Evening star., 1923-07-15

| IKE me or deserved and earned Ill
name. And when you think of US
I would have you think there may be
hidden seeds of good in US yet-if
only the rains might come! And If
!; ever you have any need of meas is
most unlike-I shall be real friend to
! you. 1t 10 so that 1 would have you
think Of old MacGregor. Good-by"
! II shall not forget" said Bennie.
| And now you are my friend, for I
have trusted you very greatly"
| "Good-by, then" said MacGregor
again. He bent over her hand
"Good-by!"'
MacGregor moved his camp to Bear
Springs. on the southern frontier Of
the Mundy range.
Mnt Craig had moved on TO the
Cienage, so today MacGregor rcde
alone.
| AS the day wore on he found him
self we'll across in the Wyandotte-
Morgan country. He turned back, and
as he came down a ridge Of backbone
from the upper bench he saw a lit
| tie curl OF smoke rising above the
Skullspring bluff
! I'VE are i'll a hostile country,
Neighbor." said he TO his horse. 1t
will be the part of prudence to have
a hook into this matter, least we go
| bIundering in where We are nae much
wanted" He tied Neighbor in a lit
| tic hollow of the hill, and went down
with infinite precaption to the edge
of the cliff above Skullspring.
Three men were by the fire below
all strangers 70 MacGregor. That
gentleman lay fiat on the rock, peer
ing through a bush, and looked them
over. Two were cowboys: their sad
died horses stood by and a light
buggy stood by the fire. The third
person, a tall man, had the look of
a town man. He wore black suit
| and hard boiled" hat.
| II tel! you," said the older cowboy,
'Iql be good and glad aplenty when
this thing is over with. It's shaky
! business"
Don't get cold feet. Joe" advised
the tall man. You're getting mighty
big money for a small risk You get
the chance just because you're a
! stranger and can get away without
| being noticed"
| The younger man of the party
I
away, but I'm goin' TO keep on get
TIN away. Lemme tell you. Mr- Ham
erick. this country'ii be too hot for
me when it's over"
| The tall man was Hamerick, for he
| answered: Keep your nerve. Your
part Is easy. You take the first right
hand trail and drift south across that
| saddleback pass yonder. so you'll get
there before ! do. The Bents nave all
gone to Magdalena for supplies. Mrs.
/ Bent is going to Socorro and Bentll
wait for her. You're TO make your
selves at home-new men working
there: sorry the Bents are gone. and all
that" He kicked out the dying fire.
! "And II any one comes. then whatF'
Joe glowered.
! Then you are strangers, passing
by. The nearest ranch is twenty-five
miles. But il any one should come.
it's all off for today. You'll ride out
,, TO good grass and make camp. If we
see your fire, Mundy and nell turn
back. Well pull 1t of tomorrow. I
am to meet Mundy at that little
| susarloaf hill yonder. four or five
miles out on the plain. Then I'll 90
| on down the wagon road to Bents
with him. Tho play Is that I'm sup
posed to think the Bent folks are At
home. You boys'll have plenty OF
/ time to get settled down"
| IF we don't run into wasp's
| nest" said Joe, sulkily.
gave him a sinister
Ii look. You get no money till !
get astraddle of horse again; III
tell you that right now, my laddte
buck, This buggy's too easy to track
up, If anything goes wrong"
! "I won't, chr Joe took step
forward, his ugly face blotched with
crimson.
| Here the younger man interposed.
"on, you both make me siok' His
voice was venomous in its unforced
evenness. eff you fellows get 70
fighting I'll do my best to Kill eoth
| of you. Got that?"
| MacGregor almost hugged himself
with delight. "Oh. II they once get
tn shooting" he thought. ut would
bs q strange thing IL between the
four of US we should not do GOOD
days work of it!'
| Now, now, TAFT
| Don't TAFT mel" said TAFT IN the
same deadly level. "Hamerick's right
Joe. Well string along with MIN thi
he rats to a saddle-and then may the
devil take the hindmost! The sooner l
see the last of you two, the better
pleased I'll be. For you, Hamer1ck-
You're engineerin' this thing, but I'm
the hest man, and don't you forget 1t.
You'll stick to me against Joe till
You're horseback gain, with a fair
! chance for a getaway: Joe4l stick TO
me TIL we get a fair divvy on the
money-and II either of you don't like
1T, you can double UP on me whenever
YOU feel lucky. I'm ready for you both
any turn in the road"
| 1t was plain that TAFT was to be
master. MacGregor rolled back from
the bare rim with scarce more noise
than a shadow would have made. He
crawled to the neaYest huddle of rocks
and hid away. Soon came the sound
of wheels and q ringing Of shod feet
on rock.
The tingling echoes died; and then
lMacGregor climbed back to Neighbor.
Keeping to the ridge, he would gain q
long mile on the wagon road. deep In
the winding pass.
when hS came into the wagon road
the buggy was just before him. close
to the mouth of the pass. MacGregor
struck into a gallop.
The stranger had been going at q
brisk gait, but at sight Of the horseman
he slowed down.
"A fine day, sir" said MacGregcr
civilly, as he rodo alongside