The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-10-06
GALL ef fAWEST| E R c MONTGOMERY GaR e-.....a.. N24

The doctor went inside and closed the door. -A
 Dona wandered down to the cor rals and watched Malloy rope and ride A wild horse. She waved her hat when he finally forced the snorting, pitching brute to give in to his will. Malloy grinned at her and turned the saddle horse over to one of the other men.
 "Take him out and ride Rim.
 He's tame now," the corral boss
 ordered.
 q suppose you'd saddle the roan | for me this morning?" Dona asked the question with sparkle in her eyes.
 Malloy nodded.
 Dona looked at her wrist watch. It was II. o'clock. She would have time for a gallop down the canyon before Dudley returned. All right saddle him." she smiled.
 Malloy slipped a saddle on the roan and brought him to the gate.
 Better watch him, Ma'am. He's pretty fresh," the cowboy warned.
 Dona smiled disdainfully and leaped into the saddle. The roan shook his head and went off as though he had not had several days in which to get back his temper. They headed down the canyon at brisk gallop.
 She had gone perhaps half mile when she discovered rider trailing her and halted to wait for the man. He came up with her ana pulled his horse u walk.
 "What do you want?" she de- manded.
 "Swergin's orders, Miss. I'm to ride along with you whenever you leave camp" The man seemed to enjoy Dona's evident flash of tenn per at his words.
 "You might as well ride. back and unsaddle. I go where please" Sorry, Miss, but you are not to ride up on the mountain. Down here is all right" The fellow was of dull type and seemed to be en- toying his present errand. Dona noted that he was not much at
 home in the saddle. He would be easy to lose if she chose. .. smiled. "Orders are orders. I sup
 pose we'll both have to mind the
 big boss"
 The man grinned, displaying
 broken front teeth. "Swergin runs things up here," ile admitted. "How long have you worked for
 him? ?" Dona asked by way of mak-
 ing talk. came on this job," he man ex- plained. Him and mes been pals" Dona smiled, more to herself than to the rider. How far is to
 Blind River?" she asked sudden ly. It would be great sport to give Swergin the slip and ride over the range.
 "A good two hours ride" the | man answered..
 The answer set Dona thinking
 She wished she could ride over
 the range just to show the bis
 boss. She wanted to ask about Stan
 ley Black, to. For several days she
 had been toying with the idea that
 he would be the man to settle with | Ball. She knew he was in the coun- try. and suspected that the boys al the Blind River ranch would Know
 where to find him.
 A glance at her watch told her that she was half an hour late for
 her meeting with Dudley. She
 turned the roam and cantered back
 toward camp. Her escort followed at a jolting lope. He looked uncom- fortable astride his horse, as though he would rather have Kept | the animal at 8 walk.
 Dudley had not returned when Dona arrived so she did not have the roam unsaddled. |
 She ate dinner and sat for half an hour with her father but still Dudley did no treturn. Finally she arose and walked down to the cor ral. She was highly displeased with Dudley and determined to teach
 him a lesson. Malloy was sitting in teh shade, smoking cigaret.
 "If MT Winters asks for me when he comes tell him I'll be back some time this afternoon" Malloy nodded and went on
 smoking. Dona mounted the roan and rode down teh hill. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her escort of the morning riding after her. She kept a slow pace and he soon over- took her. It was apparent that he intended to ride along as a com panion.
 "It will be great fun to ride down l through the canyon" Dona greet ed him with a smile. :. "Yeal. There ain't no use of rid
 ing up on that mountain" the man | agreed. Dona pulled up her horse sharply