Desert Dust
By Edwin E. Sabin
Author of “How Are You Feeling^’* eta
“You would take her in,
Rachael!” the Captain rumbled.
“Have you uot heard what i
said!”
'.‘Ufo are commanded to feed
tne hungry and shelter the home
lesa, Hyrum.”
“Verily that is so. Take her.
1 trust you with her till the morn
ing. The Lord will direct us
further. But in God’s name
-clothe her for the daylight in de
•cenoy. She shall not advertise
her flesh to men's eyes. ’ ’
“Quick!” I whispered, with a
push. Rachael, however, had
crossed for us, and with eyes
brimming extended her hand.
you come with me,
please!” she invited.
“You are not afraid of me!”
“I! No. You are a woman, are
you uot!” The intouation was
gentle, and sweet to hear—as
sweet as her rosy face to see.
“Yes,” sighed My Lady, weari
ly. “Good-night, sir.” She
fleetingly smiled upou me. “I
thank you; and Mr. Jenks.”
They went, Rachael's arm
about her; other women closed
in; we heard exclamations, and
next they were supporting her in
their midst, for she had crumpled
In a faint.
Captain Adams walked out a
piece as if musing. Daniel pressed
beside him, talking eagerly. His
voice reached me.
“She's powerful purty, ain't
she, paw! Gosh, I never seen a
woman in britches before. Did
yut Paw! she kin ride in ray
wagon, Paw. Be yu goin’ to take
heron, paw? If yu be, I got
room. ’ ’
“Go. Teud to your stock and
think of other things," boomed
his father. “Remember that the
•Scriptures say, beware of the
scarlet woman."
Daniel galloped away, whoop
ing like an idiot.
‘Wall, there she is," my friend
Jenka remarked non-comittally.
“What ncxt’ll happen, we’ll see
in the mornin’. Either she goes
on or she goes hack. I don’t
claim to read Mormon sign, my
self. But she had me jumpin’
sideways, for a spell. So did
that young whelp."
There was some talk, idle yet
not offensive. The men appear
ed rather in a judicial frame of
mind: laid a few bets upon
whether hot- husband would turn
up, in sober fashion nodded their
heads over the hope that he had
been 4 4 properly pinked, ’ ’ all in
all sided with her, while admir
ing her pluck roundly denied re
sponsibility for women in gener
al, and genially but cautiously
twitted Mr. Jenks and me upon
our alleged implication iu the af
fair.
Darkness, still and chill, liad
nettled over the desert—the only
discernible horizon the glow of
Benton, down the railroad track.
The ashes of final pipes were rap- j
ped out upon our hoot soles. Our !
group dispersed, each man »o his
blanket under the wagons or in
the open.
“Wall,” friend .Teuks again
broadly uttered, in Iasi words ng
he turned over with a grunt, for
easier posture, near me, “hooray l
If it simmers down to von and
Dan’l, I’ll be there.”
With that enigmatical com
ment he was silent save for
stertorous breathing. Vaguely
cogitating over his promise, I lay
toes and face up, staring at the
bright stars; perplexed more and
more over the immediate events
of the future warmly conscious
of. her astonishing proximity in
this very train, prickled by the
hope that she would continue
with ua, irritated by the various
assumptions of Daniel, and some
how not at all adverse to the
'memory of her in “britches.”
That phase of the matter seem
ed to have afucted Daniel and
toe similarly. Under hig hide he
Iwas human.
CHAPTER XU
Daniel Takes Possession
I wras more than ever convinced
of her wisdpiu in choice of garb
when in early morning 1 gfliaps
ed her with the two other women
at the Adams fire; for bright
haired and small, she had been
sorrily dulled *by the plain ill
fitting waist and long shapeless
skirt in one garment, as adopted
by the feminine contingent of the
train. In her particular ease
these were worse fitting and
longer thaa common—an artifice
\ at eertfnily rmutfed a ^portion
~ >f her charms Jor Uentile and
Mormon eyes alike.
What farther disposition was
to be made of her we might not
yet know'. We all kept to our
own tasks and our own fires,
witn flie exception that Daniel
gawked and strutted in a . man
ner of a silly gander, and made
freqnent errands to his father’s
household.
