The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-11-02
CHAPTER VI

pany his sister on the daily ride, q cir
cumstance which, IL anything, gave
freer rein to her spirit. Jim had cor
Germ for her safety. He could not
judge we'll of her horsemanship, be-
cause of the side-saddle she rode.
Bluntly he dsapproved of the atrocious
thing and said 1t was worse than the
pancake" her brother rode. But she
rode after the hounds just the same,
and held her own until she was
thrown.
If she had fallen upon rocks or
even hard ground she would have been
seriously injured, IL not killed out
right But when the horse stumbled
she hurtled over his head and hit In
the sand. Jim was off almost the in
slant she struck, and he yelled for the
cowboy.
Water, Barnes" he called, as the
cowboy dashed up.
"There amt none close" replied
Barnes.
I'm albright" spoke up Miss Her
rick, weakly. II came-a cropper-
didn't II"
She sat, evidently not hurt, though
she chung to Jim's arm. With his
scarf he wiped the sand from her face,
aware that his hand was not steady.
Her hair had come partly loose to fall
in a golden mass on her shoulder.
She rearranged it and put on her hat,
deftly despite gloyed fingers.
Help me up. please" she said.
Jim placed a strong arm under hers
and lifted her to her feet. Then some
thing cold and tight within let go. and
his reaction was to take refuge In an
ger: Miss Herrick, ] told you that
saddle was no good. It's wonder you
were not killed"
'Oh, don't exaggerate. I've come
many troopers cross-country riding at
home"
Barnes, back me up in this" ap-
pealed Jim to the cowboy.
Miss, he's tellin' you true" said
Barnes, earnestly. "You was ridin'
fast If this hyar had been stony
ground, like it is lots of places, you'd
never knowed what hit you"
81 believe I did strike pretty hard"
she admitted, ruefully.
'You want a cow-saddle with
double cinch, and overalls," concluded
Jim.
"Overalls !" she exclaimed, and she
blushed rosy red. "You mean like
these blue trousers Barnes has on?"
Eyes. Then you can ride. This is
the West, Miss Herrick. You like to
run a horse. It's dangerous. I shall
have to speak to your brother"
'Dont. I've never ridden astride,
but I'll do it, since you are so very
fearful about it."
That experience left Jim shaky,
probably good deal shaker than 1t
had left Miss Herrick. But it was not
fear for her. Jim reyeled in the tor
turing sensation engendered by con-
tact with this beautiful girl He
shook like a leaf at the staggering
realization that when she lay on the
ground with her arms spread wide,
her hair gold against the sand, he
longed to snatch her to his breast. A
natural impulse, under the circum-
stances, but for him-idiotic!
Miss Herrick took to the Western
saddle like a duck to water. She
could ride Moreover, that spirit of
which she had limited certainly over
took her. More than once she ran off
alone, riding like the wind; and upon
one Of these occasions 1t took the cow
boys till dark to find her. That with
Hank Hays and Heeseman there to see
her gallop away unescortedl Herrick
did not seem to mind.
AS far as Jim Wall was concerned,
however, these rides with her CEN
tered him upon the love which had
come to consume him; and the several
she took alone were more torturing
because they aroused fear of Hank
Hays. 1t could not be ascertained
whether or not Hays followed her, but
when the day came that Jim discov-
cred Hays had been riding the trails
freQuented by Miss Herrick, it seemed
time to act.
This placed Jim IN worse guam
Diary. To act, for a man Of his train
ing at such a time and place, was to
do only one thing. But how could he
kill his leader upon mere suspicion of
sinister intent to kidnap the girl? 1t
was a predicament for man who had
always played fair, alike to honest
friend and crooked ally.
Jim paced under his dark sheltering
trees, In the dead of night, when he
should have been sleeping. Days had
passed without his once seeking to
avoid disaster; and he had not sought
because he knew it was of no use. To
wish to be with his blond girl seemed
irresistible. More than once he had
caught himself in the spell Of daring
impulse-to tell Miss Herrick that he
loved her. The idea was sheer mad
ness. Yet the thought persisted, and
when he tried to shake 1t the result
was it grew stronger in haunting
maddening way.
TO BE CONTINUED.