Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-02-15
DE $ E r 7 G OLD


for Mercedes, he went toward the
clump of cactus where he had left
her. She stood erect, waiting, and,
dark as it was, he could tell she had
lost the terror which had ST shaken
her.
lie led her into the road up to the
cowboys, who now stood bafeheaded
in the starlight They seemed shy.
and Lash was silent while Laid made
embarrassed, uninteliigible reply to
Mercedes thanks.
There were five horses-two saddled,
two packed and the rema. ming one
carried only a blanket. Laid short
ened tie STRIPS on his mount, and
helped Mercedes up into the saddle.
From the way she settled herself and
took the few FESTIVE prances of the
mettlesome horse Gale judged that
she could ride. Lash urged Gale to
take his horse. But this Gale refused
to do.
"Pll walk he said I'm used to
walking. | know cowboys are not"
Once started with protection assured
for the girl and a real objective point
in view, Gale relaxed from the tense
strain he had been laboring under.
How glad he would have been to ac-
quaint Thorne with their good for
tune! Later, of course, there would
be some way to get word to the cav
alryman. But till then what tor
ments his friend would suffer!
It seemed to Dick that a very long
time had elapsed since he stepped off
the train; and one by one he went
over every detail of incident which
had occurred between that arrival and
the present moment. His meeting
with Thorne; the wonderful black
eyes of a Spanish girl; her appeal to
him; the hate inspired by Rojas, and
the rush, the blow, the action; sight
of Thorne and Mercedes hurrying
safely away; the girls hands pressing
his to her heaying breast; the sweet
fire of her kiss; the fact of her being
alone with him, dependent upon him
all these things Gale turned over and
over in his mind, only to fail of any
definite conclusion as to which had
affected him so rel arkably, or to tell
what had really happened to him.
Had he fallen in love with Thorne's
sweetheart? The idea came in flash.
Was he all in an instant, and by one
of those incomprehensible reversals of
character, Jealous of his friend? Dick
was almost afraid to look up at Mer-
cedes. Still he forced himself to do
so, and as it CHANGED Mercedes was
looking dowr at him. With quick,
graceful impulsiveness she put her
hand upon his shoulder Like her APP
pearanee, the action was new. strange,
striking to Gale; but it brought home
suddenly to him the nature of graft
tude and affection in a girl of her
blood It was sweet and sisterly He
knew then that he had not fallen ii
love with her. The feeling that was
akin to jealousy seemed to be of the
beautiful something for which Mer- 4
cedes stood in Thorne's life Gale
then grasped the bewildering posi- 4
biIities, the Infinite wonder of what
a girl could mean to a man.
The desert began to tighten. Gray
openings in the border of shrubby
growths changed to paler hue. In the
east a white glow grew brighter and
brighter, reaching up to a line of
cloud, defined sharply below by
rugged notehed range.
"Senor | am cold" said Mercedes.
Dick had beea carrying his coat
upon his arm. He stopped the horse
and raised the coat up, and helped
Mercedes put it on.
81 should have thought of you," he
said. But I seemed to feel warm.
The COATS a little large; we might
wrap 1t around you twice"
Mercedes smiled and lightly thanked
him in Spanish. He was about to start
when he observed that Laid had halt
ed and was peering ahead in evident