Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-05-27

To make q city grow where none has
been. or render dry lands fertile"
do you expect to settle out Westfr
asked Clinton. ITO make your home
hereT'
II hadn't gone quite as far as that, .
answered Caleb with smile. II de-
ponds upon whether get the chance
TO seftle-I mean by that II work opens
up. ! like the West ! should like to
make a home here. I think. have
none elsewhere" he added simply. Il
have relatives In the East, and I even
own a house out there-but It isn't q
home any longer. since both my father
and mother are dead
There are silences that create an at
mosphere more sympathetic than the
finest choice OF phrase. Caleb found
himself talking Of mis- plans In greater
extension than he would have consid-
cred possible to ehance-met. recent ae-
Quaintances. he had. he told them. q
little money, he had a chance 70 sell
his Massachusetts, house that held
open indefinitely. This, with his train
ing. and his youth. constituted his cap
ltal AT the end Of the evening, In his
room. the windows open, admitting
the fragrance Of the patio garden. the
subdued chuckle of the overflow from
the spring basin, he realized that he
had done little but talk about himself
and his own affairs
He wondered whether he had not
been bit Of prig, even bore. He
had shown no appreciation Of the girls
femininity, had surely been lacking In
even conventional galIantry. Girls
Caleb believed. liked that sort Of
thing-expected 1t. Yet, talking to her
In the dusk OF the veranda had been q
good deal like talking to another man.
Her intelligence was keen. her interest
had not seemed feigned.
Meanwhile, In her own chamber.
Betty Clinton came to q favorable con-
ciusion In the same matter.
''For a Yank," she told herself, az
she arranged her hair for the night In
two great, shining braids. che Is quite
agreeabIe-so far. / think am goina
to like Caleb Warner
Caleb decided not to outstay his vel
come. He announced his intention az
breakfast.
ave shall h-De to see you again.
said Clinton and Betty backed his In
vitation.
she seemed a little older this morn
Ing, appearing the weIl-polsed hostess
In her housegown. To Caleb, stiIl new
to western ways, II was hard to recon
ellie this housewifely person presiding
over the silver coffee urn with tbs |
rider on the pinto, gallopIng hard after
her hounds to the kill. Yet there was
no real discrepancy; no loss Of dignity,
OF sex. And she made the girls that
Caleb had grown up with seem sud
denly CONSTRUCTED IN his recollection
''You are not to walk down to tie
train" she told him. II am sorry that
I cannot drive you but / have a lot to
do. You shall ride the Don. Padilla
VIII go with you and bring him back
And we are to see you again. Soon"
Caleb was not at all certain OF his
prOwess in the saddle. TO his relief
the horse turned ont to be a natural
single footer, racking along with a
smooth motion that left him almost
motionless in the saddle. The selec
ton was, he felt, another indication
of kindly tact.
PadIlIa. swarthy. bow-Iegged, agile.
bore signs of battle that had come
close to manning him. The left side
of his face was marked with a puck
cred scar, purple against his brown
skin. II ran from eye to chin, a rak.
ing veal that showed where the flesh
must have been laid open by q fright
fui blow. he wore no coat and his
sleeves were rolled high. His left fore
arm was scored with cicatrices. His
left side seemed shrunken between hip
and shoulder. Caleb was conscious
that all down the canyon, PadIlla sub
jected him to close scrutiny. When
directly in front Of him he could al
most feel Padilla's black eyes boring
between his shoulder blades. Despite
he unworded Recommendation that the
Mexican held from bis employment at
Fl Nido, Caleb fancied him a better
for high noon than a dark
light.
The trail dipped down towards
water level. fordine the stream. Caleb
'eined In to let the Don drink the
fright water and Padilla followed ex,
ample. AS they sat side by side the
Mexican spoke for the first time
"Eet was here, senor." he said, that
got these"
He touched HIS check. his left ribs
md tapped his left forearm with q
wifi gesture.
"Eet was a puma, senior. cougar
lion OF the mountains Carrajol Al
most eet keel me, Luis Padilla. Knife
gafnst claws an teeth. senior. And
he knife ween. Thees knife
With the same swift dizziness he
alf drew shining blade from q
heath that was tucked inside the belt
( his trousers. then replaced IT, The
peedy excitation OF the Latin con-
ulsed his features. They twisted In
ferocious smart, they looked as they