Wildfire

ty and achievement, all colored so wonderfully for Lucy

ought little about it. Van had taken up the training of the King; and Lucy had deliberately quarreled with him so that she would be free to ride where she listed. Farlan

owly missing him. Bostil had sworn he recognized the shot as having come from a rifle, and that he knew to whom it belonged. The riders did not believe this, and said some boy, shooting at a rabbit or coyote, had

e and went swiftly through her mind. She was o

wing, his rocking-chair lope. She had said a hundred times that she ought not go again

s wonderful was Wildfire's love for her. The great stallion hated Slone and loved Lucy. Of all the remarkable circumstances she had seen or heard about a horse, this fact was the most striking. She could do anything with him. All that savagene

liked Slone as she might a brother. And something within her accused her own conviction. The conviction was her real self, and the accusation

" she said, aloud. "I don't-I co

itent, petted him out of all proportion to her thoughtlessness. The violent exercise only heated her blood and, if anything, increased this sudden and new torment. Why had she discarded her boy's rider outfit and chaps for a riding-habit made by her aunt, and one she had scorned to wear? Some awful, accusing v

passion, and despair. She felt her heart swell at the realization that she had changed him, made him kinder, made him divide his love as did her father, made him human, hopeful, longing for a future unfettered by the toils of desert allurement. She could not control her pride. She must like him very much. She conf

couldn't give that up.... And oh! I'm

s Ford would know she had been meeting Slone out in

F he can buy Wildfire-and a fi

she had, in her wildness and joy and spirit, spent many hours alone with a rider, to his undoing. She could not excuse that. She was ashamed. What would h

esn't love h

e. She turned Sarchedon homeward, but scarcely had faced that way when she wheeled him again. She rode slowly and she rode swiftly. The former was ha

ide avenues between the walls opened on all points of the compass, and that one to the north appeared to be a gateway down into the valley of monuments. The monuments trooped down int

nd an opening in the wall, and by riding this way into the pass Lucy cut off miles. In fact, the camp was not over fifteen miles from B

she had not come, which were few, he had spent watching for her there. His tasks were not many, and he said he had nothing to do but wait for her. Lucy had a persistent an

part of the pass Slone was no longer visible. She put Sarchedon to a run up the har

at she wore? She felt very curious to learn, and shyer than ever before,

was nothing in her usual greetin

en well, and his tall, lithe rider's form, his lean, strong face, and his dark eyes were admirable in her sight. Only this morning, all because she had

er that Lucy could not k

ou like-m

h better," Slon

she's been trying to

Lucy.... But can

What's Wildfire go

r, too.... Lucy, how'

ldfire as you are, I'd say he'll have to kill hims

have to look at Wildfire to get back my nerve...

sighe

Don't you want

to beat the King, anyway.

dfire. And presently it appeared that Lucy might have some little time to wait. Wildf

and that was why the sand was so clean and hard. To-day it was a pleasant wind, not hot, nor laden with dust, and somehow musical in the cedars. The blue smoke from Slone's fire curled away and floated out of sight. It was lonely, with the haunting presence of the broken walls ever manifest. But the loneliness seemed full of content. She no longer wondered at Slone's desert life. That might be well for a young man, during those years when adventure and daring calle

tred of Slone showed in the way he obeyed. Slone had mastered him, and must always keep the upper hand o

what Wildfire showed at sight of Lucy. Still Slone was proud of Lucy's control over the stallion. He was just as much heart and sou

. Fast as Sarchedon was, and matchless as a horseman as was Slone, the race was over almost as soon as it began. Wildfire ran indeed like fire before the wind. He wanted to run, and the other horse made him fierce. Like a burr Lucy stuck low over his neck, a part of the horse, and so light he would not have known he was carrying her but for the repeated calls in his ears. Lucy never spurred him. She absolutely refused to use spurs

ucy still fondled Wildfire. He paused a moment to look at her, but when sh

me like a bul

he run!" mu

beat the K

at question every

get so-so excited. I-I make a fool of myself-over him.

never breaks. He goes hard, but he saves something. He gets mad-fierce-all the time, yet he WANTS to go y

m-well?" she

ver ride hi

to please me. Why, Van

e perfect. I've found fault with you on the King, on your mustang

," said Lucy. "I'm crazy to ride Wildfire out before all the Indians and ran

all. Enter your horse for the race, but don't

... And, Lin, only fiv

ul, and Lucy, seeing that, st

ays more," repeat

ak again as he had spoken once before, preci

Ford know you meet me out

r day. She had been watching me.

