The Mysterious Rider

ok down upon the White Slides country

t of that!" he excl

g gold, and lower down reflecting the sunlight with brilliant red and purple. The valley seemed filled with a delicate haze, almost like smoke. White Slides Ranch was hidden from sight, as it lay in the bottomland. The gray old peak towered proud and aloof, clear-cut and sunset-flushed against t

f sage. Grass grew thicker as he descended. Once he startled a great flock of prairie-chickens, or sage-hens, large gray birds, lumbering, swift fliers, that whirred up, and soon plumped down again in

his girl that belonged to Belllounds. Night settled down over the quiet foothills. A pack of roving coyotes visited Wade, and sat in a half-circle

ir style was old. Wade reflected that it would be hard for rustlers or horse-thieves to steal out of those corrals. A long lane led from the pasture-land, following the brook that ran through the corrals a

aid Wade, as

replied

usly nor suspiciously, but with that stea

er. "Come from Meeker way. I'm lo

"Ridin' fer White Slides fer years. Rec

e aro

gs, as he haltered his horses to a post

that as

n. Three of the boys quit. Couldn't stand him. This hyar son of Belllounds is a son-of-a-gun! Me an' pards of mine, Montana an' Bludsoe, are stickin' on--wal, fer re

eplied Wade. "I d

come in," added B

he arrangement of chairs and blankets attested to the hand of a woman. The first door was open, and fro

knocked on

wanted?" call

an wantin' to see

with the large figure of the rancher. Wade remember

cher's greeting, his bold, blue glance, honest and frank and keen,

figure, that of the son who resembled the father, fille

om Meeker way, hopin' to fin

ing his huge hand to shake Wade's. "I need you

kon an

w, when a boy comes an' says he can do anythin', why I jest haw! haw! at him. But you're a man, Wade, an' one as has been there

r carpenter an' mason. Good packer. Know farmin'. Can milk cows an' make butter. I've been cook

t imposin' on no man, no matter how I need help. You're su

that. You didn'

hounds?" queried B

ks. I'm from Kentucky. An' I've run houn

s interru

ng. I used to hit plumb center with a rifle. My eyes are pore now. An' my son can't hit a flock of haystacks. An'

with a quiet smile and a lowering of his

d his pause, with the keener look he bestowed upon

said Wade, with q

Wade!" ejacul

d of the handle, but I nev

rd of you fer years. Some bad, but most good, an' I reckon

give me

ould

some worried. Jobs are hard fo

ell of a lot of stock in such talk. Fifty years I've been west of the Missouri. I know the West an' I know men. Talk flies from camp to r

' that way.... Belllounds, my name's as bad as good all over western Colorado. But a

et?" queried the

ied Wade, with quivering lips, "an'--an

ves," said Belllounds, hurriedly. "I made 'mo

you--" inte

a pardner of mine down in Middle Park came back from the Gunnison with the dog-gondest story I ever heerd. Thet was five years ago this summer. Of course I knowed your name long before, bu

se in it, but a lot of trut

deep voice, rich with the intent of his big heart. "I've gambled all my life.

e what yo

orty a month, but thet

that'l

Jack, shake hands with Bent Wade, hunter an' all-around man. Wade, this's my boy. I've jest put him on a

ng, and shook his limp hand. The contact sent a strange chill over Wade. Y

. Aw, I know. Men like you sleep in the open. But you can't do thet under Old White Slides in winter. Not much! Make yoursel

, he turned away. As he did so he caught a sound of

ce, with melody in it that vibrated

mbine," replie

illusion sure to follow his first glimpse of this adopted daughter of Belllounds. Sweet to delude himself! Ah! the years were bearing sterner upon his head! The old dreams persisted, sadder now for the f

ut I'll bet Old Bill took you up,"

Wade. "You're to show me the

ng off. "Air you agoin' to ha

b's hu

between times you'll be sure busy otherwise, I o

s made it plain I was to take ord

k where willow-trees were turning yellow. Then the new cabin came into view. It was small, with one door and one window, and a porch across the front. It stood on a small elevation, near the swift brook, and overlooking th

was filled with blocks and slabs of pine, evidently left there after the construction of the cabin, a

aimed Lem, meaning to impress the new-

od for me,"

nch an' ask Miss Collie to find you some furniture an' sich like. She's Ole Bill's daughter

. "I've somethin' fine I f

hoss right now for a cigar.

ied Wade, as he handed it up to Billings. "They

have made that cowboy's

e outfit wild? Aw, I forgot. Thar's only Jim an' Blud left. Wal, I'll divvy with them. Sure

the cabin, whistling

for a long time he remained there motionless, with his head bent, his worn h

Belllounds. Then the rancher appeared

an old-timer like

eight last birthday! Wal, every dog has his day.... W

don't ne

n. The boys thet had it are gone. Somethin' with a back to it, a rockin'-chair, if there's one. Yo

ss?" asked Wade. "I had

' the boys fix up. Woman-like, you know. An' she'll fetch you some

r of the pen was made of boards hung on wire. As Belllounds opened it there came a pattering rush of many padded feet, and a chorus of barks and whines. Wade

I'd cleaned up the varmints around White Slides.

