Molly McDonald / A Tale of the Old Frontier

in herself and delighted at the prospect of an unusual summer. Moreover, her natural spirit of adventure had been considerably stimulated by the envious comments of her schoolmates, who app

some, pleasant-faced girl, with eyes decidedly beautiful, and an attractive personality, the making or new friendships was never difficult. Of course the stage ride would be an entirely fr

ss Molly hastened her packing and promptly joined the exodus. Why not? She could wait the proper date at Kansas City or Fort Ripley just as well, enjoying herself meanwhile amid a new environment, a

light of a new day gave her a first real glimpse of the surrounding dreariness as she stood looking out through the grimy glass of her single window, depressed and heartsick. The low, rolling hills, bare and desolate, stretched to the horizon, the grass already burned brown by the sun. The town itself consisted of but one short, crooked street, flanked by rough, ramshackle frame structures, two-thirds of these apparently saloons, with dirty, flapping tents sandwich

ed coverings had looked so forbidding that Molly had compromised, lying down, half-dressed on the outside; now, in the garish glare of returning day they appeared positively filthy. And this was the best to be had; she realized that, her courage failing at the thought of remaining alone amid such surroundings. As she washed, using a towel of her own after a single glance at the hotel article, and did u

ians. Army officers interviewed rather made light of the affair, as being merely the regular outbreak of young warriors, easily suppressed. On the train she had met with no one who treated the situation as really serious, and, if

yed the unsavory-looking food, her lips slightly curving, and then glanced inquiringly toward the men. The one directly opposite was large and burly, with iron-gray hair and beard, about sixty years of age, but with red cheeks and bright eyes, and a face expressive of hearty good nature. His clothing was roughly serviceable, but he looked clean and wholesome. The other was an army lieutenant, but Molly promptly quelched her first inclination to address h

ing a big hand over the table. "But you '

ould," disconsolately. "I can

in'; from the E

am actually homesick already. It-it is even more-more pr

wuz much better. I 'm the post-trader down at Fort Marcy, jist out o'

e stammered. "The Santa Fé stage; when does it le

d fork, staring at

wiftly. "Do yer mean to say ye 'r

rkansas crossing," she exclaimed hastily. "I am going to join m

f. "Babes in the wilderness; what, in Heaven's name, ever induced yer dad to let

e seen no one. I am here two days earlier than was expected, and-and I haven't heard from my father sin

es carefully, and then turned back to note the

gh," he said slowly. "And yer have n't heard fro

hook her h

me out yere since that letter was wrote. I reckon yer know we 're havin' a bit o

since leaving St. Louis. Is the situation real

what was best to say. But the girl's face w

est news, an' thar hasn't been no trouble to speak of east of old Bent's Fort. Between thar and Union, thar's a bunch o' Mescalo Apaches raisin' thunder. One lot got as far as the Caches, an' burned a wagon train, but

t afraid of is that I might miss

stages a week each way, an' th

king. She liked the man, and trusted him; he s

do y

quit runnin' their coaches. To tell the truth, miss, it looks some to me like thar wus

you take me

his hands clasping and

yer start the better chance ye 'll have o' gittin' through safe." He hesitated. "If we

nel C

, I reckon, any o' those army people would look after

l go as far as Dodge at least. If-if we are goin

oylan, miss; William Moylan; 'Sutler Bill' they call me mostl

, Molly rose to her fee

simply. "I am not at all afraid now. If you will w

s good-natured face flushed. Once he glanced in the direction of the bar-room, wiping his lips with his cuf