Wildfire

ter, turning at the door to call a last wor

l openings high up, evidently intended for defense as well as light, and they had rude wooden shutters. The floor was clay, covered everywhere by Indian blank

chairs with blanket coverings, and tables to match, and walls covered with bridles, guns, pistols, Indian weapons and ornaments, and trophies of the chase. In a far corner stood a work-bench, with tools upon it and horse tra

with a severe yet motherly face. She had her hands on her hips,

again?" she qu

replied the gi

t out of seeing We

d sweetly

an. "I never saw a man in such a stew.... No wonde

m No!" fla

straight running. You've fooled enough with these riders of your Dad's. If you're not careful you'll marry one of them.... One of

e for him,"

t do you say? You approved of Wetherby. I heard you t

rrupted Bostil; and he a

emanded h

n a corner between two fires. He

imed Lucy, r

ir of finality, "the girl is of age to-d

unt Jane. "Like as not she'll be fetching that h

ed Lucy, her

for your sake.... Look at you, Lucy Bostil! A girl of eighteen who comes of a fa

de in a woman's skirt," expostulated

conciled to a Bostil woman in leather pants. W

'd be starvin' yet. Jane, you're a sentimental old fool. Le

tears. Lucy, seeing them, ran t

em to regard me as a girl. Somehow that's better. I can't explain, but I like it. My dresses are what have caused all the trouble. I k

r all," replied Aunt Jane, ev

inking spurs ran

se about young Joel Creec

gossiped. That I told you. Have

't," said Bos

t all she'll tell the truth. Lucy'

ide, but thrilled his father's heart. She had been a slim, lithe, supple, disheveled boy, breathing the wild spirit of the open and the horse she rode. She was now a girl in the graceful roundn

ke she used to be," sa

r!" murmu

strong, so alive, did not a

n'," said Bostil, presently. "Wh

hen she laughed merrily. "Dad, you old

askin' on-on gen

do you

n' between you an' Joe

d, with her clea

bell. "I'm beggin' your

you. I let him till lately. I liked him. But th

an awful waste,"

is-perfectly right in his

ompliments you're

at a slow, gradual change has come over Joel since he was kicke

at's no unusual sign roun

But he must have been watching. Anyway, to my surprise he showed up on Peg. He doesn't often get Peg across the river. He s

not," said B

to be rid of him, and I climbed to a favorite place of mine. On my way home I saw Peg grazing on the rim of the creek, near that big spring-hole where the water's so deep and clear. And what do you think? There w

en?" demanded

take off your clothes a

il s

just as surprised. That was one of the queer

t 'd you do?" interru

for I remembered the ten miles of rock and cactus between him and home, and I climbed up on Buckles. Joel screamed and swore something fearful. But I didn't look back. And Peg, you know-maybe you don't know-but P

ast bounced a rock off his head! But say, Lucy, after all,

ha

have sense enough to stay in the water or shade till the sun's gone down. An' if

t Lucy, contritely. "I never thought of

not," sa

ome one, then,

me? Let Creech get his lesson. He deserves it...

, archly. "Dad, don't s

y to Wetherby fo

and she seemed to look beyond

forget the foolish girl who can ca

an Indian's. An' now the last question-w

efully clapping her hands. "I'd

est of your mother's

give me anyth

my g

ng-any

akness, for she

horse but

out Sar

g black devil? He's too high. Seventee

rch KNEEL

Sarch would pull your ar

ll, then-how about Dusty Ben?" She was tor

wouldn't be fair to part with him, even to you. Old asso

g the King. Some day I'll ride some horse out in front

are can't be trusted. Look

us Daddy who longs to give

ustangs? You've got a dozen. You can have any other

ge obsession, in regard to horses, that he never would see that Lucy was teasing him. As far as horses

to own Plume," sa

the rack. The monstrous selfishness of a rider wh

ou hadn't no use for

iven her .... Dad, I'm only teasing you. Don't I know y

right," Bostil burst

holds me as ransom for the King-as he

in't funny!" comp

if I ever get the one I want to love! A wild horse-a desert stallion-pure Arabian-broken right by an In

