The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-07-22

!
| ject that looked like someone on
foot. He refined in and scanned
the horizon to confirm his impress
| sion, but he could see nothing.
Telling himself it was an optical
illusion, he dismissed the incident
from his mind and pushed on to
the Lazy Nine.
| The bunk house, he found de-
serted. Standing moment on the
steps, he turned over in his mind
the question of waiting until some
one came in off the range to de-
| liver the document to him for Kay,
or just leaving it with a note for
Seth.
It was a great temptation to
wait until Kay came back and give
it to her himself. He could just see
her eyes sparkle and her nose
| crinkle up with amusement, when
she heard Of Old Man Warren's
| attempt at bargaining.
On the other hand, he ought to
be starting for home as soon as
possible. As it was, he'd have to
ride all night before reaching
Blackfoot creek.
Suddenly he heard pounding
hoof beats, and the next minute
Flicker came in sight, riderless.
His reins were dragging and his
ears back as he headed on dead
run for the corral.
With fearful certainty that
something had happe- led to Kay,
Ted leaped down the bunk house
steps and threw himself into the
saddle of his waiting mount,
everything forgotten but Kay's
safety.
A flash Of memory recalled that
impression he had had of seeing
some one on foot far to the north
of him as he rode out from Red
River. Was it possible that Kay had
had the same bunch he had had
about getting the option at once,
and that she had ridden in to Red
River? And that some accident had
happened on the way?
Ted cursed himself for not hav-
ing investigated then and there,
and headed off at a hard gallop in
the general direction of the place
/ where he had thought he had
glimpsed that figure.
Galvanized To Action
lT EFT to herself, Kay sank back
IL and gave way for a moment
to the weak, dizzy feeling that
closed over her.
In her half-conscious state she
could hear the retreating hoofbeats
of Scrap Johnson's horse grow
DINNER and DINNER. Finally they
died away. The unbroken stiffness
of the mesa deepened around her
and seemed to drag her into its
own oblivion.
Fighting down the temptation to
let 60 and drift into it, Kay strug-
| gled into a sitting position.
Her jaws ached cruelty under
the tightly-tied bandanna, and her
legs and arms were unbearably
lcramped from their forced confine-
ment. But, bad as the physical
pain and discomfort was, it was far
less than her mental anguish.
She hadn't a doubt but that all
her plans for rebuilding had come
to nothing. Worse than that, il was
practically q foregone conclusion
that Josh Hastings would eventu-
ally get the ranch.
For the first time, Kay admitted
| to herself that he was too power
full and unscrupllous for her to
fight successfully. Even though her
mind recognized this fact. she
found hope still persisting.
She realized that that hope CEN
tered around Ted Gaynor. Some
how or other, he might get around
this last blow, that she had so
stupidity brought on herself.
Despite her effort to thrust the
thought of Scrap johnson into the
background of her mind and to
cling to the conviction that he
wouldn't dare to do her any actual
harm, a siudder ran over Kay at
the thought of his return.
/ He had all the instincts of a
bully, and he had shown himself
/ capable of sickening revenge for
| the wounds she had inflicted to his
vanity.
| Her lips burned at the memory
| Of his kiss, and panic seized her
as she realized how powerless she
was in his hands. Even If he didn't
| do her any actual harm, she would
never get over the sense of degra-
dation that he could drag her down
| to.
| Galvanized TO action by this des-
perate thought, Kay forgot the
ranch and everything else in the
surge of self preservation that
swept over her. She rolled over
| and struggled up to her knees.
The incline of the cpulee behind
| her shut her of from a view Of
| the range. and ruined any chance
OF her discovery by any passer-by.
| Not that there was likely 10 be any
one, but it was hundred to one
chance.
Some way or other, she must
| get up there. Her courage revived
with the prospect of an Immediate
objective to be obtained. Kay
CARED piercingly about for some
sharp stone on which she might
saw through her bonds. She could
| see nothing but small stones and
/ pebbles scattered through the
bunch grass Of the mesa. Her heart
sank.
Copyright, 1857. werss Dc Nsrvssaj