Riders of the Purple Sage

oments of starlight, a dark overcasting of sky, an ho

ipped the yellow wall in the east. He concluded to make the climb and descent into Surprise Valley in one trip. To that end he tied his blanket upon Ring and gave W

felt equally with something sweet and strangely exulting in its accomplishment. He did not pause until he gained the narrow divide and there he rested. Balancing Rock loomed huge, cold in the gray ligh

rabbit was also chewing on it. And Ring evidently regarded this as an injury to himself, especially as he had carried the heavier load. Presently he snapped at one

through the magnificent arch burst a glorious stream of gold that shone with a long slant down into the center of Surprise Valley. Only through the arch did any su

to Surprise Valley, stretching in almost perfect curve from rim to rim. Even in his hurry and concern Venters could not

to the right and about on a level with the tips of the oaks and cottonwoods below. Scattered here and there upon this shelf were clumps of aspens, and he walked through them into a glade that surpassed in beauty and adaptability for a wild home, any place he had ever seen. Silver spruces bordered the base of a precipitous wall that rose loftily. Caves inden

cliff. Here, in the stone wall, had been wonderfully carved by wind or washed by wa

aid the girl there. The first intimation that he had of her b

ing water. Its faint tinge of amber reminded him of the spring at Cottonwoods, and the thought gave him a little shock. The water was so cold it made his fingers tingle as

's good water. I've found a fine

e replied, and moved he

our right side. I believe you're hungry. I

like

n the little shock. When had he laughed? "It's hunger," he went on. "I've had that gnaw many a tim

t I-s

discovered that. You must lie perfec

sticky; my boots hurt." It was her longest s

'm a fin

of stone. Her boots were of soft, fine leather, reaching clear to her knees. He recognized the make as one of a boot-maker in Sterling. Her spurs, that he had stupidly neglected to remove, consisted of silver frames and gold chains, and the rowels, large as silver dollars, were fancifully engraved.

r wounds now,"

had reopened! A chill struck him as he saw the angry red bullet-mark, and a tiny stream of blood winding from it down her white breast. Very carefully he lifte

s thank

le about them. The hole in your back has closed. If you lie still three days the one i

earnest sincerity

-to get well?" she

ed in a condition of mind wherein Venters wanted her to live more than he had ever wanted anything. Yet he could not tell why. He believed the killing of the rustler and the subsequent excitement had distur

t you to get well so I shall not have kil

darkened her eyes, a

rs. "You've talked

g year he had nursed resentment. He had hated the wilderness-the loneliness of the uplands. He had waited for something to come to pass. It had come. Like an Indian stealing horses he had skulked into the recesses of the canyons. He had found Oldring's retreat; he had killed a rustler; he had shot an unfortunate girl, then had saved her from this unwitting act, and he meant to save her from the consequent wast

ded his mind and body; all that had happened to him at Cottonwoods seemed remote and hard to

small-handled axe, a hunting-knife, a large number of cartridges for rifle or revolver, a tin plate, a cup, and a fork and spoon, a quantity of dried beef and dried fruits, and small canvas bags containing tea, sugar, salt, and pepper. For him alone this supply would have been bountifu

k out a calf. The exigency of the moment was to ascertain if there were game in Surprise Valley. Whitie still guarded the dilapidated rab

he center of the valley was a level circle of oaks and alders, with the glittering green line of willows and cottonwood dividing it in half. Venters saw a number and variety of birds flitting among the trees. To his left, facing the stone bridge, an enormous cavern opened in the wall; and low down, just above the tree-tops, he made out a long shelf of cliff-dwellings, with little black, staring windows or doors. Like eyes they were, and seemed to watch him. The few cliff-dwellings he had se

nters took the rabbit and, holding the dog near him, stole softly on. There were fluttering of wings among the branches and quick bird-notes, and rustling of dead leaves and rapid patterings. Venters crossed well-worn trails marked with fresh tracks; and when he had stolen on a little farther he saw many birds

as a particularly rich, furry pelt with a beautiful white tail. Venters remembered that but for the bobbing of that white tail catching his eye he would not have espied the rabbit, and he would ne

