The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-04-09
CHAPTER XVIII
The Fighting Line at Last.

CONSCIOUS man almost night anu uay.
What do you think, doctor? he
asked anxiously of the medical man
brought in from Bement.
Frankly. l don't think" said that
worthy, these lapses, superinduced
by conclusion, are treacherous things.
He may recover suddenly. or he may
die without regaining consciousness.
It's a gamble"
But anxious as he was to know the
secret locked In the unconscious brain
of Price Selwood, Fair had not been
idle.
He and Bossick had been very busy.
Many things had been done, plan
arranged, secret conclaves held at
which grim and determined men sat
their horses and pledged themselves
to do certain thing.
Then Fair went to the cabin on
Nameless for the longing in his heart
to see Nance Allison grew with every
passing hour.
He held her in his arms and kissed
her forehead and her smooth cheeks,
touched the shining coronet of her hair
with reverent hands.
Sweetheart" he whispered, after
the age-old fashion Of lovers, there
was never a woman like you! You are
my light in dark places, my rain In the
desert. Oh, Nance, what if had never
found your
And the girl leaned on his heart in
an ecstasy of love that was shot with
sadness, holding fast to her trust with
desperate hands.
ITS bound to come soon now" he
told her, 1--WE are organized and ready
only waiting for Selwood, poor fell
low, to regain his reason that he may
tell us where to strike"
"Therell be gun play and-blood,"
said Nance miserably, "and pray God
that you will not be taken. IL
couldn't lose you, Brand, and live. l
wouldn't dare to live-for If they kill
you-Oh, that black hatred which has
stirred In me so long, is getting be-
yond my strength to hold it! I'll go
mad and turn killer, Brand if they kill
you! 1 know it, feel it here" she
laid eloquent hands on her heart-"and
then my soul will go into the pit of
damnation."
Buck up" scoffed the man play
fully, well all come through with
colors flying and see this nest of vipers
Gagged. Then think of life on Name
less, Nance and happy, with our
fields and our herds and peace in all
the land l shouldn't have suggested
anything else. Come-be my brave
girl again, my good fighter"
Obedient to his words, Nance
Strengthened and tried to smile In the
starlight.
That's it." he said, you're resilient
as willow wood-ready with a come
back. You'll never leave the line,
sweetheart, never in this world!"
1t was late In the night when Fair
rode away.
He went south, going back to look
wood, then on to the Deep Heart
fringes to meet Bossick and Jermyn.
AS for Nance Allison, she was seized
with a great restlessness that made In
action unbearable.
II think I'll ride, the lower slopes of
Mystery, Nanny" she said next morn
ing, land look for that black shoat
that's missing. I can't afford to
lose IT,"
The mother looked at her with wor-
ried eyes.
You take your pappy's gum" she
said at last. 81 feel to tell you so. TIL
time has come"
But the girl shook her head.
AZ don't care" she said 81 can't
trust myself of late" She kissed
Sonny, ran a hand over Buds bronze
hair, and went out to the stable where
she saddled Buckskin and rode away.
In every likely place she looked and
listened for the black shoat, but it
seemed to have disappeared from the
face of the earth, like the six fat
steers. She followed small ravine
for longer than she had intended, sat
for a while in sunny opening high
along the breast of Mystery, and sided
back toward the west again.
And here it was that two men far
above looked down and saw her with
calculations of delight
''Well, if this amt luck" said Pro
vine grinning then I'm a liar! /
thought this morning when Arnold
handed US that last bunch of instruc-
lions that he was due for once to come
out tn little end of tn horn l didn't
see how any human was goin' to be
able to carry them out. / didn't think
we'd ever get near enough to get her
herself to us!'
IF she's armed" said Caldwell
shortly, "it's not time yet to crow.
think she'd fight"
Flight, HIP said the other, "she
don't believe In fightin'. She's re-
ligious. Well pick her up too easy an
present her to tn boss with our COM
pliments"
An hour later Nance, riding along
dim trail made by the travelling hoofs
Of deer, came out above a spring in a
pretty glade.
She was warm and thirsty, so she
dismounted and pushing back her hat
from her sweated forehead, knelt on
the springs lip and putting her face
to the limpid water, drank long and
eagerly a foot from Buckskin's muzzle.
AS she Strengthened up, wiping her
mouth with the back of her hand, she
caught sound where had been silence
before-the sound Of something NOV
ing. the rattle of accoutrements, and
turning quickly, still upon her knees,
she looked up into the grinning face
OF Sud Provine, the frowning one of
the Sky Line foreman.