The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-04-27
DESERT

| Always uau SOOu sense
"rom. you can gamble she's gone,"
said Ladd.
Jaw, hi, mol Jim, what do you
thinkT implored Belding.
Il reckon Soils white head is point
ed level and straight down Casita
trail An Nell can ride. We're losin'
time"
That reused Belding to action.
Il say you're all wrong" he yelled,
starting for the corrals. "She's only
taking little ride. same as she's done
often. But rustic now. Find out.
Dick, you ride cross the valley. Jim,
you hunt up and down the river. I'll
head up San Felipe way. And you.
Lady, take Diablo and hit the Casita
trait If she really has gone after
| Thorne you can catch her in an hour
| or So"
"Shore I'll CO." replied Ladd. 'But,
Beldin', If you're not plumb crazy
you're close to 1t. That big white
devil can't catch Sol. Not In an hour
or a day or weeki"
| "Laddy, you mean to say Sol is
faster horse than DlabloY thundered
Bedding, his face purple.
"Shore mean to tell you just that
there" replied the ranger. 'Ill ride
your Blanco Devil as he never was rid
before 'cept once when d-n sight
! better hossman than I am couldn't
make him outrun SOL"
Without more words the men sad
died and were of. The interminable
time that followed contained for Gale
about as much suspense as he could
well bear. What astonished him and
helped him greatly to fight Off actual
distress was the endurance Of Nell's
mother.
Early on the morning Of the second
day, Gale saw three white horses and
bay come wearily stepping down the
road. He heard Blanco Sol's familiar
whistle, and he leaped up wild with
JOY. The horse was riderless. Gales
sudden JOY received violent check,
then resurged when he saw a limp
form In Jim Lash's arms Ladd was
supporting a horseman who wore a
military uniform.
Gale shouted with Joy and ran into
the house to tell the good news 1t
was the ever-thoughtful Mrs. Belding
who prevented him from rushing to
tell Mercedes.
Lash handed down a ragged, travel
stained, wan girl Into Belongs arms.
"Dadl Mammal"
1t was indeed a repentant Nell, but
there was spirit yet In the tired blue
eyes. Then she caught sight of Gale
and gave him faint smile.
"Hello-Dick."
"Nell!" Gale reached for her hand,
held 1t tightly, and found speech diff
cult.
you needn't worry-about your old
horse" she said. as Belding carried
her toward the door. "Oh. Dick
Blanco Sol is-glorious
Gale turned to greet his friend. In
deed, It was but a haggard ghost Of
the cavalryman. Thorne looked Ill
or wounded. Gales greeting was also
a question full Of fear.
Thorne's answer was a faint smile.
He seemed ready to drop from the
| sduulc odlc uClDtu Aduu HOiu
upon the horse until they reached the
house. Belding came out again. His
welcome was checked as he saw the
condition of the cavalryman. Thorne
reeled into Dicks arms. But he was
able to stand and walk.
c'Tm not = hurt. Only weak -
starved" he said. 'Is Mercedes
Take me to her."
"Shell be well the minute she sees
him." averred Belding, as he and Gale
led the cavalryman to Mercedes
room. There they left him; and Gale,
at least, felt his ears ringing with the
girls broken cry of Joy.
When Beldlng and Gale hurried
forth again the rangers were tending
the house Jim Lash calmly lit his
pipe, and Ladd declared that. hungry
as he was, he had to tell his story.
"Shore, Beldin'," began Ladd, "that
was funny about Diablo catchin
Blanco Sol. Funny ain't the word.
nearly laughed myself to death. Well
I rode In Soils tracks all the way tt
. / SdSitd. ANCFcH Ntch Vcbci
raider till got to town. wen,
straight to the camp Of the cavalry
men. an found them just coolin' of
an dressin' down their hosses aftel
what looked to me like big ride.
"Some soldier took me to an officers
tent. Nell was there, some white an
all in. She just said, Laddy I
Thorne was there, too. an he wal
bein' worked over by the camp doc
tor. I didn't ask no questions, be
cause seen quiet was needed round
that tent. After satisfying myself
that Nell was all right. an Thorne
IN no danger, went out.
, "Shore there was no darn many fel
lers who wanted to an tried to tel
me what'd come OF. thought rt
lnever find out But got the story
: piece by piece. An here's what hap
pened:
~Nell rode Blanco Sol a-tearin' Init
camp, an had crowd round her ir
jiffy. She told who she was, where
she'd come from. an what she wanted
/ U&u ooovv.oA AsU hoRor<