ge to the narrow outlet of the gorge. Here he began fashioning a fence, by driving aspens into the ground and lacing them fast with willows. Trip after trip he made down for more building material, and the af

te purpose, this freedom and comfort gave him peculiar satisfaction. He caught himself often, as he kept busy round the camp-fire, stopping to glance a

ch into this valley, in a golden, slanting shaft, so the evening sun, at the moment of setting, shone through a gap of cliff

h the wind soon came a shade and a darkening, and suddenly the valley was gray. Night came there quickly after the sinking of the sun. Venters went softly to look at the girl. She slept, and

continuous splash of falling water. The melancholy note of a canyon bird broke clear and lonely from the high cliffs. Venters had no name for this night singer, and he had never seen one, but the few notes, always pealing out just at darkness, were as familiar to him as the canyon silence. Then they ceased, and the rustle of leaves and the murmur of water hushed in a growing sound that Venters fancied was not of earth. Neither had he a name for

visible in the dimness. Ring crouched beside her, and the patting of his tail on the stone assured Venters that the dog was awake and faithful to his duty. Venters sought his own bed of

round space of blue morning sky; and in this lacy leafage fluttered a number of gray birds with black and white stripes and long tails. They were mocking-birds, and they were singing as if they wanted to burst their throats. Venters listened. One long, silver-t

and looked in. The girl was awake, with wide eyes a

-birds!"

rs, "and I believe t

e are

. After a littl

aw the shiny trees-and the blue sky-and the

ds and found them burning with fever. He went for water, and was glad to find it almost as cold as if flowing from ice. That water was the only med

on of restlessness, that he knew led to tossing and rolling of the body, he held her tightly, so no violent move could reopen her wounds. Hour after hour she babbled and laughed and cried a

y went from her side for a moment, except to run for fresh, cool water; and he did not eat. The fever broke on the fourth day and left her

as best he could, and fed her with a spoon. It came to him that the human body, like the human soul, was a strange thing and capable of recovering from terrible shocks. For almost immediately she showed faint signs of gathering strength. There was o

the sloping terraces. She would live, and the somber gloom lifted out of the valley, and he felt relief that was pain. Then he roused to the call of action,

She awoke stronger from each short slumber; she ate greedily, and she moved about in her bed of boughs; and always, it seemed to Venters, her eyes followed him. He knew now that her recovery would be rapid. She talked about the dog

return he was amazed and somewhat anxiously concerned to see his invalid sitting with her back to a corner of the cave and her bare feet swinging out. Hurriedly he approached, intending to advise her to lie down again, to tell her that perhaps she might overtax her strength. The sun shone upon her, glinting on the little head with its tangle of bright hair and the small

down,"

ugh?" he protested. "

zy. But I wan

shoulder. But now, as she clung to his arm, the rider's costume she wore did not contradict, as it had done at first, his feeling of her femininity. She might be the famous Masked Rider of the uplands, she might

ortable seat for her under the spr

e-everythin

the time of his discovery of the rustler

nd now you've

killing you I've

you g

uld sa

ily; she was unconscious of that mirroring of her emotions and

ut yourself?

various occupations till he became a rider, and then how the Mo

tand his own burning curiosit

dring's Mas

plied, and dr

't believe it!... But you never were really that rustler, as we riders knew

med any one-in all my lif

tery-the things laid to your hands-the threats in your infamous name-the night-riding credited to you-the

and the large eyes, larger now and darker, met Venters's with a clear

at's strange! A

N

ring a

N

-care f

n-his life-sometime

race him self to ask for a truth that would be abhorrent

at were you

ing heat, the girl wilted; her head dropped, and i

fferent-his thought when spoken. Yet her shame established in his mind som

or her and anger at himself. "But once and for all-tell me-I kno

h

d little for my complaining. Anyway, I was a lonely outcast. And now!... I don't see very clearly what it all means. Only we are here-together. We've got to stay here, for long, surely till you are well. But you'll never go back to Oldring. And I