#0
CHAPTER Xl!l—Continued,
*It must have been; the old Mexi-
sin camp was south there in that can-
1 where 1 told you the cavalrymen
a waiting tonight. I am beginning
to understand what Is up—or, at least,
suspect what all this may mean.
domeone has aceldentally stumbled
mto this old mine, 1 don't believe the
liscoverer could be either Bob or Gar-
¢ity, But In some way they got wind
sf it and have takenpossession. This
munition train, supposed to be headed
for Mexico, stops here. Casebeay
don't know what's up, and don't care.
fle gets his money just the same, with
tess traveling and danger. Maybe he
asks no questions; maybe he knows
what's up and is in on the deal. Any
way, under orders, he dumps the stuff
—powder. dynamite, whatever it is—
and hustles it out of sight into that
cabin, Before daylight comes hls
mule train is back again on the des
ert empty, traveling north™
“And there is nothing you cama do,
{8s there?” she asked. “It Is no crime
to discover and work a mine?”
“No—only, perhaps, that dead man
you tell me about; murder is still a
crime, even on this border. There is
something about this affair which isn’t
straight; otherwise Garrity and Bob
Meager wouldn't be In it. Those guys
are playing dirt somehow—-it Is up
to me to find out how."
Kelleen stood up, advancing to the
very edge of the flat rock, where he
could look straight down into the deep
depression below,
“There 1s no movement down there,
Casebeer’s outfit Is not onto the
scheme; after they go that stuff will
all be carried Into the tunnel. Meager
will never dare leave It out yonder.”
“What's the place called where the
soldiers are?
“Box eanyon—why?
“] was wondering—"
A sharp spit of fire leaped ont of
the night beyond the horses, accom.
panied by a dull report. The startled
animals whirled and disappeared In
the darkness, but Deborah saw only
Kelleen, poised there on the edge of
the chasm-—saw him fling up both
hands, clutching vainly at the alr, and
then topple over, down Into those
yawning depths below, She conld not
even scream, but some Irresistible in-
stinet caused her Instantly to roll
hack from off the stone Into the slight
depression at its base. In the black
darkness of this shallow hole she lay
motionless, scarcely venturing to
breathe. In her fright and daze she
yet comprehended all that had oc
curred; the shot had come not from
beneath, but out of the desert. Kel
leen had been killed, the horses stam.
peded; she was unhurt, but alone,
It was all over so quickly the situa.
tion barely flashed through her brain,
before a volce spoke, a volce familiar
and hated.
“By G—d, that got him! Did you
se¢ how he toppled plumb over the
cliff? That settles his spying on us,
I reckon.”
“8i, senor; but I would swear there
was two of them there”
“You saw two?
“No; only the one standing against
the light, the Senor 'Kid' [I know
him; but 1 thought he spoke. and
sure, senor, there were two horses”
“Ot course, he stole mine. [I had
a shot at him then; but there Is no
one else here. Den you, look for
Deborah Gazed Frightened Inte Those
Dizzy Depths Below.
yourself, Safchez! This rock Is clean
ns a bliliard table, and there's no
place to hide. Where the hel do you
suppose those broncs went?”
“We find ‘ems when the day comes;
they net go far In the desert, senor.
Where the ‘Kid’ fall—here? i
Deborah realized that the Mexican
had clambered onto the flat top of the
rock, and was peering down over the
edge, while Mesger remained on the
sand, impatiently moving about,
“Well, what do you see?” he barked
finally.
“Not one d-n thing, senor; black
like h—-1 down there—he no live after
that.”
Menger laughed chucklingly.
“I'll say he couldn't; not even if he
was a eat. There afn’t no use our
hanging round here. That guy Is out
of the way, and we'll plek him up an’
By Randall Parrish
Coovright by A. C. McClung & Co,
plant him, after these others clear out.
Casebeer’'s outfit must be through by
this time. Go on down and start back.
You pald him?”
“Sl, senor; he never unload till 1
do; he what you call ‘hard-boll.'”
“He's hard-bolled, all right, but by
G~d, he's got to hold his d—n tongue
over this deal! I'll go on down with
you and have a final werd with him.
