The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-07-20

arm. His swift motions and his silence
gave her hint of how he might meet
more serious emergency. She fell
safe. And because of that impression
when he lifted his head and she saw
that he was pale and shaking, she was
surprised. He stood before her folding
his scarf, which was still wet, and
from which he made no effort to re-
move the red stains.
Miss Hammond" he said, hoarsely
ut was mans hands-a Greaser's fin
gernails-that cut your arm. know
who he was. l could have killed him
But l mightn't have got your freedom
You understand? didn't dare"
Madeline gazed at Stewart, as
founded more by his speech than his
excessive emotion.
MY dear boy!" she exclaimed. And
then she paused. She could not find
words.
lie was making an apology to her
for not killing a man who had laid n
rough hand upon her person. He was
ashamed and seemed to be in a tor.
ture that she would not understand
why he had not killed the man. There
seemed to be something of passionate
scorn in him that he had not been able
to avenge her as well as free her.
Stewart, 1 understand. You were
being my kind of cowboy. l thank
YOU"
But she did not understand so much
as she implied. She had heard many
stories of this mans cool Indifference
to peril and death. He had always
seemed as hard as granite. Why
should the sight of little blood upon
her arm pale his cheek and shake his
hand and thicken his voice? What
was there in his nature to make him
implore her to see the only reason he
could not kill an outlaw? The answer
to the first question was that he loved
her. 1t was beyond her to answer the
second. But the secret of it lay in
the same strength from which his love
sprang-an intensity of feeling which
seemed characteristic of these western
men Of simple, lonely, elemental lives.
All at once over Madeline rushed a
tide Of realization of how greatly It
was possible for such a man as Stewart
to love her. The thought came to her in
all its singular power. All her eastern
lovers who had the graces that made
them her equals in the sight of the world
wit hn nlty fol
that lonely, hard life had given to
Stewart. Nature here struck a just
balance. Something deep and dim in
the future, an unknown voice, called
to Madeline and disturbed her. And
because it was not voice to her in
teiligence she deadened. the ears of
her warm and throbbing life and de-
eided never TO listen.
us ii safe to rest a little?" she
asked. II am so tired. Perhaps I'll
be stronger if l rest"
"We're all right now" he said 81
can get you home by midnight. They'll
be some worried down there"
''What happened?"
Nothing much to any one but you.
That's the-the hard luck of it. Flor
ence caught us out on the slope. We
were returning from the fire. We
were dead beat. But we got to the
ranch before any damage was done.
We sure had trouble in finding a trace
Of you. Nick spotted the prints of
your heels under the window. And
then we knew. had to fight the boys.
If they'd come after you we'd never
have gotten you without a fight. /
didn't want that. had to rope Monty.
Honest, tied him to the porch. Nels
and Nick promised to stay and hold
him till morning. That was the best
1 could do. l was sure lucky to come
up with the band so soon. l had fig
ured right. knew that guerrilla chief.
He's bandit in Mexico. It's a bust
ness with him. But he fought for
Madero, and 1 was with him a good
deal. He may be a Greaser, but he's
white"
"How did you effect my release"
81 offered them money. That's what
the rebels all want. They need money.
They're lot of poor hungry DEVILS"
81 gathered that you offered to pay
ransom. How much?"
1.-TWO thousand dollars Mex. l gave
my word. I'll have to take the money.
/ told them when and where I'd meet
them"
Certainly. I'm glad I've got the
money" Madeline laughed. "What a
strange thing to happen to mel 1
wonder what dad would say to that?
Stewart, I'm afraid he'd say two thou
sand dollars is more than I'm worth.
But tell me. That rebel chieftain did
not demand money!"
"No. The money is for his men.
We were comrades before Juarez One
day dragged him out Of ditch. l
reminded him. Then II told him
something II thought"
Stewart, know from the way he