The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-08-12


chance of seeing Kay on her way
back. Tom Runyon spent a good
part of the afternoon on the look
out for her. as well as scanning
the ridge for a telltale smoke cole
umn.
Ever since he had come to patrol
this region, the fires had ceased.
Today was the first glimpse of
smoke he had had. and he grinned
with a satisfied memory Of the
cause of it.
Reckon that firebug isn't taking
any chances now he knows I'm on
the job" he observed. as he drew
his mount in on a promontory or
rock that gave a good view OF the
trail that Kay would soon be de-
scending. 1--WE half mind to ride
back with that little red head and
pop the question, nowl"
After impatiently waiting an
hour or more, Tom Munyon's good
humor began to be strained. He
had not wanted to take a chance or
missing Kay by going back to his
camp to get bite of supper, and
the pangs of hunger were decided
ly affecting his temper.
The sun dipped behind the cen.
trail divide, and the afterglow
famed across the sky, but no Kay
appeared on the distant trail.
Anxiety finally got the better OF
Toms i'll temper, and he decided
to ride on and meet her. As the
twilight deepened. he found him.
self headed down the west slope
of the eastern divide. BY the time
he reached the stream at its foot.
it was nearly dark.
Pulling his mount in, he weighed
in his mind the possible causes of
Kay's delay. There was the chance,
of course. that she had headed
along the ridge, after coming
through the pass. instead of COM
ing back this way at all.
If that was the case, it would
be crazy wild goose chase to go
up the central divide at night look
ing for her. The harvest moon
could still be depended on to light
UP the last half Of the night, but he
didn't relish the idea of following
I'D Kay's trail by dark if she was
already safely back at the Lazy
| Nine.
In FIicker's Wake
A DISTANT clatter of hoofs
"A brought him out of his musing
to alert attention. With puckered
brow, he listened intently, and as
the sounds came nearer, he let
out a puzzled oath. Kay surely
wouldn't be crazy enough to take
the trail at that pace, even If she
was trying to beat the gathering
darkness.
Putting spurs to his horse, Tom
forced him into the dark waters of
the stream, and made his way
across, just in time to meet Flicker,
wild-eyed and riderleSs. racing
toward him. Flicker wheeled
abruptly at the sight of the horse
and rider waiting to block his path,
and whirled to one side, but Tom
Runyon rode him down, and
grabbed the bit. With wary skill,
he checked his plunging, and at
last brought him to a quivering
halt.
Tom was sure now that some
thing had happened to Kay. He
loss no time in tying Flicker to a
tree beside the stream, and took
the trail at a run. He figured that
Kay must have been thrown at
least a quarter of a mile up the
trail. before he could have heard
Flicker's hoofbeats. He pushed on
at full speed. trusting his mount
to find his footing in the dark that
now enveloped them.
After covering the distance that
he judged Flicker had covered
from the moment when he had
first heard him. Tom pulled his
horse in and proceeded more eau
tiously. He called Kay's name from
time to time, and listened anxious
ly for some response.
His horse plunged with a sudden
snort and refused to 60 on. Tom
swung to the ground. ran up the
trail and dropped on his knees be.
side Kay's PROSTATE form.
Pulling out his pocket flash, he
examined the ugly cut on her head,
and felt for her heart. It was
stronger than he had dared to
hope. and her pulse had a reassur-
ing beat
Tom lifted her head on his knee
and chafed her hands in the hope
of reviving her sufficiently to get
her back with more ease than il
she were q dead. unconscious
weight
After a few minutes, she stirred
restlessly. shifting her head and
muttering Tom Runyon bent close
to hear what she was saying. and
a grim satisfaction spread over his
face as he caught her words.
What cabin2" he prompted
gently.
The cabin by the clearing" Kay
moaned. unconsciously responding
to his question in her deliriurn. She
drifted again into uninteIligible
mutterings. then exclaimed in
clear tones, The black haired girl!
There is d black haired girl"
where is she?H Again Toms
voice seemed to penetrate to her
subconSeious.
"In the cabin with Ted" A
broken sob escaped Kay. Both