I'll tell that guy something he'll not
forget. Come on; there's nothing
more for us to do up here”
The frightened girl, crushed into
the shallow hole, half beneath the
shadowing rock, dare not stir for some
time. The men might decide to re
turn; some dim suspicion might enter
their minds, causing them to retrace
their steps. She could see nothing,
her face pressed hard against the
sand, and the sound of the two died
away quickly. At last, unable to re
main In that posture longer, she cau-
tiously lifted her head and gazed
about Into the darkness. There was
nothing to be seen or heard, and she
finally struggled to her feet, clinging
to the rock edge for support. It was
all plain enough, yet she could not
seem to think clearly, and her Hmbs
were so weak they wouid scarcely sup-
port her body. Kelleen had been
killed, murdered. Meager had crept
up in the dark, and shot the man down
in cold blood as he stood silhouetted
against that gleam of fire. The victim
had toppled over the cliff, and, If not
already dead from the bullet, must
have been crushed into pulp on the
rocks below,
These facts came home more and
more visibly to the girl's mind. She
had escaped discovery as by a miracle,
and yet to what end? She was alone,
lost, without either horse or weapon
to ald her in escape. Both anlinals
had disappeared In the desert night,
leon,
remalned-—her presence there
still unsuspected. The man
discovery she had most reason to
dread yet belleved her back at the
ranch, hiding from him behind locked
doors, but helpless to escape his re
turn. How she had ever evaded his
recognition was a mystery, yet, thank
God! she had: and this fact alone
gave her a slender chance
Assured at last that the men had
really departed, a measure of strength
returning as she moved her Umbs and
faced the realities, Deborah erept
back upon the flat surface of the rock,
and gazed frightened Into those dizzy
depths below. Tt was like a night
mare, the horrid memory which haunt
ed her of Kelleen's body whirling
down through that glare of red light.
But by then the light had faded, the
distant fire having died down to red
ash, and her eyes were unable to
penetrate the gloom beneath, She
stared into a biack vold seeing no
movement, hearing no sound. The
awful silence and loneliness crushed
her spirit.
What could she do?! Where could
she go? Not to those men there In
the valley surely; not to Bob Meager,
asking for mercy and release. He
was impossible; her bitter hatred of
him more intense thgn ever. To all
the wrong done her in the past was
added now this brutal murder of Dan-
lel Kelleen—and suddenly, unexpect-
edly the girl realized what this last
meant to her. She refused to ac
knowledge the truth, fought it back
there alone In the darkness, yet It
would not be altogether Ignored. Dan-
fel Kelleen was dead--gone from out
her life forever—and there came Into
her heart a desire for revenge, a mad
impulse to fitly punish the murderer.
She longed to become the Instrument
to prove her loyalty to him by action.
Yet how? What was It possible for
her to do?
She stared helplessly about Into the
dense blackness of the desert, and up
at the desert stars overhead, her mind
obsessed with these questions, It was
no longer herself so much as the
aroused memory of him. She would
earry on his work ; she must at what-
ever cost. But how? The cavalry.
men stationed at Box canyon! They
were waiting for the approach of
Casebeer's outfit, or elsé some word
of command from Kelleen They
could not be far away over thereto
the south he sald, and he had pointed
in that direction. The stars would
help her to keep the points of the
compass until daylight came, and then
surely she could discern something
else to steer her course by, She must
go on foot, straight out Into the des
ert; there might not be one chance In
a hundred of her going right-—yet the
one chance was better than remaining
there for Bob Meager to find her, She
would rather die miserably In the sand
waste than feel that wretch touch her
again; God, yes, the kiss of Death
would be sweet, compared to the touch
of his lips. She shuddered at, the
thought. His wife! the subject of his
foul caresses; helpless to repel his
tust, his brutal bestiality, She would
make the trail; she would go south.
This was all that her mind grasped
clenriy-—~the soldiers were camped at
Box canyon, and Box canyon was
somewhere out there to the south
ward. To reach them was her only
hope.
She stood up and studied the sky.
She knew wo little of those stars they
frightened and confused her in thelr
desert brillluney, and yet she remem
hered enongh to meet her Immediate
needs, The Big Dipper was east
found, and then the North Star. She
was
whose
.
must be right, for Kelleen had pointed
over there, and the direction he had
designated colnclded exactly with
what the stars told. She could not go
far wrong If she kept that North
Star at her back-—she would be going
south. A moment she paused, hesl-
tating to take the plunge, a prayer
on her lips. How lonely, desolate,
black the night was: the very silence
seemed to hem her in, Isolate her from
all the world, Then, with firm-set
lps, the girl went forward, plunging
ber way through the sand, Instantly
swallowed up In the black desert.
She plunged on recklessly, desper-
ately, hope dying within her as she
advanced. Nothing could guide her
now, or save her, but God's merey.
