Riders of the Purple Sage

trail of the rustlers, Jane Withersteen led the injured man to her

you think happen

er not say,

I'm beginning to worry about more than the loss of a

hink as Venters thinks-your

s!... B

les the reins of y

that my churchmen hav

," answered Judkins, with spirit. "I know what

Tull leave my herds at the mercy of rustlers and wol

pardon, Miss Withersteen, there never was any other rich Mormon woman h

ce had been hers always. But had she taken the bit between her teeth? Still she wavered. And then, with quick spurt of warm blood along her veins, she thought of Black Star when he got t

nd when you have learned anything definite

d riders. And beside the many duties she had added to this work was one of extreme delicacy, such as required all her tact and ingenuity. It was an unobtrusive, almost secret aid which she rendered to the Gentile families of the village. Though Jane Witherste

r they were as proud as they were poor. It had been a great grief to her to discover how these people hated her people; and it had been a source of great joy that through her they had come to soften in hatred

port about the horses. One of his daily duties was to give Black Star and Night and the other racers a ten-mile run. This day it had been omitted, and the boy grew confused in explanations that she had not asked for. She did inquire if he would return on the morrow, and Jerd, in mingled surprise and relief, assured her he would always work for her. Jane missed the rattle and trot, canter and gallop of the incoming riders on the hard trails. Dusk shaded the grove wher

hed to speak to her. She hurried out, and in her surprise to see him armed

guns? You neve

ied. "Will you come into the grove? It ain'

m into the shade o

do you

for me. I went to the door. He wore a mask. He said I'd better not ride any more for Jane Withersteen. His

he was?" asked Jan

es

want to know; she feared to know. All

dkins. "For I'll never quit ridin' for yo

o you want

me a hoss-a fast hoss, an'

more through it. But what in the world can I do? My head whirls. The wrong to Venters-the stolen herd-these masks

n' Tull's man, Jerry Card-he's the leader. I seen him en' his hoss. He 'ain't been to Glaze. I'm not easy to fool on the looks of a hoss thet's traveled the sage. Tull an' Jerry didn't ride to Glaze!... Well, I met Blake en' Dorn, both good friends of mine, usually, as far as their Mormon lights will let 'em go. But these fellers couldn't fool me, an' they didn't try very hard. I asked them, straight out like a man, why they left you like thet. I didn't forget to mention how you nursed Blake's poor old mother when she was sick, an'

ane Withersteen a poor woman! Her head to be brought low

ope now, not ten miles out-three thousand head, an' all steers. They're wild, an' likely to s

e. Get the boys and tell Jerd to give you pick of my horses, except Black Star

ath. She went stone-blind in the fury of a passion that had never before showed its power. Lying upon her bed, sightless, voi

ited that temper; and at times, like antelope fleeing before fire on the slope, his people fled from his red rages. Jane Withersteen realized that the spirit of wrath and war had lain dormant in her. She shrank from black depths hitherto unsuspected. The one thing in man or woman that she scorned above all scorn, and which sh

no longer concerned Jane Withersteen, she faced the foremost thought of her

in to be immune from that dark, hot hate; to love Tull as her minister, though she could not love him as a man; to do h

or break her spirit. Once resigned to further loss, and sure of herself, Jane Withersteen attained a peace of mind that had not been hers for a year. She forgave Tull, and felt a melancholy regret over what she knew he considered duty, irrespective of his personal feeling for her. First of all, Tull, as he was a man, wanted her for himself; and secondly, he hoped to save her and her riches for his church. She did not believe that Tull had been actuated solely by his minister's zeal to save her soul. She doubted her interpretation of one of his dark say

larly with his gentle smile. Jane's active mind took up her interest in him and her half-determined desire to use what charm she had to foil his evident design in visiting Cottonwoods. If she coul

" he said, black

am," she replied, with her bright smile. "If

easier. First names ar

Lassiter, I'm glad to s

driving of the red herd, of Venters's departur

in' an' pretty for a woman wit

p my mind not to be miserable. I've lost much, and I'll lose more. N

d and round, as was his way,

m them long ago. But I'd like a game woman. Might I ask, se

ven't a friend except that boy who

'am-Jane-that there's a

d? Think! Why, you'd ride down into the village with those t

led up to jest about th

ut both ha

p-be proud of it-return it-if I may k

med in his eyes. "You're too good a woman to be sacrificed as you're g

t fascinated by the sudden transition of his moods. That

kill a man-the man

hy I came here. I'd tell so much to no other livin' soul.... There're things such a woman a

ou! I?

