, 1924-11-12
CHAPTER w
"Pm Here, Neighbour"

I'm here, NeIghbor.'
Moya still rode afternoons with her
friends, fished occasionally, and took
her regular hand at bridge. But 1t
was u~naccountably true that her zest
In these amusements was gone. She
could give no satisfactory reason for
1t. but she felt as If something had
passed out of her life forever. 1t was
as If the bubbllng youth in her we're
quenched. The outstanding note of
her had been the eagerness with
which she had run out to meet new
experiences. Now she found herself
shrinking from them. Whenever she
could the girl was glad to slip away
by herself. To the charge that she
was In love with his young vagabond
she would have given a prompt denial.
Nevertheless, Lady Farquhar recog-
nized the symptoms as dangerous.
On the fifth day after the Gunnlson
trip the young people at the Lodge
made a party to fish Sunbeam creek.
They followed the stream far into the
hills, riding along the trail which Dor
dered 1t. Kilmeny and verinder car
ried lunch baskets. for they were to
make a day Of 1t and return only In
time for a late dinner.
Moya made her brave p%retense Of
gayety. With alacrity she responded
to verinder's challenge of a bet on
the relative sizes of their catches.
But as soon as the rest were out of
sight she sat down In a shady spot
and fell to musing.
The voice of a grizzled rider startled
her from her dreams. Her lifted eyes
took In the grim look of the man.
garnished with weapons ready to his
hands.
"Mornin'. MISS" he nodded amiably.
"Good-morning." And swift on the
heels of 1t. you are a deputy sheriff.
are you not7"
"Rung the bell, ma'am. You belong
to the English outfit. / reckon. Funny
about some members of your crowd
having the same name as the man
we're looking for"
"Mr. Kilmeny. you mean?"
Jack Kllmeny! Yes. ma'am. Came
from the old country, his father did
son OF some big gun over there. Like
ly he's some kin to your friends"
He put the last observation as n
question, with a sharp glance from
under his heavy gray eyebrows. Moya
chose to regard It as a statement.
Are you still searching for him7"
she asked.
"You bet we are. The sherln"s got
a notion he's up In these hills some
uvharnQ npf 10 Won agk vna ia paa
he was busy losing himself way OFF In
Routt county, clear OF the map. He
used to punch cows up there and he
knows NIL kinds Of holes to hide In"
Yes" Moya nssented listlessly.
HE had his getaway all planned
before ever he came down here.
That's a cinch. The fishing was all n
blum. The four OF them had the hold
up arranged weeks ago."
Don't you think there's a chance
he didn't do IT." she asked in u for
lorn way.
mot n chance. Jack KiImeny and
Golfer pulled OF the play. What the
others had to do with II ! don't know"
The deputy passed to the fishing in
his conversation. hoped she would
have luck. stroked his white goatee.
and presently departed.
The man had scarcely disappeared
around a bend in the gulch before n
sound startled her. Moya turned
quickly. TO see n man drop down the
face of n large rock to the ground.
Even before he turned she recognized
that pantherlne grace and her heart
lost a beat.
He came straight toward her. with
the smile In his blue eyes that claimed
~comradcshlp ns n matter OF course.
~"You-here," she gasped.
I'm here, %nelghbor. Where ought
] to be-ln Routt county losing my
self"
Her little hand was lost In his big
brown fist. her gaze locked In his.
"You heard hlmf'
Couldn't help II. I was working