The Mysterious Rider

care of her horse, as used to be his habit, but she was disappointed. No light showed from the cabin in which t

ed effort of will to approach the house. Yet since she must meet him, the sooner the ordeal was over the better. Nevertheless she tiptoed past the bright windows, and went all the leng

This was the living-room, rather gloomy in the corners, and bare, but comfortable, for all simple needs. The lo

ig, horny hands extended to the warmth. He was in his shirt-sleeves,

s drooping head, and so removed the

reeting. "Jake has been hollerin' th

your son come?"

y. He rode up from Kremmlin' an' stopped to say Jack was celebratin' his arri

ly frank and never spared the truth. But Columbine, who knew him well, felt how this news flay

ttin' home. I ain't holdin' thet ag'in' him. These

tched her hand

mn is here and there's frost in the air. Oh, the hills were all gold and red--

," sighed the old man

the bluff. It's far. I

ountain. I've lost a good many head lately. They're eatin' some weed th

That's worse than eating loco.... Yes, I

Wal, le

nor of the expected guest, who had not come. Columbine helped the old man to his favorite dishes, stealing furtive glances at his lined and shadowed fa

till makin' up to you?" a

see that he ever did--t

puncher has been lovesick over you since you were a

the blood at her temples. "You always imagined su

years ago. But I can see now.... Didn't Wils always ge

lumbine. She felt a desire to laugh, yet t

of most pretty lasses, makin' eyes at all the men. Anyway, a matter of three month

Why? Was it fair, ta

t boy's the best rider an' roper I've had in years. He ain't the bronco-bustin' kind. He never drank. He was h

rmured Columbine. She felt ashamed of th

own reasons," replied Belllound

was because Wilson had always been superior in every way to Jack Belllounds. The boys had been natural rivals in everything

charge of your ranches

r at White Slides as foreman. An' if

the White Slides outfi

ckon the boys will stay, exceptin', mebbe, Wil

ay your best cowboy. I've heard yo

word over the range to Meeker, hopin' to get some men there. What I need most jest now is a fellar

tment of them! There must be a hundred. Only yesterday some man brought a lot of mang

ed Belllounds. "Lass, I swore I'd buy every dog fetched to me, until I had enough

ore in charge of the h

ed the rancher, nodding his grizzled head. "S

s,

ou like hi

se. He has been almo

n't like him more 'n you ought-

t," replied Columbine

at matter whether Wils stays or leaves. If he

mer. There was a stone fireplace, but as she had neglected to bring in wood she could not start a fire. So she undressed, blew out the lamp, and went to bed. Columbine was soon warm, and the darkness of her little room seemed good to her. Sleep she felt never would come that night. She wanted to think; she could not help but think; and she tried to halt the whirl of her mind. Wilson Moore occupied the foremost place in

he whispered. "Why, I'll be-

d where she had thrilled she now felt

he said, half aloud. "Because I can't help myself. I oug

ss waif. Bill Belllounds had not been under any obligation to succor a strange, lost child. He had done it because he was big, noble. Many splendid deeds

whole life," she

men that had been in the Belllounds home from time to time had not been sympathetic or had not stayed long enough t

e with him--I'll have to give up this little ro

st. Realization came with a sickening little shudder. And th

her of the gold-and-purple sunset, and the slopes of sage, the lonely heights, and the beauty that would never change. On th

and a natural paradise for elk, deer, antelope, buffalo. The mountain ranges harbored bear. These

he saw the possibilities there. To which end he sought the friendship of Piah, chief of the Utes. This noble red man was well disp

old and silver had been found in the mountains. It was a country that attracted prospectors, cattlemen, lumbermen. The summer season w

o keep the loneliness that had been his in earlier days. At the time of the return of his son to White Slides Belllounds was rich in cattle and land, but he avowed frankly that he had not saved any money, and probably never would. His hand was always open to every man and he never remembered an obligation. He trusted every one. A proud boast of his was that neither white man nor red man

ields and around the corrals; he often paced up and down the porch, scanning the horizon below, w

y dust-and-lather-stained horses, pull into the yard. And then he saw his son. Some of the

rew a bag out of the buckboard and then cla

old rancher, striding forward. His voice was deep and full, si

n, not heartily, as he put o

face was pale, showing he had not of late been used to sun and wind. Any stranger would have seen the resemblance of boy

He looked ashamed, almost sullen. But if he had been under the influence of

n," said t

llounds had closed the doors, the son threw dow

n?" he asked, bitterly. Broken p

secret's been kept.

w, now, I'm--glad--" he exclaimed, and he sat

g eyes shone with a warm and beautiful light. "Right hyar. We'll

with all the sullen

good. It's done me harm. But now, if n

Slides. An' if you make a success of it I'll be only too glad to have you boss the ranch. I'm gettin' along in years, son. An' the last year has made me poorer. Hyar's

ve of his hand. "I hadn't hoped for such a chanc

one, except

y here yet? I

bad. You savvy--it's bad. You can't run that bunch. The only way you can handle the

any sign of assimilating the se

nd out who's boss. Oh, I'm aching to g

mingled pride and doubt. Not at this moment, most assuredly, cou

cowboys jam their hosses around an' make 'em pitch an' bite. But it ain't the best way. A hoss has got sense. I've some fine stock, an' don't want it spoiled. An'

ick horses an' shoot

ases. I'm not advisin' thet way.... Son, it's c

uth who could not have felt something of the deep and unutterable affectio

Give me a chance. And don't be sore i

chance. An' thet reminds me

ck, eagerly. "They spoke of h

bout. Jack, you an' Co

bine and me?"

