The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-10-26
CHAPTER Iv-Continued

Are we ready to go?" she asked,
gayly.
"Yes, If you have seen the Fargo
people," replied Jim.
Il have it in my satchel," she re-
turned, indicating the half-hidden re-
ceptacle under her linen coat.
Jim tried to interest himself in that
satchel, because he was In league with
robbers, but 1t did not work. Suddenly
he had a murderous desire to kill
Hays. This girl-for she appeared
girl in vivid freshness Of youth
seemed not In the least frightened. abb
solutely free from revulsion. Indeed
she was regarding him with undis-
guised interest and delight.
Mr.. Jim Wall, you're not In the
least what my brothers letters have
led me to believe" she said.
Letters why Herrick has not had
time to write about me-" exclaimed
Jim, incredulously. "It takes long for
a stage letter to go. {. q. I've been
at Star ranch only few days."
"Oh, he did not write about you. In
diVidually," she laughed. "But from
his letters about bandits and despera-
does l had evolved a rather frightful
conception"
THANK you, Miss Herrick," he re-
piled gravely. "Don't trust appear
ances on our western border. VIII
you get up? We must be going"
And he attempted to assist her inside
the back seat of the blackboard.
IF you are going to drive want to
sit in 'front.'" she said, frankly.
With bow he helped her up the
high step, cursing inwardly at Hank
Hays and Herrick and the inscrutable
fate that had brought this about. For
some way or other he was lost. He
almost forgot to wait for Barnes, who
was saying good-by to red-cheeked,
wide-eyed girl in the crowd. Barnes
came running to leap into the buck
board and then Jim got in. Owing to
the way he had packed the baggage
there was not great deal of room in
the front seat. His heavy gun and
sheath bumped against Miss Herrick.
Rather tight quarters, with that
gun there" he remarked, and swung
the sheath round In his lap.
do you sleep in it? she asked,
quizzically.
''Yes. And never am dressed in the
daytime till it's buckled on"
What startling folks, you western
Americansr' 8la
"Some of US are indeed startling.
hope you won't find US unpleasantly
So" he replied, and loosening the
reins let the spirited team go. In a
few moments the noise, dust, heat and
the staring populace of Grand juno
ton had been left far behind and the
red and black ranges lifted above the
meadows and sage.
ooh, glorious!" she cried, and gazed
raptly ahead as the curving road
brought into view a wonderful sweep
of Utah.
Jim was hard put to 1t to keep the
blacks from breaking out of brisk
trot. He thought grimly that he
would have liked to let the team run
off and kill them both. Far better that
than what might be! Miss Herrick's
photograph on her brothers desk fell
Infinitely short Of doing her justice.
1t failed to give any hint of her color,
OF the vivid lips, of the glory and
CLEAN of her hair, Of the dancing,
laughing violet eyes, of her pulsing
vitality. Jim Wall felt the abundant
life of this girl 1t flowed out of her.
1t got into his veins. It heated his
blood.
1.-The wind makes me cry" she said,
merrily. "Or maybe it's because I'm
so happy. You say Wen get to Star
ranch before dark?"
Surely"
'Oh, it's been such a long. slow,
dusty, cramped Journey" she ex-
claimed. "But now I want to see, to
smell, to feel, to gloat."
Miss Herrick. this Is fine country.
But tame compared to that all about
the Henrys. You will see them when
we top the next hill. I've seen most
of the West. And the canyon desert
below Star ranch Is the widest and
most sublime of all the West. prob
ably of the whole world"
Indeed. You speak strongly, not to
say surprisingly. 1t never occurred to
me that gunman-that Is what you
are, is it not?-could have any ap-
probation of the wonder and beauty
of nature"
"a common mistake. Miss Herrick."
rejoined Jim. Mature develops the
men who spend their lonely, hard.
bloody lives with her. Mostly she
makes them into beasts, with self
preservation the only instinct, but 1t Is