed
these back to gain passage, and had
advanced a dozen steps or more, when
she stopped, paralyzed with fear, star
ing into two terrifying eyes. She
could not move a limb, or scream in
that first instant of horror. Then a
hand reached out swept the conceal
ing vines aside, and gripped her.