The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-04-23
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,oPYaIoHT pY THE MCCALL ccnnAfvY-

Lawrence Arnold there Is clever new
York lawyer who defends guilty men
and frees them-by buying juries.
That he Is getting rich by selling
| through agents and aids the cattle
which you, Kate, steal here, drive into
the river, up to the cliff, down this
wonderful underground passage into
| Blue Stone canyon and out across the
desert to Marston for the shipping.
1t has been an amazing system In a
more amazing setting. The mystery
| of the steers that left no tracks is
| solved by the fact that every time you
stole big herd you drove them up
the night before you drove your own
| brand down-therefore, they left no
| trace. Also, want to say here and
| uow before these witnesses, that all
the money you brought with you into
the Deep Heart hills belonged to poor
the man you betrayed into prison
through the devilish legal trap laid by
Lawrence Arnold-and that Is why
| I've followed you. Sonny Fair has
right to his fathers property-and
intend to see that he gets it. Have
you anything to say?"
Lawrence Arnold, trapped and con-
| scious of the fact, wet his thin lips
| and glanced desperately around. He
saw only stern faces, cold and angry
eyes.
But Cattle Kate Cathrew was made
of different stuff. She flung up her
clenched fists and shook them at the
clear skies where the rose Of dawn
was spreading.
YOU" she swore, 81 always hated
your narrow eyes and that mouth of
yours! So you. are the prospector,
Smith, who has been so inquisitive at
| Cordovai
'And 1t is you who've done all this
| Oh, d-n your soul to hill"
She dropped her hands, caught the
rein hanging on Bluefire's neck, struck
| her heels to his TANKS and quick as
| thought whirled him away toward the
cut. The group between her and the
entrance fell foundering apart before
the stations charge.
| With dozen leaps she almost
| reached the wall.
"You can't get away with this,
| Brand Fair!'' she screamed, I'm
match for you'll" and jerked at her
rifle in its loops.
In her rage she was fnept, so that
the weapon caught. hindering her pur-
pose for a moment.
Nance Allison, standing In her
| trampled spot, knew that the moment
she had dreaded for so long was come.
Knew that danger threatened at last
some one whom she loved-the stark
| danger of death-and as If something
| broke within her, the 'stirrings' crys-
tallized. Without taking her eyes
| from the frantic woman on the big
| blue horse, she began to feel with her
| foot for something In the grass
something long and dark and cold. but
which seemed to her now more pre-
| cious and to be desired than anything
upon. the earth-namely, Sud Provinces
rifle.
Gone was all the stern restraint, the
earnest supplication to be kept from
! spilling blood. The hatred which had
smoldered in her leaped to it's fulfill
ment.
She had believed In the hand of God
that had been her shield and buckler.
had been patient In adversely, meek
| in her logged courage.
i Now, as Kate Cathrew clawed for a
| weapon to kill Brand Fair sitting on
his horse at the caves mouth, she be-
come killer herself, joying in the
/ fact.
Her foot touched the rifle.
/ She bent and took 1t up.
AS Cattle Kate Strengthened in her
saddle, Nance dropped stiff1y to her
knee and raised the gun.
Her blue eyes caught the sights and
drew down steadily upon the wOman's
heart.
/ Just so had those forgotten Allisons
/ drawn down upon their enemies In the
Kentucky hills.
Her finger touched the trigger.
/ And here the hand of destiny
i reached down-or was 1t the hand of
/ Godf-and ordered the puppets play
ing out their little tragedy in the heart
/ of Rainbow cliff
As Kate Cathrew flung up her gun
| the furious rage that fred her stiffened
body In the saddle, shot her bolt up
right, standing in her stirrups.
i Perhaps some unaccustomed pres
sure of her posture angered him-per-
haps the excitement of the moment
loosed something wild in his hybrid
i .heart-perhaps it was something else.
The bearded man from Upper
Country said afterward 1t was.
AT any rate. with the woman's spec
tacular and dramatic action. Bluefire.
the stallion. who hated her but obeyed
her, gave one scream and rose with
her.
1t was magnificent leap. high
spread-eagling, with the flowing silver
cloud of his name tossing in the rosy
light.
From the peak of Its arc the wom-
an, good rider though she was, but
taken by surprise, fell loose from her
stirrups. cascading In fare of booted
feet straight down his hips and tail
AT the same moment two shots rang
out-her own and Nance's both gone
wild with Bluefire's interference.
Still on his hind feet, the stallion
whirled. turning once more toward the
cut in the wall, and came down--his
shod forefeet full upon her breast.
He leaped over her body and was
gone, his empty saddle shining with
| It's vanity of silver.