Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-09-06

OAAl POAAlSA W ooAooAs ~ . AOA0
with, Jane; I'm going to have the
poor devil decently buried. Jane,
ride back to Las Palomas, get Mao
to send the big car and-if she can
come through this, send Fanny. I'm
afraid poor Max got it bad, he's
collapsed-be quick!"
"Jim!" she chung to him. whisper
ing, "you know what he did-Sher-
win, mean-don't let them take
, him awayl Do something, say some
thingl Oh. Jim, you-you must!"
Jim loosed her arms from his
neck Look here, grille, I'll prom
Use to do all I can, but, for heavens
sake, get out Of this quick-get a
car. Stenhart may be dying-it
may mean lot to all of US. Quicki"
Jim, I must speak to him"
Her brother caught her sternly by
the arm and dragged her to the end
of the thicket. "Now-go!" he
said, "or-I swear I'll have him sent
off now!"
Jane caught the look on his face
and saw beyond him the death-like
face of Stenhart, leaning against two
deputies, only partly conscious.
Hes all inl" cried Jim. Cant
you see? Beat i'll"
The girl, half crying, ran out into
the road. The storm had nearly
spent itself and she loosed Tex from
the sapling where she had tied him,
and springing into the saddle,
turned his head homeward.
Her heart reproached her for the
relief she felt. When she heard the
shots she had thought only of Sher-
win and her brother; Jordan had
slipped out Of her mind. She mag
med Sherwin still bent on revenge,
though the miracle of that rescue
seemed to lift him above such a
thought. They were both safel Poor
MAXWELL, she could pity him, yet,
II he knew he had sworn to a Lie
about his cousin, wasn't it a judg-
ment OF God? In strange tumult
of feeling she galloped home, but,
all the while, she seemed to vision
Sherwin going down into the abyss
to save the life of his foe!
my heart, you are drippingl"
Teresa cried, Selling her as she
dropped from the saddle; but Jane
scarcely heard her.
Call Mac!" she said sharply,
painting, her hands clasped tightly
against her breast. And you, Fan
ny, you've got to go in the car-Jor-
dan tried to shoot Jim and wounded
Stenhart; they're afraid he's dy-
ing"
Fanny, suddenly white, gasped.
"Jim's safe?"
Jane nodded, at last aware of old
Teresa. The little brown woman
dropped on her knees, crossing her
self.
"Sangre de Cristel" she whis-
pered, awed, "it is a judgment-his
dreams, his terrible dreams!"
Jane looked down at her, white
Tipped; it was her own thought voiced
again. She shivered. Fanny had
sped upon her errand, and she was
alone with the little old peon wom-
an. The wind swept over them and
she looked up; storm-clouds, black
and threatening, were rolling around
them and the shining peaks were
swathed in mantle of purple. Now
and then a red flash tore the black
mist asunder, as though some hid
den furnace was belching fire in the
midst of the canyons. Jane, who
knew that Sherwin had given up his
hope Of freedom to save a life, felt
suddenly a thrill Of utter pride and
thanhulness; nothing mattered so
much as that he had cleansed his
soull
They brought Stenhart back to
Las Palomas through the driving
storm. The wind was swapping
branches off the great trees and
whipping the rain across the long
slope in mighty gusts. The big car
came swiftly, followed by the drip
ping horses and men of the posse.
Jane, watching from the veranda,
saw Stenhart's white face and
closed eyes as they bore him in, but
her own gaze was following the
drenched figures going down to the
IIleu quarters. One MADE out
Sherwin's tall head, and then the
others closed up about him. She
drew quick breath of relief; he
was here-Jim had not let them
hurry him away. Then she was
aware of other things. She, her
self, had telephoned for a doctor.
but it would be two hours or more
before he could reach them; mean
while Jim and Cutler had carried
the wounded man in and laid him
on his bed. Fanny, quiet, competent,
greatly concerned, was doing all she
could; Stenhart had lost conscious
ness, but now, under her ministra-
tons, he was slowly coming back
to himself. Mechanically, Jane
obeyed the young nurses behests,
helping as best she could.
Fanny, quietly and deity at work,
suddenly saw the girls face, and she
went over to Jim. He was standing
by the door helplessly, staring at
Stenhart.
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