Adventure, December 3, 1920 — page 41: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Law Comes to Singing River “T understood you were running some stock in here,” she replied coldly. ‘And this isn’t a forsaken country unless you make it so in your own mind.” She was standing away from him on the south side. His back was to the north. He apparently had forgotten his horse. “T brung a few head of stock in here, yes,” he said; ‘‘but I just intended to fatten ’em up and drive ’em over the westerfi range to a new market last Fall. Instead I stayed all Winter an’ all Spring an’ into the middle of this Sum- mer; an’ you was the cause of it.” ‘““Me?” She arched her brows. “Yes, you. You know I was stuck on you the first time I ever saw you, an’ I meant it when I told you that night a while back that I wanted you for a wife. Haven’t I got any chance?” : “You have absolutely no chance—not the most remote possibility of a chance,” she answered evenly and with an air of positive finality. “T thought I had a chance until this—this— whatever he is came in here and oe “There was no reason you should have as- sumed you had a right to think that,” said the girl. “TI never gave you any encouragement, I merely treated you kindly, as I would treat any one else.” “But you didn’t turn me down, Alice; you “Turn you down?” she laughed. “I didn’t know you were paying court to me, Mr. Bran- som, or I would have discouraged you—your attentions—a long time ago.” “But you didn’t discourage ’em,” declared Bransom, his face darkening and becoming distorted with the violence of his passion. “Whether you intended to or not you en- couraged me until I had a right to expect——” “Don’t say it!”’ she warned as her eyes flashed with anger and indignation. ‘“‘You’ve said enough. And now that you know just what the situation is, go!” “You can’t be shut of me this easy,” he cried, leaping toward her in a frenzy of abandon. “Bransom!”’ The man twisted in his tracks to see Lang running toward them along the edge of the timber. His hand flashed toward the pistol at his side, but hung there motionless when Lang beat him to the draw. Without looking at the girl,” Lang faced Bransom, keeping him covered. “T take it from what I saw—an’ maybe it was lucky I stopped to look back—that this young lady ain’t none too anxious for your company; if she is she can speak up an’ I’ll beat it the way I come.” There was a long moment of silence. “Tt don’t hear anything, Bransom, so I guess you better beat it. There’s your horse. 31 You’re liable to find it mighty onhealthy if you amble up this end of the range again. On your way; an’ lest you might want to take a chance with that gun of yours when you hit the saddle, Pl tell you I’m tolerably fair on moving targets.” ~ “Gunman, eh?” Bransom flashed a look at the girl, but - what he saw in her face merely served to in- crease his feeling of baffled rage. He swung into the saddle and dashed away. Lang turned to the: git: “T happened to look back an’ sawgthat fel- low come sneakin’ out of the timber. I watched him for a time, wonderin’ how he happened to be around that way, leadin’ his horse. Then I saw you backin’ away from him with a disagreeable sort of look on your face— if you could look that way—an’ I came a-run- go -She flashed him a grateful look and hesitated before she spoke. “He was annoying me,” she confessed; “and he was hinting something very uncomplimen- tary about you.” - “That don’t surprize me none,” laughed Lang. “I don’t know what he got it in for me so sudden for, an’ I don’t care so long as he keeps away from me. If he don’t——” He left the sentence unfinished and put away his gun. “Don’t you care to hear what he said about you?” she asked"in some astonishment. “Not unless you believe it,” smiled Lang. The girl’s face appeared troubled. “But I think you ought to know, because it is serious, and if it isn’t true——” She looked then as if she might hope it would prove untrue. “He intimated that you were a— That She sslberéd and then looked at him intently as she spoke deliberately— “That you were in here because of the cattle.” Lang whistled softly and his eyes glinted. “Do you believe him?” “T won’t if you will deny it and tell me all about yourself.” Lang remained silent, aden this beauti- ful girl and marveling that some subtle im- pulse prompted him to confide in her; to tell her everything. He looked across the valley with its tints of green and blue, splashed with the blossoms of the wild mountain flowers, bathed in dazzling sunlight with the velvet of the pines behind. A sweet-scented breeze followed the course of the river and little side- currents of air stirred upon the slope. Freedom! If he told her: all he could no longer remain a fugitive. He would have to give himself up to retain honor in her eyes. And in that case Drayton’s friends, aided by CORMICLOO© (E©)