The Holly chieftain., 1923-08-23
RimrOck Trail
u. ri wise oookis up to what ",

IL was more thAn doubtful Wnetnef
the three ever intended for 4 second
to allow Cookie to share in the ran
som money. but Plimsoll easily per
suaded him that he would be a part
ner. adding that It would be foolish
! to let all the riders into the pot
"She's Molly Casey Of the Casey
mine," he told him. SANDY Bourke's
her guardian. Wen make him come
through with twenty or thirty thou
sand, sabe? But there amt enough
to 60 all round and make a showing" !"
Cookie was q willing rascal and a
natural adept at the double-cross. He
raised no objections and the trap was
set and sprung.
"You 60 ahead. Cookie, and open
up the gate" said Plimsoll. Hahn
and Butch were. speeding Donald
Keith on his way with close-fung bull
let's. .T'm going to have little pri-
vate talk with this lady. 60 to the
cabin and get some grub ready.
There's plenty there. Spread your
self. Wen be along In a little while.
That was 4 nice job of ropipg you
did. won't forget it.s
"Allus c'ud lass fair to middlin,,"
grinned the man through yellow,
stumpy teeth. that's why I tote =
rope. An sure had 4 purity target"
Plimsoll scowled at him and he rode
OF. Molly, the lar1at twisted about
her upper body from shoulders to
waist. constructing her arms, fastened
where she could not reach 1t, BY q
hitch, sat on Blaze, looking with
steady contempt at Plimsoll. who held
her bride rein. He regarded her with
sleek complacency and then his eyes
slowly travelled over her rounded fig-
ure. accentuated by her riding tog-
gerry.
"Grown to be quite q beauty, quite
woman. Molly. my DEAR" he said.
Never should have suspected you'd
turn out such wonder. Clothes
make the woman, but 1t takes 4 prop
or figure to set them OF. And you've
got all Of that"
what are you going to do with
met" she asked. ~
"rm not going to tell you-yet. It
depends upon circumstances, my dear.
Well all have little chat after lunch.
I'd take that rope of II wasn't
afraid might lose you. You are
quite precious"
She looked through him a. II he
had been sheet Of glass. From her
nrst sight of him. back In childhood,
she had known instinctively the man
was evil. But she was not afraid
The blood that ran In her veins was
pure and bore In Its crimson flood the
sturdy heritage Of pioneers who had
outfaced dangers Of death and tor
ture. She was all Westerner. The
blood was fighting blood. She felt 1t
urged In her pulses while her brain
bade her bide her time. Rage mount
ed as she faced the possible issues of
this canture. the Haunting dismissal
Of young Keith. She heard the laugh
ter that followed the rifle shots and
surmised that they were having their
idea Of Joke with the lad.
II he got back-then Sandy would
come after her. She was very sure
Of Sandy and that he would hnd her.
Until he did she must use her wits.
And Grit, gallant Grit, wounded and
lying in the chaparral!
Though she still gazed through
Plimsoll rather than at him. the
scorn showed in her eyes and bit
through his assumption Of ease a.
acid bites through skin. eating its
way on. He burned to wipe out his
own trickeries. his cowardice. his fall
ures, to wreak a vile satisfaction on
this girl who sat 90 disdainfully. with
her chin lifted. her lips firm, oblivious
Of him. She bafiied him. A mind like
Plimsoll's never had the clarity Of
provision to see the strength Of char
acter that had been In the prospec-
tors child, even as he had never sus-
pected her unfolding to beauty. It
reused the vandal in him-he longed
to break her. mar her,
The return Of Butch and Hahn
brought him back to the fact that he
was not playing this deal alone.
While they might allow him some per-
sonal license. to them the girl repre-
sented SO much money.
He cut short Butch's boast Of the
way they had scared young Keith.
Both Hahn and Parsons felt coil Of
embarrassment at the silence. almost
the serenity. of their captive. They
had expected her to act far different.
ly, to rage, threaten, cry out. She
almost abashed them.
"See II you can round up that d-m
dog. Butch" said Plimsoll. 'T plugged
him but we want to be sure he don't
get away. He might help Keith's kid,
for one thing. And he clamped my
arm"
Parsons rode Into the chaparral un-
til he was barred by Its thickness,
trying to stir out the dog, without
success
"Dead, reckon" he reported.
"Crawled in somewheres. You hit