It was after the red sun-up
and the initial signaling by dust
cloud to dust cloud announcing ;
the commencement of another
day’s desert traffic, and in re
sponse to the orders “Ketch
up!”w'ewere putting animals
to wagons ( My Lady still in evi
dence forward), when a horse
man bored in at a gallop, over
the road from the east.
Montoyo, by Gawd!” .Tenks
pronounced, in a grumble of dis
gust rather than with any note
of alarm. “Look alive.” And
--“He don’t hang up my pelt;
no, nor yourn if I can help it.”
1 saw him give a twitch to
his holster and slightly loosen
the Colt’s. Hut I was unbur
thened by guilt in past events,
and I conceived no reason for
fearing the future—other than
that now I Was likely to lose her.
Heaven pity her! Prdbably she
would have to go, even if she
managed later to kill him. The
delay in our start had been un
fortunate. ’ »
It was dollars to doughnuts
that eVery man in the eom|fffny
had had his eye out for Montoyo,
sinceAiaylight; and the odds were
that every man had sighted him
as quickly as we. Notwithstund
ing, save by an occasional quick
glance none appearedy to pay
attention to his rapid approach.
We ourselves went right along
hookiug up, like the others.
As chanced, our outfit was
the first upon his way in. I
heard him rein sharply beside us
and his horse fidget, panting.
Not until he spoke did we lift
eyes.
“Howdy, gentlemen!”
“Howdy yourself, sir,” ans
wered Mr. .Jenks, straightening
up and meeting his gaze. I paus
ed, to gaze also. Montoyo was
pale as death, his lips harcVset,
his peculiar gray eyes am ?his
black moustache the only vivify
ing features in his coldly menac
ing countenance.
lie was in white linen shirt,
his left arm slung; fine riding
hoots encased his legs above the
knees and Spanish spurs at their
heels—his horse’s flanks redden
ed by their jabs. The pearl butt
of a six-shooter jutted from his
belt holst?r. He sat jauntly, ex
cepting for hi, lips and eyes.
He looked upon me with a trace
of recognition less to be seen than
felt. His glance leaped to the
wagon—traveled swiftly and
surely nud returned to Mr. Jenks.
“You’re pulling out, I be
lieve.”
“Yes, you bet yuh.”
“This is the Adams mnnf”
“It is.”
“I’m looking for ray wife,
'gentlemen. May I ask whether
you've seen hert”
“You can.”
“You have seen hert”
“Yes, sir. We’ll not beat
around any bush over that.”
He meditated, frowning a bit,
eyeing us narrowly.
“I had the notion,” he said.
“If you have staged her to al»el
ter I thank you; but now I aim to I
play the hand myself. This is a
strictly private game. Where is
shef”
“I call yuh, Pedro,” my friend
answered. “Wo ain’t keepin’ |
cases on her, or on you. You
don’t find her in my outfit, that’s !
flat. She spent the night with ;
the Adams woman. You’ll find j
her waitin’ for you on ahead.” ;
lie grinned. ‘ * She 'il be powerful j
glad to see you.” He sobered |
“And I’ll say Dili; I’m kinder j
sorry I ain’t got her, for slic’d be I
interestin’ company ou tho ;
road.”
“The road to hell, yes,” Mon- j
i teyo coolly remarked. “I’d gaur- j
antee you quick passage. Good
day.”
With sudden steely glare that
embraced us both he jumped his
mount into a gallop eand tore
past the team, for the front. He
must have inquired, once or
twice, as to the whereabouts of
the Captain’s party; 1 saw !
fingers pointing.
“Here! You’ve swapped col
lars on your lead span, boy,” Mr.
Jenks reproved.—but he like
wise fumbling while he gazed.
I could hold back uo longer.
“ Just a miuute, if you piease,”
T pleaded: and hastened on up,
half running in my anxiety to
face the worst; to help, if I
might, for the best4
A little knot of people had
formed, ^onstantlv increased by
6ncomers like myself and friend
Jenks who had lumbered behind
fine. Montoyo’s horse stood
heaving, on the outskirts; and
ruthlessly pushing through I
found him inside, with My Lady
at bay before him—her eves bril
liant, her cheeks hot, her two i
hands clenched tightly, her slim i
figure dangerously tense within i
her absurd garment, and the arm
of the brightly flushed but calm
Racliael resting restraintfully j
around her. The circling faces j
peered.