The soundless vold through which she
moved, the impenetrable black curtain
enveloping her almost drove her mad.
She could not fight the depression or
keep her mind clear, The sand shifted
under her feet and twice she fell
heavily, tripped by some protruding
rock, and left bruised and breathless.
Her advance was blind, uncertain, and
she scarcely dared turn her face for-
ward for fear of losing the guldance
of that one star by which she endeav-
ored to steer. She was lost utterly,
but for that, and, when for a moment
her eyes strayed everything became
confused, her every sense of direction
gone. How long she tolled on. how
fast her rate of progress, the girl
never knew-—the way was uneven,
with unexpected depressions here and
there, and ridges of rock projecting
throug the sand, and occasionally
mounds she had to go around. Once
she encountered a shaliow ravine,
stepping off into It unconsclously, and
then crawling painfully up the oppo-
site slide, cut by sharp splinters of
stone, before attaining the level again,
For the moment she lost her star, but
finally located It once more, and
plunged desperately on.
Then she saw something Just ahead
of her—a dim, Indeflaable shadow,
which seemed to move. It was so
hideous, so grotesque and shapeless,
her very heart stood still with terror.
The girl sank to her knees, trembling,
with no eyes for anything except that
mystesdpus moving object. Misshapen,
huge, looming oddly through the
gloom, It was advancing teadily
toward her—a formless something
which resembled neither man nor beast,
CHAPTER XINl
The Border Patrol,
Deborah rose timidly to her feet,
her heart begioning to beat once more,
but not with fear. Forth from the
darkness came the low whinney of a
horse In sudden recognition, while as
instantly that horrid shadow
both shape and form. It was a horse,
saddied, bridled, the rein
took
stampeded by the shot which had
killed Kelleen., He had sensed her
coming in the desert night, and was
even then dumbly welcoming her, The
girl went forward slowly, doubtfully,
fearful of again startling the animal
into fight, but he remained quiet,
sniffing at ber as she drew near, and
she finally put hand on the dangling
rein. It was the horse’ Kelleen had
ridden, and Deborah hid her face In
turned and rubbed his muzzle against
her shoulder In sllent greeting It
seemed too good to be true: as though
God had led her every step of the
way. The sudden reaction left her
weak as a child .
Yet she must go on: there was more
cause now than ever hefore to go on
more hope of success. She made the
effort twice before she succeeded In
dragging herself up inte the saddle,
but the horse stood patiently, making
no attempt to break away. Once there
the girl's strength came back, and
with it her determination. All was
still, deathly still; not a breath of ale
touched her cheek; the dense night
shut them in. Carefully she located
the only star she knew: to her mind
It seemed utterly wrong in its posi
tion, yet she was faithful to It. Half
afraid, yet not daring to venture other
wise, she drew the horse about and
rode south,
The night seemed endless, the black
desert eternal. There were times
when the girl lost conselousness of ev.
erything, except that shining North
Star ever at her back, It was her one
guide and hope: through it she re
talped sanity and faith. In that way
lay Box canyon and those waiting
troopers. She dare not ride fast,
knowing not what pitfalls were ahead,
the course Irregular, up and down.
The horse picked his way intelligently,
the reins lying loose, except as she
occasionally held him inexorably to
the southward. She swayed wearily
in the saddle, clinging to the high
pommel for support, unable to see,
yet aware that they crossed shallow
ravines, and found passage occasion.
ally along ridges of onteropping rock,
and then advanced more easily for
long spaces over wide expanses of
sand, nolselessly as a specter. It was
hard to keep awake, to concentrate,
to remember——she had to struggle to
realize this was not all a dream.
Then, after seemingly endless
hours, the dawn came, Wonld she
ever again forget I? She hardly
knew at first what It was. Riding
drearily with lowered head, she be
came dimly aware of a change, a
lightening of the gloom about, a dull
grayness tingeing faintly the black
wall of the surrounding night. Almost
as she wondeged the daylight came,
wen and spectral at first, widening
“er vista on a gray circle as the stars
dowly faded from out a multicolored
%
light shot up In long streamers, touch
ing with more gaudy tinges the edges
of fleecy clouds, while in the other di-
rection a purple haze blended with the
deeper shadows along the horizon, It
was the coming of the sun, rising ma-
Jestically above the far-off rim of the
desert, and she was still moving
southward; through the long night
hours she had kept the faith,
Yet there was little of hope, of en-
courngement, in the pleture unrolied
before her, Her view graduslly spread
out In wider and wider cirele, hut
with no relief to (ts drear sameness
or monotony. Sand, leagues upon
leagues of sand, stretched wherever
her wearied eyes turned, leveled by
the wind, or cast upward In rounded
hillocks, but ever gray, depressing, a
sen of desolation, dead, unmovable, ex-
tending to the far circle of the over-
shadowing arch of sky. It was all
lifeless, not even a sagebrush or Span-
ish bayonet visible. Doubts assailed
ber. Had she taken the right course?
