Ridgway of Montana (Story of To-Day, in Which the Hero Is Also the Villain)

alier nod of dismissal, which only a multimillionaire can afford, followed her and closed the door. A passionate rush of blood swept Ridgway's face. He saw red as he stood

e woman he loved by this septuagenaria

of the woods, forgetful of the edicts of a world that had seemed far and remote. But that world had obtruded itself and shattered their dream. In the person of Simon Harley it had shut

Waring Ridgway," called a mell

nd gradually the set li

Better bring the horses across t

of waist, a trifle bowed in the legs from much riding, but with an elastic sufficiency that promised him the man for an emergency, a pledge which his steady steel-blue eyes, with the humorous lines about the corners, served to make more valuable. His apparel suggested the c

s neck of woods, Waring," he said

th of them gripped hands heartily and

achine and brought her here along with me. I had my eye on that slide. The snow up there didn't look

's made of steel wire. Two of my boys are plugging along a mile or two behind us, but he stayed right with the game to a finish-and hi

a quitter," conceded

g pasture, and none too soon neither. All the time we had to keep herd on him to keep him from taking another whirl at it. He was like a crazy man to tackle it, though he must a-known it was suicide. Funny how a man takes a

t has an old man like that with one foot in the grave to pick out a ch

It's about an even thing-six of one and half a dozen of the other. There

after you have you'll apologize if you're a white man fo

"I don't reckon we need to quarrel about Simon

ant to say any ha

ed from the cattleman's eye

you she's an angel from hea

ing with you," was the goodhumored retort. "What's up, anyhow?

re starting back. The cow-punchers of the C B had now joined them, bo

nvalids like me and Husky," one of them said cheerfully, with his mou

as a silent party. A blanket of depression seemed to rest upon it, which the good stories of Yesler and the genial nonsense of his man, Chinn, were

ot a right heavy bit of work cut out for us, and the horses a

re the men who had broken the heavy trail for so many miles, with the exception of Sam himself, who seemed built of whipcord and elastic. They would be greatly encumbere

had to give way to Yesler's skill in fitting the stirrups to the proper length for her feet. To Ridgway, who h

ide, W

I'm f

. We'll ta

ame Harley, his wife, and in the rear the cattleman. They descended the draw, and presently dipped over rolling ground to the

heavy blanket that lay on the ground so deep

n in Montana at our head. We got that beat now to a fare

on two legs can keep it up much longer," replied the

ted the other. "A

ng to fall that the leader stopped. Yesler'

aring. The

d Harley, the latter so beaten with fatigue that

, but she hung on like a thoroughbred," explained

as trying to get at a flask

nd break trail. I don't like the way this wind is rising. It's wiping

to five

ed their voices al

layed out. Harley will never make it without help.

one has got to go ahead for

ow the road best and can get back quickest

the world to desert a comrade that was down, but his common sense told him his friend

ep him going. If it comes to a showdown leave him for

e me that bottle o

ng to ride,

I'll h

give her to you. That's rig

plunging slowly forward through the drifts, getting always smaller

l in Ridgway's ar

and he said," sh

down into the white face

nger. I'm not afraid, n

gh, all right. Sam will make it to

m not afraid, anyway,

d, his heart b

'm not," she murmure

of power in him for her life. She felt he would never leave her, and that, if it came to the worst, she would pass from li

e saddle to the snow, and could not be cursed into rising. The man behi

t do. You've got

e not my days few? Cease then, and let me alone,'" h

sank back. Ridgway dragged him up and cuffed him like a

old loafer? I tell you the ranch is only

mself, but the vital sap of youth in him still ran strong in his blood. For a few

iding his bronco in a hal

k help for you

but save her-save he

back the other

ir horses had been abandoned a mile or two back, too exhausted to continue. Eac

ight, and when at length its strength gave out completely he went on afoot, carryin

rged them on in spite of themselves. In a dream he heard Yesler's cheery voice, gave up his burden to one of the rescuers, and found himself being lifted to a fresh horse. From this dream

ng. His body, hard as nails, suffered no reaction from the terrific strain he had put upon it, and he went down to

already at work

gentleman. "Hope you fe

muscles. I'll feel good as the wheat when I've go

es on his proprietor, took orders and padded silently back to his kingdom-the kitc

it, W

e made amends. The steak, the muffins, the coffee, were all beyond praise, and when he came to the buckwheat hot cakes, sandwiched with butter and drenched with

plained, and after the smoke had begun to rise, he added: "A

ated's," amended his fri

equably. "And now, tell me how you

, that we got the w

went out with you after us. He's been flimflammed into believing

t I reckon he didn't t

y the yard. I got the whole story of how you headed the relie

ried about the old man. He was pretty far gone when we reached him

me round to meet his. "And the la

t all she needs is rest. Nell put her in her own be

silence then tossed it into th

to Mesa over t

are down. This storm pla

have to get thr

two, Waring, and take it eas

uth is, Sam, that there are several things that won't wait. I've got to frame the

r two or three days. If you really must go

fight coming on. Now that Harley's on the ground in person, I'll have to loo

him. Don't you think that wi

him in the snow to die, and while a good many thousand other peopl

of what you di

ccept nothing from Harley on that account. He is outside of th

natorial fight anyhow. The way things look now it's going to be the rottenest session of the legislature we've ever had. Sometimes

fighters like you we can win out.

nothing against the Consolidated, but I won't lie down and let it or an

-time population represented by the non-mining interests of the smaller towns and open plains. He must be won at all hazards to lend it in the impending fight against Harley. The mine-owner k