Riders of the Purple Sage

turned upon the rescuer and gripped his hands. Her smiles and tears seemingly dazed

e loosened the bridle and removed the bit. The horse snorted and bent his head. The trough was of solid stone, hollowed ou

ought you

er of over sixty mi

ride that-Ah,

m," replie

blinde

ied him, an' then held whi

evils.... Were they

, ma

y everlasting sorrow I confess it. They have been driven, hated, scourged till their h

on, ma'am-that tim

think Mormon women wicked? Has y

and noblest, the most long-sufferin', and

thoughtful look. "Then you

nd in his hands. "Ma'am," he began, presently, "I reckon your kindness of heart makes you overlook things. Perhaps I ain't well k

will you do it, a

ative who might drop in an' be o

to question my actions." She turned smilingly to Venters. "You will come

ll raise a storm down in the village," s

torm-after he has praye

s. The last rays of the setting sun sent golden bars through the leaves. The grass was deep and rich, welcome contrast to sage-tired eyes. Twittering quail

he massive blocks of stone and heavy timbers and solid doors and shutters showed the hand of a man who had builded against pillage and time; and in the flowers and mosses lining the stone-bedded stream, in

id, "or I'd have him taken to the alfalfa fields." At her call appeared women who began at once t

a bright wood-fire blazed in an old open fireplace, and from this into her own room. It had the same

had left her practically its beneficent landlord, but cared most for the dream and the assurance and the allurement of her beauty. This time, however, she gazed into her glass with more than the usual happy motive, without the usual slight conscious smile. For she was thinking of more than the desire to be fair in her own eyes, in those of her friend; she wondered if she were to seem fair in the eyes of this Lassiter, this man whose name

nk of that name, of him. But when I look at the man I forget who he is-I almost like him. I remember only that he saved Bern. He has suffe

oked the gloomy outcast his allegiance had made him, and about him there was the shadow of the ruin presaged by Tull. On her left sat black-leather-garbed Lassiter looking like a man in a dream. Hunger was not with him, nor composure, nor speech, and when he twisted in frequent unquiet movements the heavy guns that he had n

back their chairs, she leaned closer to

u come to C

rider arose as if he had just remembered h

and Nevada for-somethin'. An' through your name

my name when you spoke first. Well, tel

ty miles or more west of here. An' I heard it from a Genti

d, imperiously, as

answered low, and the w

Lassiter in amazement, and Jane slowl

What do you know of Milly Erne, my best-beloved f

"I know people-relatives-who have long want

rother who was shot in Texas. Lassiter, Milly Erne's

'll be offendin' Mormons worse

it. Only we must go uns

ed the rider, and he bowed to her an

y-sleep under my

id there's that gatherin' storm in the village below. No, no. I'll g

f-bitter laugh, "my bed too, is the

ge is wide an' I won'

ay out of the grove. The rider did not bridle him, but walked beside him, leading hi

" said Venters. "Give me m

der of my church would be l

ould be

ou forebearance, mercy? Bern, it's divine to forgive y

-day. To-day this strange coming of Lassiter left me st

lt and gun-filled sheath and a long rifle; these she handed to him, a

ry to avoid him and all his men. But can't you see I've reached the end of my rope? Jane, you're a wo

me the clicking sound of

etting time for the night shift. Let us go o

roundabout way led her far from the house to a knoll on the edge of the grove. Here in a secluded nook was a bench from which, through an opening in the tree-tops, could be seen the sage-slope and the wall of rock and the di

fraid I must

" she

sition is not a happy one-I ca

e you any

ness. Well, it's too late.... Now, as to the future, I think you'd do best to give me up. Tull is implacable. You ought to see from his intention to-day that-But you can't s

ble han

er as she started back. "He's the law. The edict went forth to ruin me. We

hard, I know. But then he has

. That's the Mormon of you. These elders and bishops will do absolutely any deed to go on building up the power and we

ou know of

e name of the Mormon who brought her h

ide him on the bench. And he respected a silence that he divi

ing eyes he studied the beautiful purple, barren waste of sage. Here was the unknown and the perilous. The whole scene impressed Venters as a wild, austere, and mighty manifestation of nature. And as it somehow remind

Jane, breaking the silenc

west. A horseman showed dark on the sky-li

coming in. One of your riders, more likely. Ye

them,

ge. I ran into five yesterday 'way down near the tra

I wish you wouldn't. Oldring and his

what of

d to your frequent trip

, there's no water for fifty miles after I leave here, and the nearest is in the can

on the slope, t

oke to a clear call from an incoming rider, and, almost like the peal of a hunting-horn, floated back the answer. The outgoing riders moved swiftly,

n't meet Lassit

ers of the night shift know what happened to-day.

r? He's only a name t

er met knows him. He talks a little like a

been dead two. Bern, what do you know of Lassiter? Tell me what he has done-

ngs. Some said he had shot up this and that Mormon village, and others denied it. I'm inclined to believe he has, and you know how Mormons hide the truth. But there was one feature about Lassiter upon which all agree-that he was what riders in this country call a gun-man. He's a man with a marvelous quickness and accuracy in the use of a Colt. And now that I've seen him I know more. Lassiter was

unspoken, but at the su

black and gloomy. One dim star glimmered in the southwest sky. The sound of trotting horses had ceased,

yed yelp of a coyote, and from far off in the darkn

-dogs are barkin

I lie awake, listening to the long mourn or breaking bark or wild h

n to sweeter music, nor c

overed the long-unknown hiding-place of Oldring and his band, and told it to my riders? That would disarm Tull's ugly hints and put you in favor. For years my riders have trailed the tracks of stolen cattle. You know as well as I how dearly we've paid

hought of tha

now I'll never be sure of seeing

ll watch for Lassiter

d ni

ay, a white, gliding shape tha

e went swiftly and silently westward. The grove was long, and he had not reached the end when he heard something that brought him to a halt. Low padded thuds told him horses were coming this way. He sank down in the gloom, waiting, listening. Much before he had expected, judging from sound, to his amazement he descried horsemen near at hand. They were riding along the border of the sage, and instantly he knew the hoofs of the horses were muffled. Then the p