The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-01-02
By~JAcKSON GREGORY
COPYRIGHT BY~
CHARLES scnIBNER,S SONS

catch brief glimpses of the river from
Blue lake slipping out of the shadows.
| They had gone way which Lee
knew intimately, travelling a trail
which brought them again and again
under broken cliffs, where they must
use hands and feet manfully, and now
and then make service of loop of
rope cast up over an outjutting crag.
They'll never follow us here,
Tommy" he said confidently. IF they
do, you've got the drop on them and
you've got rifle. You know what
to do, Tommy, old man."
II know, Bud" said Tommy, his
eyes shining. For never before lad
Bud Lee called him that-"old man"
| Long ago the gag had been removed
from Hampton's mouth. Long ago,
consequently, Hampton had said his
say. had made his promises When
he got out of this-glory TO be +!
wouldn't he square the deal, thout h ?
Did Lee know what kidnapping was?
That there were such things as laws,
such places as prisons?
"Here," said Lee not uhkindly, ''Fll
loosen the rope about your wrists.
That's all the. chances we're going
to take with you. Come, be a sport,
my boy. You're the right sort in
| side; just as soon as this fracas is
over, when you know that we were
right and that all this is put-up job
on you, your friend Trevors playing
you for sucker and getting Miss
Sanford out of the way, you'll say
we were right and l know it."
THAT so?" snapped Hampton you
just start now and keep going, Bud
Lee. If you don't want to do time in
the Jug"
Tommy Burkitt, staring back across
the broken miles of mountain, canyon,
and forest, his eyes frowning, was
muttering:
Look at that, Bud. What do you
make of it?"
Fora little Lee did not answer. He
and Tommy and Hampton, standing
among the rocks, turned their eyes
together toward the hills trimming in
the northern side of Blue Lake ranch.
81 make out" said Lee slowly, ''that
Trevors means business and that Car
son has got his work cut out for him
this morning, Tommy"
For the thing which had caught the
boys eyes was a blaze on the ridge,
its flames leaping and licking at the
thinning darkness, its smoke a black
smudge on the horizon, staining the
glow of the dawn. And farther along
the same ridge was a second blaze,
smaller with distance, but growing as
it licked at the dry brush. Still farther
a third.
IF that fire ever gets good start"
muttered Lee heavily. "it's going to
sweep the ranch. God knows where
it will stop. And just how Carson is
going to fight fire with one hand and
hold his stock with the other, don't
know"
But even then he turned his eyes
away from the ranch, sweeping the
| ragged tumble of mountains about
him. Judith was gone Judith needed
him and he did not dare try to esti-
mate the soreness of her need. What
did ii matter that Carson and Tripp
and the rest had their problems to
face back there? There was only one
thing in all of the wide world that
mattered. And he did not even know
where she was. north, south, east,
nr In,
tains. no doubt. But where, when a
man might ride a hundred miles thi )
way or that and have no sign IL he
passed within calling distance of her?
In his heart Bud Lee prayed, as
he had prayed last night, asking God
that he might come to Judith. And
1t seemed to him, standing close to
God on the rocky heights. that his
prayer had been heard and answered.
For, far off to the east. still farther
in the solitude of the mountains, ris-
ing from a rugged peak, thin line
of smoke rose into the paling sky.
1t might be that Judith was there.
It might be that she was scores of
miles from the reckoning smoke. But
Lee had asked sign and there, like
slender finger pointing to the bright
ening sky, was a sign.
He stopped swiftly for rifle and rope
and packet of bacon.
Where you goin'. Bud?" asked
Tommy.
ITO Judith" answered Bud Lee
gently.
For in his heart was that faith
which is born of love.