Md Kelleen tmply that Box canyon
Iny directly south and had she been
ted astray, and thus wandered blindly
out Into the very heart of the desert?
Could she, could the horse live
through such a day of torture as that
rising sun promised? Helpless, hope.
less, the girl drooped down wearily In
the saddle, closing her eyes to
desolation.
What Was It Over Yonder?
swift-occurring
to this tragedy. Her forcible mar
is touch had aroused,
lustful eyes, the hiow she struck him,
with murder In ber heart,
lke a hunted criminal,
seeking escape Then the coming of
Kelleen into her life, strangely, mys
teriously weaving about
of fascination, even as they rode to
gether through the darkness, Khe
had never entirely thrown that off, the
odd spell of his presence, his cool, con.
fident words—she felt she
desperately
the most, she still secretly believed:
and now that he was actually dead
remained
cave; experienced
savage arms, and once more, In heed
nel, and then struggled upward
through that awful hole into the light
of day.
table, burned on her soul. True! It
could not be true! It must be dell
rium, a wild fiction of romance raging
in the brain of a half-mad [Mreamer,
Yet this was the desert--the desert!
She lifted her eyes to look, gazing out
blindly over the dull gray expanse.
What was it over yonder? a tree? a
ridge of uplifted rock? Not much,
surely, and yet everything In midst
of that solitude. Her heart beat sud.
denly with hope. Perhaps that
marked the end; perhaps that was
where the trail ran-—the trail t6 Box
canyon. If so, God was good!
The tired horse ilfted his head, and
whinnied, breaking into a slow trot,
the sand crunching under his hoofs,
Deborah was wide awake now, alert
and ready. Yet it actually was a tree,
and the tops of others began to show
beyond; thelr presence promised wa
ter, grass, life; that horrid desert left
behind, Yet It was a long, dreary
ride of an hour before they reached
there, coming te a shallow valley
through which trickled a mere rill,
rock strewn and almost as desolate
ns had been the desert itself, but with
here and there a patch of grass vie
ible, and a few scattered, wind-racked
trees, It was a scene scarcely less
dreary than the upper plain, yet to
Deborah and her horse war most wel
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Balata Rubber,
Owing to the constantly increasing
demand for India rubber, caused by
the use of tires for motor cars and oth-
er vehicles, there Is more or less
rubber famine, even In normal times,
The method of gathering india rubber
in tropical countries has been exceed
ingly wasteful, because the easiest
way, that of cutting down the trees,
had too frequently been adopted. The
search for substitutes has resulted in
making known the virtues of a South
Black in Evidence
for Fall Dresses
Darker Materials Take an
Early Lead in Modes
for New Season.
Black frocks predominate In the
early fall exhibits, with navy blue as
the omly close competitor,
fashion writer In the
Btar,
4
Unusually Plain But
Striking Jacquette
up for
tones,
the luck of variety In
ably to drapery and
patins that are effective in plainer
models, with little or no trimming.
collars and cuffs, while belge georgette
and eyelet-embroldered
also popular. Some frocks, fashioned
on simple, straight lines, combine tv:
of them.
model seen was of pebbly Black satin,
with the batesu neck bordered by a
rolled-over collar of openwork beige
organdie frilled with several tlers of
of organdie, also edged with lace flut-
ing, added the only other touch
trimming.
Polret
tallored
twill, cut on rather severe
tallored effect. It was fashioned
one straight plece, with a rounded
neck bordered by a pointed collar and
long sleeves molded
iace drooped from the collar fastening,
while lace ruffles bordered the sleeves,
half-velling the hands. and extended
pg
ets
Jabot and Sleeve Frills
nearly touching the elbows.