Captain Adams, at one side
apart, was replying to the gam
bler. His small china-hlue eyes i
had begun to glint; otherwise In*
maintained an air of stolidity aa ;
if immune to the outcome.
“You see her,” be said. “She
lias had the care of my own I
household, for I turn nobody j
away. She came against my will, i
and she shall po of her will. I !
am not heiflkeeper.”
“You Mormons have the ad- j
vantage of us white men, sir,” j
Montoyo sneered. “No one of
the sex seem to be denied bed
and board in your establish
ment.”
“By the help of the Lord we
of the elect can manage our estab- ,
lishmerits much better than you i
do yours,” big Hyrura respond
ed; and his face sombered. “Who
are you? A panderer to the dev
il, a thief with painted card
board, a despoiler of the ignor
ant and a feeder to hell—jrea
a striker of women and a traffiek- j
er in flesh! Who are yon, to j
think the name of the Lord's j
anointed? There she, is, your j
chattel. Take her, or leave her.
The train starts on in ten rain- J
utes. ’ ’
“I’ll take her or kill her,” |
Montoyo snarled. “You call me ;
a feeder, but she shall not be fed
to your mill, Adams. You’ll get
on that horse pronto, madam,”
he added stepping forward (no !
one could quest if* his nerve),
“and we’ll discuss our affairs iu j
private.”
She east about with swift be- i
seeching look, as if for a friendly |
face or sign of rescue. And that
agonized quest was enough.
Whether she saw me or not, here
I was. With a spring I had
burst in.
But somebody already bad
drawn fresh attention. Daniel
Adams was standing between her
aud her husband ,
nSav, Misterpcilt yu fight!”
he drawled, breathing hard, his
broad nostrils quivering.
A silence fell. Singularly, the
circle parted right and left in a
jostle and a scramble.
Montoyo surveyed him.
“Why!”
“For her, o’ course.”
The gambler smiled—a slow-,
contemptuous smile while his
grey eyes focused watchfully.
“It’s case where 1 have noth
ing to gain,” said he. “And
you’ve nothing to lose. I never
bet in the teeth of a pat hand.
Sabc! Besides, my young Mor
mor cub, when did you enter
this game-! Where’s your ante!
For the sport of it, now, what do
you think of putting up, to make
it interesting! one of your mam
mies ! Tut, tut! ’ ’
Daniel's freckled boviue face
flushed mudy red; in the midst
of it his faulty eyes were more
pronounced than ever—betidy,
twinkling, and so at cross pur
poses Jhat they apparently did
not center upon the gambler at
all. But his right hand had stif
fened at his side—extended there
flat and tremulous like the vi
brant tail of a rattlesnake. He
blurted harshly:
“I Taow to kill yu for that.
Draw, yu--1”
We caught breath. Montoyo’s
baud had darted down, aud up,
with motion too smooth and elus
ive for tho eye, particularly
when our eyes had to be upon
both. His revolver poised half
way out of the scabbard, held
there rigidly, frozen in mid
course ; Tor Dauiel had laughed
loudly over leveled barrel.
IIow he*had achieved so quiet
ly no man of us knew. Yet there
it was—his Colt’s, out, cocked,
wicked and yearning and ready.
lie whirled it with tempting
carelessness, butt first, muzzle
first, his discolored teeth set in a
yellow grin. The breath of tho
spectators vented in a sigh.
“Ilaow’ll yu take it, Mister!”
He gibed. I could l’aru an old
caow to heat yu ou the draw.Aw,
shucks! I ’laow yuM hotter go
back to yore paste-hoards. Naow
git!”
Montoyo, his eyes steady,
scarcely changed expression. He'
let his revolver slip down into
its softbbnni. Then he smiled.
“You have a pretty trick,”
lie contented, relaxing. “Some
(Jay I’d like to test it out again.
Just now T pass. Madam, are
you coming?”
“You know I’m not,” she
uttered clearly.
“Your choice of company is
hardly to your credit,” he sneer
ed. “Or, I should say to your edu
cation. Saintliness does not set
well upon you, madam. Your
clothes arc ill-fitting already.
Of your tAvo champions-”
And here 1 realized that I was
standing out., one foot advanced,
my fists foolishly doubled, my
presence a useless factor.