ay?" went on Sl

scolded me. She said.... But, anyw

she said," spoke up t

usness of confusion as well as Slo

said I'm now a grown-up girl.... Oh, she carried on! ... Bostil would likely shoot you. And if h

let you come out here.... But I never thought. I'm not used

d Lucy, spiritedly. "And I gues

ng one of those gloomy spells that Lucy hated

t my stand-when I meet Bostil," said

ean?" Lucy tre

, a dignity that seemed new. "I'l

t. Slone appeared

she exclai

s-that," replied Slone, bit

ot he'd knock you down.... I tell you, Lin, my dad is-is pretty rough. And j

ts the King, not I

"Please don't--don't ask him that. T

t everybody at yo

knows me. I'm the only girl. There have been-other f

" he

ght to keep angry; and that was easy enough, she thought, if she could only keep in mind Slone's opposition

was not steady. "I don't forget I'm only-a beggarly rider. I c

hat!" interrupted

ou doesn't mean I've any hope. ... It's just

ink there's reason-why-I-why, you OUGHT t

t's it," h

Lucy, hotly. "I found you out here. I did you a-a little service. We

erted Lucy. "But, no one knows me

r-that. I-I told Au

just l

you if you ask Dad that," decla

hat's not s

htless and selfish. Slone had hurt her pride. But the thing that she feared and resented and could not understand was the strange gladness Slone's declaration roused in her. She tried to control her temper so she could think. Two emotions conten

put a hand on Slone's arm as

I will,"

shaking hand on hers and crushed her gauntleted fingers. And Lucy, in the current now of her woman's need to be placated if not obeyed, pressed her small hand to his. H

mise not to-s

is voic

e away-don't

queried, in

gether, and all around them was wrapped the warm, strong feeling of his hand on hers. What did she mean that he would tell her father? There seemed to be a deep, hidden self i

know-and there WON'T be any hop

gnificance of her word

race an' ask him. That's settle

ost her temper. "Oh! y

d a spot of dark blood leaped to his lean

o sense in it-because-bec

a fool over a horse. An' now I'm a fool over a

leaping off, threw the bridle to Slone. "I won't ride your horse in the r

e of Heaven as I am you'll be up

ride yo

see.... But you'l

won

lashed dark fire. "You won't be able to hel

" returned Lucy, with scorn. "I can

temper, though his face remaine

til's daught

es

as good as any man I ever saw. You love Wildfire. An' look-how strange! That wild stallion-that kill

She dared not look at Wildfire. Yes-all, that was true Slone had said. How

e your Wildfire AGAIN!

ble. Well, Wildfire won't be

Lucy. "You'll sell him to Bos

catch an' break him? ... Not for all yo

per quelled, began to feel the rider's strength, his mastery of the

no farther. How white he was now! Lucy's heart gave a great, fearful leap

in that-race he'll be-YO

" questioned Lucy

e him

dfire-to me?"

Righ

rk eyes showed the strain of

.. I can't-un

've got to beat the King.... So I give Wildfir

give him-to me

had vanished, and she s

isn't reason enough-then ... because I love him-as no rider eve

r as if she had been born again. It released something. A bolt shot back in her heart. She knew she was quivering like a leaf, with no power to control her muscles. She knew if she looked up then Slone might see the depths of her soul. Even with her hands shutting out the light she thought the desert around had chang

about," Slone was saying. "B

etch Sarch?" asked

outwardly. And she had two very strong desires-one to tell Slone so

ts before she looked down at Slone. He was now pale, rather than white, and instead of fire in his eyes there was

take Wildfir

emember he's grown to look to you.

ld," she protested. Yet she knew

good old fai

asked Lucy, curiously. She was playing with the wonderful swee

clared Slone. "An' as for findin'

I won't a

ire's sake! ... But if you could be mean an' re

xclaime

ecko

ing gleam shone on all about her. Even the red stallion appeared enveloped in a glow. And the loo

raining-then a day of rest-and then the race

hange the hardness of his

HAVE to

if he's ever to

e eager riders-the spirited horses-the face of her father-and last the race

I accept Wildfire will you keep him for me-until ... and i

errupted Slone, hastily.

ot to say a word-a single wor

eried, wonderingly. Something in h

e-Why, I'm-I'll a

replied,

and, shortening the bridle, she got

pt Wildfire bec

m speak. Then she was tearing through the sage, out past the whistl