Green brald, stitched in silver and out-
ined on one side with a narrow
thread of gold brald and on the other
with red, outlined both collar and
Crystal crepe has been masterfully
i weed in creating this winsome gar-
: ment. The cuffs, revers and sash are
in black.
frills at the mide of each sleeve. Ad
ditional strips of the three-tone braid
were appliqued over each hip In a
conventional pattern and extended the
length of the skirt at each side, form-
ing pseudo-panels. * hree long tassels
of dark blue silk dangled from the
brald outlines om the hips, adding the
i finishing touches to the model.
Dainty Ribbon Rose
Bag Is Easy to Make
Every woman wants a
| distinctive bag to carry with her
pretty frocks, Here i18 one of the
daintiest and easiest that can be made,
For the foundation cut two circies of
buckram and cover with silk of the
same color as the ribbon you intend
using. Use four or six yards of rib-
bon according to the size of bag de
: sired. Tack the end of the ribbon to
the center of the circle, then twist it
and swirl It around in circles until
the entire foundation {8 covered. Pins
will have to be used to hold the rib-
bon in place until the foundation is
covered; them the ribbon is tacked
and the pins removed. When the two
circles have been thus covered they
are Joined together with the same rib-
bon. This makes a rose bag similar to
: a double cockade and should be
swung over the arm,
Hand Knit Frocks Are
Chic for Sports Wear
Hundknit sports frocks for madame
and mademoiselle are among the smart
knitted garments worn by
dress well, Sut if a woman can wield
st knitting needle, she can have the
same frock at much less cost.
Some of the frocks are made in one
i plece, with Vaaeck and plain
stocking stitch for three-quarters of
the way, and in squares or plaids as
sou will, of the knit and puri combina.
tion. The skirt ends with a plain hem
effect In the stocking stitch. Others
are twoplece. Yellow, tan, beige,
. powder blue, green and white, in one
tone or with another color combined,
are used for these frocks.
The softest yarns should be used.
Some of the frocks are embroidered
in Angora or brush wool, and still
others are trimmed with worsted yarn
i Sowers or conventional designs which
| are appliqued on.
dainty and
women who
iow
Dreped Fall Hats,
: Many of the early fall hats are
: draped on the lines of a tun. A very
: pretty model of black velvet is em-
| broldered In white silk. The design is
iarge leaves in outline stiteh,
Restful Window Seat
A well-considered window seat has
an appeal all its own, says Estelle HL.
Ries in the Delineator. In the small
house where there is little space for
chairs, and in the larger one where
bare corners and uninteresting spots
are not Infrequent, there is good op-
portunity for this pleasant feature, If
there is a bay window, it offers a par-
ticularly delightful chance for a win-
dow semt where a group of persons
may enjoy slight exclusiveness without
complete isolation. Here it fits into a
space not otherwise used and will give
an alr of completeness and coriness to
the window,
preferable, for ease in cleaning, to have
its base rest fully upon the floor. If it
fa raised but a couple of Inches
sweeping Is awkward and neglect Is en-
couraged. If the window seat does
not rest solidly upon the floor, it should
be several inches high, so that one
may readily reach under it.
One may construct a window seat
over a low radiator; it Is quite cus
tomary to do so, In this case, the
woud seat must be lined with tin and
usbestos to protect it and also to throw
the heat into the room, the tin having a
curved back and thus acting as a heat
in these days when one ls likely to
And after the dance, If one has light
i refreshments in the dinimg room and
more guests than one can comfortably
| mccummodate at table, the dining room
window seat pleasantly offers Itself,
It is possible to uphoister a window
®seat In cretonne or other material In
harmony with the rest of the room.
This Is not essential, except as a mat
ter of personal preference, as window
seats may be had In stock designs
with excellent wood finish In styles to
harmonize with the character of the
room. The use of bright colored cush-
| fons and upholstered seats, however,
i is undoubtedly = large factor in the ,
charm of the room and gives a verve
that Immediately attracts attention
The best kind of upholstery work and
a good grade of stuffing is most essen
: tial to make the seat cushions com
fortable,
Hide Your Waistline
When Wearing Sweater
Many women find that the most
beautiful sweater does not look well
worn over a skirt, because the waist
Tine of the skirt breaks the attractive
appearance of the sweater by begin.
ning a space of another color from
that showing through the upper part.
To overcome this unatiractive fon
ture, wear a «lip the length of the
swenter In place of the corset coven
brassiere or shorter undergarment,
The slp can be made loose or tight
Bike a brassiere, but it should be worn
over the skirt, covering the waistline,
and should reach to within half an
Inch of the bottom of the EWonter,
When sleeveless sl'pons are worn over
Dlouses, the blouse shonid be wern