CHAPTER X

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1893, Page 2

CHAPTER X

Henry Bruce walked rapidly away in the mellow light of the moon. By the side of a leprous sycamore he paused to light a cigar. In the quick, upspringing light of the match he beheld a man seated upon the doorstone of Murray's store and dejectedly smoking. The soft moon rays beat gently down upon the dejected figure, idealizing his attitude. The man was armed, and his revolvers glanced in the moonlight. A large, rawbonedliorse stood gauntly outlined in the shadow. Bruce recognized Buck Jerrold and the erratic Buckshot. ' ; '•A flne^night for a ride," he said, puffing his cigar. Mr. Jerrold raised his head gloomily. "Well enough for they.i ez cares to ride," he assented, "but I ain't in no humor fer thet sort of amusement." "Tastes differ," i-eplied Bruce pleasantly noting tbo other's manner and shrewdly divining its cause. "Now, I should like«othing better—myself." "Why don't ye start in then?" returned Mr. Jerrold. "I'm sure thar's prairie enough before ye to make it an object." "Simply because I have no horse," Bruce rejoined. "I came over from the ranch with the rest of my party in a carriage." "Well, ef thet's all thet stands in yer way," replied tho accommodating Mr. Jerrold, taking his pipe from his lips, "thar's Buckshot. Barrin a disposition to rare and 'buck' now and then, ez ye've seen, he's a peart boss enough and is at yer service. For myself, I've got enough to think about without ridin into the bargain." He took a 6-shooter from his belt and regarded it absently, cocking and uncocking the weapon with the finger and thumb of his brawny right hand. The clicking of the lock sounded ominously in the still night. Bruce looked curiously at the man bei fore availing himself of his offer. He i seemed to have something upon his mind. However, he untethered Buckshot, and hanging the long riata from the saddlebow sprang into the saddle. He rode at a swinging gallop through the main street of the little frontier town, the hoofs of his horse echoing loudly on the level road. In a few moments he had left the settlement behind him and was alone upon the vast, illimitable plain. The grateful transition from the feverish scene he had recently quitted to the perfect freedom of boundless space brought to his spirit a sense of rest and peace. The night was so serene, so calm, so passionless. Everywhere the dominant moon silvered the landscape with the distinctness of day. After a long, exhilarating canter, he checked his panting horse and rode back upon his tracks. The stimulus of physical exercise had quite dispelled the feeling of irritation which-had driven him out of town at this unseemly totir upon horseback. Aside from his encounter in the sheriff's behalf, which had naturally reacted somewhat upon his nerves, there were other things which had tended to disturb the equanimity of his temper- _ As he rode on in the stillness, unbroken save by the monotonous footfall ; of his horse, his thoughts constantly reverted to Cynthia and her behavior with ; the captain. It had annoyed him un- , deniably, without his knowing why. Bru.ce did not believe himself to be ihi terested in Miss Dallas. Having little , of that vanity which characterizes most men, it had probably never occurred to i him that much of Cynthia's apparent in- . terest in Foraker was prompted by pique ) at his own refusal to act as her escort. . He was aware that the quaint, breezy lit- . i tie maiden, who had rescued him so i pluckily from his predicament in the

Colorado some months before, interestsd him greatly; that he felt strangely drawn toward her whenever he found himself in her society, and that, being impelled by a thoroughly masculine impulse to favor her with sound advice and beneficial counsel, he was annoyed to find that she ignored it.- . — - An incident of the early evening had not tended to increase the serenity of his temper. It was when upon first recSgnizing^SEhia^a^tEe balPin companyvetfch Foraker- he- had so far- forgotten. I Jiimself in his suspicion of the man as to Inquire: , "Who Is that fellow. Cynthia?" - »g|fe- [TO BB CONTINUED.] -„„.