und down through rough breaks in the canyon wall to the river. Bostil's house, at the head of the village, looked in the opposite direction, down the sage slope that widened like a colossal fan. There was one wide street bordered by cottonwo

h horses or cattle or sheep. And the season was now close at hand when for weeks, sometimes months, the river was unfordable. There were a score of permanent families, a host of merry, sturdy children, a number of idle young men, and only one girl-Lucy Bostil. But the village always had transient inhabitants-friendly Utes and Navajos in to trade, and sheep-herders with a

at all. News from the outside world, except that elicited from the taciturn travelers marching into Utah, drifted in at intervals. But it was not missed. These wilderness spirits were the forerunners of a great, movement, and as such were big, strong, stern, sufficient unto themselves. Life there was made possible by horses. The distant future, that looked bright to far-seeing men, m

bluff. Brackton, a little old gray man, with scant beard, and eyes like those of a bird, came briskly out to meet an incoming freighter. The wagon was minus a hind wheel, but the teamster had come i

u air some late gettin'

ed dust pasted in his scraggy beard, and as he gave his belt

l an' part of the load

greeted Wilson and inquired for news. The teamster replied that travel was dry, the

ack-thet's all, till it

, evidently to alleviat

o horses, were the stoc

ommon hot ear

ast winds-hard this s

on the

rift along without freighters. There's grass a

e ain't none ac

eason. An' if there wa

in' his hosses acro

e's trainin' for th

air they c

e. Mebbe V

length, hat over his eyes. Then he sat up and blinked, a lean

ebody pu

re! Say, Van, when wi

n as he hears from the Indians. Plans to have eight hundred Indians

ide the K

ckin' because I'm heavier th

in an' bon

off, Van. Some one said Creech's B

an, scornfully. "Didn't I beat Creech's hoss

you didn't. The Blue

est, an eloquent in their convictions. The prevailing opinion was t

ing mustangs and apparently talking trade. It was manifest th

s a hoss!" e

in't," re

ber, the rancher, had already traded his mustang and money to boot for the sorrel. The deal, whether

r, scratching his head. "But then every feller can't have hoss sense." Then, lookin

ers, especially Van, were nothing if not revealing. She greeted

n's in, and did my box come

he replied, delighted in her delight. "But it's too h

eir services and looked as if each had s

you see this

and the same old story-a

. "Now, Miss Lucy, we-all know you're a judge of a hoss. And as good as thet you tell t

acquisition, but some of the cock-sureness ha

y. "Didn't you get around Dad and trade him an old, blind, knock-

aughter while the rancher

nk thet of such an old friend of yours-an' your Dad's

he got the best of you. But you know, Macomber

be thought bad. I'm the first feller to take hi

onfidence born of intuition and experience, and reached a hand for his head, not slowly, nor yet swiftly. T

Lucy. "Some Navajo has beat

studied the musta

ddle will turn on him. He's not vicious, but he'll never get over his scare. He's narrow between

lared Macomber. "An' s

e a present of him-e

replied Macomber, ruefully. It was plain that th

get your deserts now and then. It's vanity and d

er trying to return the banter of the riders. The good-natur

thet ain't a nak

n apparently nude savage ap

der. "Miss Lucy might see-No, she's out of s

Macomber. "You never saw

hers laughed, and all sudden

is white, if

to the face, which seemed white in contrast. Yet on

t Joel Creech!" sa

accorded their

crazy,

s seen i

d? Foamin' at the mout

the curious group, slowed his pace, and halted. His face seemed convulsed with rage and pain and fatig

with eyes rolling, "take this-'

s place. A howl went up from the

om, roaring with laughter, red in the face; and he ast

ne-it-Lucy Bos

dear!" exclai

" asked Luc

and, wiping his moist red face,

Lucy, who had a

hought, an' crazier in others. He had the sun figgered, but what'd he want to

reamed Lucy. "Wh

hich it did-harder 'n rock. An' thet must have hurt more 'n sunburn. Late this afternoon he came runnin' down the road, yellin' thet he was dyin'. The boys had conniption fits. Joel ain't over-liked, you know, an' here they had one on him. Mebbe they didn't try hard to c

fear and mirth. She did not

it great

ill he-do?"

a word about how he come to lose his clothes or why he had t

errible to me!" cried Lucy