“—1 recommend the gentleman
from New York as more to your
tastes. But you are going of
your own free will. You will ai
Avays be iny Avife. You can’t get
away from that, you devil., I
shall expect you in Benton, for I
have the hunch that your little
flight Avill fetch you back pretty
well tamed, to the place where
damaged g^ods are not so heavily
discounted.”
He ignored Daniel and turned
upon me. “As for you,” he
said, “I warn you yog arc play
ing against a marked deck. Ybu
will find fists a poor hand. La*
dies and gentlemen, good-morn
ing.” With that he strode
straight for bis horse, climbed
aboard (a trifle awkwardly by
reason of his one arm disabled)
and galloped, granting not anoth
er glance.
Card shark and desperado that
he was, his consummate aplomb
nobody could deny, except Dan
iel, now capering and SAvagger
ing and twirling his revolver.
“I shoAved him, t made him
take water. 1 laow I’m ’bout
the best man with a six-shooter
in these byar parts.”
“Ketch up and stretch out,”
Captain Adams ordered, disre-.
garding. “We’ve no more time
for foolery.”
My eyes met My Lady’s. She
smiled a little ruefully, and I re
sponded, shamed by the poor
role I had borne. With that
still jubilating lout to the fore,
certainly I cut small figure.
This night avc made camp at
Rawlin’g springs, some twelve
miles on. The day’s march had
been, so to speak, rather pensive;
for Avhile there were the rough
jokes and the talking back and
forth, it seemed as though the
scene of early morning lingered
in our vista. The Arords of Mon
toyo had scored deeply, and the
presence of our supernumerary
laid a kind of incubus, like an
omen of ill-luck upon us. In
deed the prophecies darkly utter
ed showed the eurreut of thought.
(To be Continued.)
For the first time in many year* a
condor, the Riant bird that lives In the
Ancle* mountain* of South America, but
la almost extinct In North America, ha*
been seen in the San Josquin valley or
the Sierra Nevada mountain* of Cali
fornia.
ORGANIZE SOCIETY
FOR BETTER HEALTH
AND LONGEVITY
Chicago.—Better health and long
evity is the slogan of the Illinois As
sociation for the Promotion of Peri
odic Health Examinations, recently
organised here.
“Americana have the best teeth In
the world,” said Dr. Edward H. Ochs
ner, president of the Illinois Stats
Medical society and one of the or
ganisers. "They have them because
they have the best dentists and have
been taught to have their teeth ex
amined at regular intervals.
“Our new association will sponsor
physical and dental examinations for
•very adult in Illinois, at least once
a year. Sickness and contagion will
be greatly decreased, we believe, and
millions of dollars will be save^I to
the laboring man, the employers and
casualty companies” he declared.
“If w* can reduce the average day's
Illness three, two or even one year,
millions of dollars wilt be saved,” said
Dr. Orhsner.
Big Quid of Tobacco
Exposes Fake “Lady”
fign Francisco—A quid of tobacco
slightly protruding frqm the rouged
lips of a stylish young person, who is
said to have been "a quiet and re
fined young lady,” resulted in identi
fication of John Keod Ersklne. self
styled “female Impersonator of sta/je
and screen stars." and his arrest for
disguising himself with Intent to de
ceive.
After examination at police head
quarters where his drug store com
plexion, beaded eyelashes and expen
| nlve garb caused a mild sensation,
Ersklne was said by the authorities
to be suffering apparently from ft
mental malady. Circumstantial evi
dence of this was given, according to
i arresting officers, when the prisoner
■ recognised Chief of Police Bernard
Me,Shane, a* "the business manager
of my friend, Douglas Fairbanks."
CARE FOR DRUG ADDICTS
, Santiago. Chile,—Because of the
: increased in the number of drug ad
* diets, a public sanatorium is to l>e
I built In connection with the asylum
for the mentally defective.
Good bread makers ^ ^
everywhere prefer it KdSt JEfOdlll
Flavor all
its own!
Once your folks taste good bread
made with Yeast Foam, they’ll
always want it. It’s simply great!
Send for free booklet
"The Art of Baking Bread**
Northwestern Yeast Co.
1730 North A«Mand Ave.
Chicago, 111.
