The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-07-05

som money, but Plimsoll easily per.
suaded him that he would be a part
ner. adding that II 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, sabe2 But there amt enough
to go all round and make a showing"
Cookie was a willing rascal and a
natural adept at the double-cross. He
raised no objections and the trap was
set and sprung.
"You go ahead. Cookie, and open
mp the gate said Plimsoll. Hahn
and Butch were speeding Donald
Keith on HIS way with close-Gung bul.
lets. I'm going 10 have a little pri-
vate talk with this lady. Go to the
cabin and get some grub ready.
There's plenty there. Spread your
self. Wen be along in a little while.
That was a nice job of roping you
did, | won't forget IT,"
."Allus c'ud lass fair to middlin',"
grinned the man through yellow,
stumpy teeth. That's why | tote a
rope. An | sure had a purity target"
Plimsoll scowled al him and he rode
off. Molly, the lariat twisted about
her upper body from shoulders TO
waist, constructing her arms, fastened
where she could not reach ii, by a
hitch, sat on Blaze. looking with
steady contempt at Plimsoll, who held
sleek complacency and then his eyes
slowly travelled over her rounded fig
ure, accentuated by her riding tog-
gerry.
Grown TO be quite a beauty, quite
a woman. Molly, my dear" he said.
Never should have suspected you'd
turn out such a wonder. Clothes
make the woman, buf IL takes a prop
er figure TO set thp-s off. And you've
got all of that"
what are you going to do with
me?'' she asked.
I'm not going 70 tell you-yet. 1t
depends upon circumstances, my dear.
Wen all have a little chat after lunch.
I'd take that rope off If ! wasr't
afraid l might lose you. You are
quite precious"
She looked through him as If he
had been a sheet OF glass. From her
first sight of him, back in childhood,
she had known lnstinctlyely the man
was evil. But she was not afraid.
The blood that ran In her veins was
pure and bore In It's 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 II
urged In her pulses while her brain
babe her bide her time. Rage mount
ed as she faced the possible issues of
this capture. the Haunting dismissal
of yaung Keith. She heard the laugh
ter that followed the rifle shots and
surmlsed that they were having their
idea of a joke with the lad.
If he got back-then Sandy would
come after her. She was very sure
of Sandy and that he would find her.
Until he did she must use her wits.
And Grit, gallant Grit. wounded and
lying in the ehaparral!
Though she still gazed through
Plimsoll rather than at him, the
scorn showed In her eyes and bit
through his assumption of ease as
acid bites through skin, eating It's
way on. He burned to wipe out his
own t~rickeries, his cowardice, his fail
ures, TO wreak q vile satisfaction on
this girl who sat so disdainfully, with
her chin lifted, her lips firm, oblivlous
of him. She bafiied him. A mind like
Plimsolls 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. II
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 20 much money.
He cut short Butch's boast Of the
way they had scared young Keith.
Both Hahn and Parsons felt a coll 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 n you car round up that DIN
dog. Butch" said Plimsoll. II plugged
him but we want to be sure he don't
get away. He might help KeIth's kid
for n thing. And he clamped my
arm"
Parsons rode into the chaparral I'M,
I'll he was barred by It's thickness
trying TO stir out the dog, without
success
dead. ] reckon" he reported
"Crawled In somewheres. You hil
him hard, Plim. Plenty blood on thu
leaves"
Molly bit her lips and paIed a III
tie. but turned away her head so thaI
they could moi see. She winked bach
the tears that came to her thought O
Grit helpless. painting. bleeding.
They rode on up the rocky ravine
Presently they turned aside from thu
.M III ALA LH