followin' for so many years was twisted en' tangled, but it's straightenin' out now. An', Jane Withersteen, you crossed it long ago to ease poor Milly's agony. That, whether you want

ound she feared only his deeds. His mystic suggestion, his foreshadowing of something that she was to mean to him, pierced deep into her mind. She believed fate had thrown in her way the lover or husband of Milly Erne. She believed that through her an evil man might be reclaimed. His allusion to what he ca

in to tell you that your herd of white steers is down on the slope behind them big ridges. An' I seen

rt, she then went to her room and changed to the riding-clothes she always donned when going into the sage. In this male attire her mirror showed her a jaunty, handsome rider. If she e

what difference clothes make. Now I've been some scared of your dig

he whistled at Lassiter's black. But at sight of Jane all his defiant lines

Star, down,

him to a canter through the grove, and like the wind he broke when he saw the sage. Jane let him have a couple of miles of free running on the open trail, and then she coaxed him in and waited for her companion. Lassiter was not long in catching up, and

"en' take to the sage a mile or so. Th

ow me?" asked Jane. "I'm

bad news came swiftly enough w

e. They left the horses standing, bridles down. Then Lassiter, carrying the field-glasses began

sky," he said. "I was here less than an hour ago. Then the her

er!...

I said. Now

t body of the white herd. She knew enough about steers, even at a distance of four or five miles, to realize that something was in the wind. Bringing her field-glass into use, she moved it slowly from left to right, which action swept the whole herd into range.

," said Jane. "But he'll be there soon. I hope not too

e quietin' down. They've been scared, but not bad yet. I reckon

stance-not in less than an

run it, en' t

htened them?" repeat

along them ridges on the other side of the herd, the ridges where the sun

arded Jane with nothing save the low, pur

siter, and he gripped her arm. "W

ll me what

nt of quick light-a gleam as fro

rple sage, magnified in color and size and wave, for long moments irritated her with its monotony. Then from out of the sa

earth i

at ridge throwin' up a sheet or a wh

Jane, more bewi

," replied Lassiter,

ith something like a smile. "My righteous brethren are at work again," she said, in scorn. She had stifled the leap of her wrath, but for perhaps the first time in her life a bitter

dly way of bringin' a

my knees. I might be led I won't be d

m. A rider gettin' down an' walkin' toward them sometimes will make them jump an' fly. Then again nothin' seems to scare them. But I reckon that white flar

be done by Oldring's men?" ask

ef. He don't skulk behind ridges to scatter your cattle to the four win

who at the very moment were proving to her that th

ve bolted. They're drawin' the straggl

bees pouring from a huge swarm, the steers stretched out from the main body. In a few moments, with astonishing rapidity, the whole herd got i

e, an' a hummer

ith the valley! It leads into the c

les yet. An', Jane, this valley swings round almost north bef

ly through the sage, and a funnel-shaped dust-cloud ar

. "There's some specks an' dust way off toward the village. Mebbe that's Judkins an' his boys. It

gs and tightening the cinches, he leaped astrid

and faced the valley with excitement and expectancy. She had heard of milling st

swept swiftly closer the thunder became a heavy roll. Lassiter crossed in a few moments the level of the valley to the eastern rise of ground and there wa

headed back toward her and up the valley. Out to the right of these wild plunging steers ran Lassiter's black, and Jane's keen eye appreciated the fleet stride and sure-footedness of the blind horse. Then it seemed that the herd moved in a great curve, a huge half-moon with the points of head and tail almost opposite, and a mile apart But Lassiter relentlessly crowded the leaders, sheering them to the left, turning them little

in a circle; the end of the herd was still running almost straight. But soon they would be wheeling. Then, when Lassiter had the circle formed, how would he escape? With Jane Withersteen prayer was as ready as praise; and she prayed for this man's safety. A circle of dust began to collect. Dimly, as through a yellow vei

deafened, yet she thrilled to a new sound. As the circle of sage lessened the steers began to bawl, and when it closed entirely there came a great upheaval in the center, and a terrible thumping of heads and clicking of horns. Bawling, climbing, goring, the great mass of steers on the inside wrestled

ing his weary way toward her through the sage. And up on the slope Judkins rode into sigh

aid his hand on Black Star's ma

y-hoss,"

you can't replace him, but I'll give you any on

e replied. "Only-will you let me have Black Star now an' ride h

g specks of black and puffs

m off with this

, Las

r stampede no

Lassiter, I wo

nd her trembling hands shook Black Star's b