ade. "An' there's hardly too many. I'll train two

lounds, with relief. "I sure thought you'

acquainted," said Wade. "

the hounds. An' wuss! Jack, my son, got it into his head thet he was a hunter. The other mornin' he found a fresh lion track back of the corral. An' he ups an' puts the whole pack of hounds on the trail. I had a good many more ho

though, they've gone home where they came

one of them," dec

natural. Do you know for sure wh

friend in Middle Park whose pack killed off the lions t

m out,"

, it was difficult for the rancher to draw the two particular ones apart so they cou

pson an' the other's

dog, but small in comparison with the other, was black all over, except around the nose and eyes. Jim had many scars. He was

d Wade, as he tied the ends of his rope round thei

ging his tail. "I'll swear by Denver. An' there's one more--Kane. He's half bl

s bloodhound the other half was shepherd, for his black and brown hair was inclined to curl, and his head had the fine thoroughbred contour of the shepherd. His ear

recipitated a fight, and led them out of the corral. Den

of them," said Wade. "Belllounds, that bunch

t dogs? Why, they nearly ate Bludsoe up. He wouldn't feed 'em. An' Wils, who seemed good with dogs, was taken off bad hurt the other

' I reckon I'll take the worry

' then other bears. Whatever you need in the way of supplies jest ask fer. We send regular to Kremmlin'. You can hunt fer two months yet, barrin' an o

and forceful and self-sufficient all his days, had begun to feel an encroachment of oppos

d him. "An' maybe I can help your son. Before I'd rea

'd be sobered, steadied, by--thet--thet work I put him to. But I'm not sure. He's changed. When he gits his own way he's all I could ask. But thet way he wan

ade, philosophically. "I've no

be up to call on you. Bein' the only woman-folk in my house, she s

s fine old head erect, his

ar to him. He had seen Jack Belllounds before. Wade never made mistakes in faces, though he often had a task to recall names. And he began to go over the recent past, rec

ossible, of course, yet he remembered many. Then he visualized the places in Denver that for one reason or anoth

d I be mistaken? No. I saw him.... Belllounds must have known it--must have let him stay the

th as interesting and pleasurable, and surely as a relief. The sooner a meeting with her was over the better. His life had been one long succession of shocks, so that it seemed nothing the future held could thrill him, amaze him, torment him. And yet how well he knew that his heart was only the more responsive for all it had

, stood watching this new master, after the manner of a dog who w

n the ranch-house. A girl with fair hair stepped off the porch. She appeared to be carrying something in her arms, and shortly disappeared behind the willows.

rce the distance to see her face. It gleamed in the sunshine. Her fair hair waved in the wind. She was coming, but so slowly! All of Wade that was physical and emotional seemed to wait--clamped. The moment was age-long, with nothing beyond it. While she was still at a distance her face became distinct. And Wade sustained a terrible shock.... Then, as one in

God!... It's for this--I wandered here! She's

he lightning-flash of divination that was recognition as well. A shuddering ca

agging tails. They welcomed this visitor. K

the green willows, all blurred in his sight, that

e Belllounds,

ears ago. The burden on his breast lifted. Then flashed the spirit, t

," he replied, and there was no brea

a new-comer was an event. Wade's gaze, intense and all-embracing, found that face now closer in resemblance to the imagined Lucy's--a pretty face, rather than beautiful,

ill?" she asked. "Y

easily, as he wiped the clammy drops from

ith a smile. "I'm glad to welcome you to

he replied, returning the smile. "Now if

t. "Men are all al

ink so," said

hat. I've fetched you up some thi

ou must excuse my manners. It's lon

the threshold, saw her survey the r

dad to p

get them, an' I've not done

ing a bundle upon the floor. "You won't mind if I try to--to make you a little

hat a good housekeeper I am," he replied. "

atterer in your day?"

hat he could not answer. And to hide his momentary restraint

mpson jealous. "I've gotten on pretty well with these, but that Kane won't make up.

hurt. I reckon he'll get

t dogs?" she a

the way to get on wi

s a blue flas

ng here to see and feed the dogs because

ver me." He went inside, took all that was left of the deer haunch out of his pack, and, picking

mpson. Here!"... The big hound snapped at the meat. Whereupon Wade slapped him. "Are you a pup or a wolf that you grab for it? Here." Sampson was sl

e showed deference to this new master. But the bloodhound Kane refused to take a

ed carefully," observed Wad

l. "I don't like to think he's mean.

my best w

ink of little calves being torn and killed by lions and wolves. And it's dreadful to know bears eat grown-up catt

ng, an' he got meaner an' wiser as he was hunted. His specialty got to be yearlings, an' the ranchers all over rose up in arms against him. They hired all the old hunters an' trappers in the country to kill him. No good! Old Lobo went right on pullin' down yearlings. Every night he'd get one or more. An' he was so cute an' so swift that he'd work on different ranches on different nights. Finally h

g with interest. "Oh, it seems a pity such a splendid brute sho

an' I echo your wish

ollie, here at last is a man who can tell you enoug

ies?" asked Wa

hing myself or bear to see even a steer slaughtered? But you can't tell too bloody and terrible stories for me.

t find his to

Then she hesitated, and turned with a smile that was wi

will, if I can live up

ciously penetrating. Wade felt how subtly they were

gain," she replied, serious

she disappeared his feeling burst all bounds. Dragging the dogs inside, he closed the door. Then, like on