operty. An' it's right she had a share. A fine, strong, quiet, pretty

bine alway

. Now she's a woman, an' willin' to please

if Columbine were to flout me as she used to--why, I'd buck sure enough.... Da

wear she

ou'd want us t

you ever win her heart you'll be richer than if you owned all the gold in the Rockies. I'd say go

k, with a laugh. "It's like a s

g on the topmost log of a high corral, d

ack containing tools and horseshoes. As he dropped it with a metallic clink the musta

taller cowboy, a lean, supple, and powerful fellow, with a r

," she replied,

hawg-tie him," pr

you're going to be

is comrade, a little gnarled fellow, like th

," he said to Jim. "Them shoe

ustang. "Whang, the law's laid down an' w

rably impressed by this speech. It was a mig

iss Collie will ever boss us on, we gotta do it with

ob I'll ever boss you boys?"

sumed that blank, innocent face Columbin

ckon the new boss of Whi

me," said Columbine. "Well, I'll

m feared it ain't writ in the fatal h

over the ole man an'

ne, lightly. "Well, if such a thing did com

or we'll not be ridin' fer W

the possibility of Buster Jack's return had been rumored. S

ite Slides will be a sad on

m, with awkward softness. "Jim has long hank

Then Whang knew he had been deceived. He snorted fire, let out a scream, and, rearing on his hind legs, he pawed the air savagely. Jim hauled on the rope while Whang screamed and fought with his forefeet high in the air. Then Jim, with a powerful jerk, pulled Whang down and threw him, while Lem, seizing the bridle, hauled him over on his side and sat upon his head. Whereupon Jim slipped the loop off one front hoof

tuck to her post, when opportunity afforded, because she

r," said Lem, as he got up fro

y friend fer twenty years jest to g

sed his head to look at his legs, in order to see what had been done to them. There

s and let him get up. Whang

said Columbine. "If I owned yo

said Jim, as he threw on the saddle. "Nobo

thes," replied Co

ay, fer some reason or other," said Lem, shaking his

e reason," exclaimed Jim

d so well was approaching, now a young man, taller, heavier, older, with paler face and bolder look. Columbine had feared this meeting, had prepared herself for it. But all she felt when it came was annoya

em followed. It looked as if they wanted to

id, rather loftily. But his manner was no

ething, and Lem

s, and he reached with careless hand for the mustang

but I reckon he's all

r Belllounds. Then she took a second and less hasty look at him. He wore high-heeled, fancy-topped boots, tight-fitting trousers

ides," he said to the cowb

e smothered. The idea of any one asking Jim

s," replied Lem, blandly. The middle na

steps toward the girl. The cowboys dropp

he ranch," said Belllounds,

lied, and slipped off the fence

il she extricated it. There was genuine

It's funny. I had the clearest picture of you in mind. But you're not at all

replied. "But I knew you. You're older,

He wants me to take charge here--to be a man. I'm back now. It's good to

s big, handsome head, and his blue eyes, bolder perhaps from their prominence than from any direct gaze or fire. His face was pale, and shadowed by worry or discontent. It seemed as though a repressed character showed there. His mouth and chin were undisciplined. Columbine could not imagine that she despised anything she saw in the features of this young

t was when I went to school in Kansas City. I liked that. I was sorry whe

d a shade of dark b

rk?" querie

than work.... Sure I

looked as soft and unscarred as her own. What

earn to handle the cowboys, and ne

orgotten them for three years--until yes

ad and me happy. Yo

coming out in him. There was good in him,

funny? You and me--who used to fight like cat and dog! Do you remember the time I pushed you int

ied Columbine, dreamily

even by tearing off your little dress, so yo

lied Columbine, with a blush. "I

Do you remember the fight I

d the fleeting expression that cros

oore," he went on. "Besides, I

gray sage slopes. Mention of Wilson Moore augmented the

d like to know something. Has

. Why was she at the mercy of strange, quick, unfamiliar sensations

has," she repl

better than anybody else. You sure hated

he answered. "But I

e willing to marr

the meaning of his words, stirred in her an unutterable spirit of protest. She had already in her will consented to the demand

ling," she re

with an eager diff

ltered. Her downcast eyes had seen the stride h

nds, now, with strong, self-centered thought. "It'd gi

while?" she asked. "We do not kn

len in love with you

u!" cried Columbi

rown up like this--so pretty and sweet--such a--a healthy, blooming girl.... And dad's

a quick, passionate longing for things he must and would have. And his father had

d, very low. "I don't love you now. I might some time, if

u--if you hated me," he repli

she said, faintly, "and--a

have embraced her had

e--some one

ou needn't look so white and scared. I won't eat you. But I'd like to.... Oh

f his character, he lost his ardor, dropped the half

a clean breast of everything. I won't marry you with any secret between us. You might find

swered C

ust promise never to mention it to

! He had known where Jack had spent those years. He had resisted a strong temptation to

respect you--like you for it. But you needn't tell me.

shock of amaze, of relief, of wonder, of gra

had--to tell you my--my story. I meant it. And now I'll not have to feel your shame for me and I'll