He Sputified All Right
A Southern negro minister who was
given to the use of big words and com
J plicated discourse was waited upon by
! the church committee anti told that his
style of preaching was not nil that
could be desired.
“Don’t I arglfy and sputify?’’ In
quired the minister.
“Yes, yo’ done arglfy and sputify,”
responded a member of the committee,
“but yo* don’t show wherein.’’--Boston
Evening Transcript.
The Cutleura Toilet Trio.
Raving cleared your skin keep It clear
by iqaklng Cutleura your everyday
toljet preparations. The Soap to cleanse
and purify, the Ointment to soothe and
heal, the Talcum to powder and per
fume. No toilet table Is complete
without them.—Advertisement.
i
Largest Lens Snaps Stars
One of the world's largest cameras
' was made recently by the United
i States bureau of standards to photo
graph astronomical observations. It
| is six feet long, four feet wide and
two and one-lmlf feet high. It uses
| Hates eleven by fourteen Inches. The
| lens is said to be the largest photo
graphic lens ever manufactured In the
! United States. — Popular Science
| Monthly.
Only the Best Ingredient*.
•re used in Brandreth Pills. For con
stipation they have no equal. Take
one or two at bed time.—Adv.
Cheaper
Johnny—Mamma, do they sell babies
by the pound?
Mother—Yes, precious.
Johnny—I suppose that Is why peo
ple buy ’em when they're little.
"CASCARETS” FOR LIVER
AND BOWELS—10® A BOX
Cures Biliousness, Constipation, Sick
Headache.Indlgestlon. Drug store*. Adv.
A penny saved is a penny earned,
and a dollar saved Is one you didn't
loan.
King Renounces All but
One of His 3J33 Wives
King Kwaka Dua III of Ashanti, la
Africa's darkest wilderness, has be
come a Christian, and as first token of
his new faith has renounced all hut
ojje of his 8,838 wives.
It Is said that human sacrifices ma
into the tens of thousands during the
latter part of his reign. On the out
skirts of Coomassle, the jungle capital,
stood the “crucifixion grove,” to whose
giant trees the victims were nalfed to
dlo in lingering agony, while the walla
of the royal palace were built with
ptles of skulls.
The British government told the king
to take down the palace because the
odor of decaying flesh pntrifled the
neighborhood. The king then went t«
the chaplain and told him lie wanted to
become a Christian, but he wag told
that his harem was an objection.—St
Paul Pioneer Press.
“DANDELION BUTTER COLOR"
A harmless vegetable butter color
used by millions for 50 years. Drug
stores and general stores sell bottles
of “Dandelion" for 85 cents.—Adv.
Dangerous ^J-vv'
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin pub
lishes what Is hailed as the first genu
ine mah-Jongg story. ‘‘There has just
come to Honolulu the story of a maid
who went to the lady of the house and
said she feared she would have to find
another place. ‘But why?’ her alarmed
employer asked. ‘Because,’ the maid
replied, ‘I fear your husband Is losing
Uls mind. I found him on his.hands and
knees In the living room, and when I
asked him what he was doing, be said
he was looking for the Kast Wind'."
When You Buy a Plaster
always ask for “Allcoek’s"—the origi
nal and genuine porous plaster—a
standard external remedy.—Adv.
Try living on 15 cents a day If yon
are troubled with dyspepsia.
In after years a man wishes that he
was half as smart as he used to think
he was.
Children Cry for
MOTHER:- Fletcher’s
Castoria is a pleasant, harm
less Substitute for Castor
Oil, Paregoric, Teething
Drops and Soothing Syrups,
prepared for Infants in arms
and Children all ages.
To avoid imitations, always look for the signature of
Proven directions on each package. Physicians everywhere recommend it
Two pleasant ways
to relieve a cough
Take your choice end suit
your taste. S-B—or Menthol
flavor. A sure relief for coughs,
colds and hoarseness. Put one
in your mouth at bedtime.
Always keep a box on hand.
SMITH BROTHERS
£5 C0^H PROPS ffgggfe
CONSTIPATION
Take a good dose of Carter's little liver Pills
—then take 2 or 3 for a few nights after.They
cleanse your system of all waste matter and
Regulate Tour Bowels. Mild—as easy to
^ | take as sugar. Genuine tear iig.iaturc—
Small Pill. Small Dose. Small Price.