United States or Afghanistan ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Her pulses ceased to beat, her blood to flow, her heart to throb. All seemed to freeze within her except her mind. And that leaped fearfully over the first lines of a letter then feverishly on to the close only to fly back and read again. Then she dropped the book. She hid her face on Slingerland's breast. She clutched him with frantic hands.
"I'd never forget Fresno," she replied, positively. "He was one of the four ruffians who burned Slingerland's cabin and made off with me." Then Neale shook with a violent start. He grasped Allie tight. "I saw him, too. Just before I came in. I saw one of the men that visited us at Slingerland's.... Big, hulking fellow red, ugly face bad look." "That's Fresno.
Shane had done his best and his last for the U. P. R. Neale and Larry and Slingerland planned to go into the hills late in the fall, visit Slingerland's old camp, and then try to locate the gold buried by Horn. For the present Larry meant to return to Benton, and Neale, though vacillating as to his own movements, decided to keep an eye on the cowboy.
But now, away from the distraction of her presence and with Slingerland's eloquent words ringing in his ears, he realized the truth. Love of him had saved the girl's mind and had made her beautiful and wonderful. He had heard of the infinite transforming power of love; here in Allie Lee was its manifestation. