Page 55 (1/1)

Isbel walked to his horse and appeared to be untying so from the back of his saddle When he cae apparently wrapped in paper With this under his arm he strode off in the direction of Ellen's camp and soon disappeared in the forest

For a little while Ellen lay there in bewilderment If she had made conjectures before, they were now ? Ellen sat up suddenly "Well, shore this heah beats e? What was he goin' to do with it?"

It took no little will power to hold her there when she wanted to steal after hih the woods and find out what he meant But his reputation influenced even her and she refused to pit her cunning in the forest against his It would be better to wait until he returned to his horse Thus decided, she lay back again in her covert and gave hercuriosity Sooner than she expected she espied Isbel approaching through the forest, elance a ainst a rock Verily Jean Isbel had been far removed from hostile intent that day She watched him stride swiftly up to his horse, untie the halter, and ure, and sinuous grace and ease Then he looked back at the promontory, as if to fix a picture of it in his ht What ailed her? Sonized only relief

When Isbel had been gone long enough to assure Ellen that she h the pine thicket to the Ri behind the Black Range, shedding a golden glory over the Basin Westward the zigzag Rim reached like a streamer of fire into the sun The vast prohts upon their stone-walled faces Deep down, the Basin was turning shadowy dark blue, going to sleep for the night

Ellen bent swift steps toward her cah the forest Then they paled and vanished The tips of pines and spruces turned gold A hoarse-voiced old turkey gobbler was booround, and the softer chick of hen turkeys answered him Ellen was almost breathless when she arrived Two packs and a couple of lop-eared burros attested to the fact of Antonio's return This was good news for Ellen She heard the bleat of la nearer and nearer And she was glad to feel that if Isbel had visited her ca the absence of the herders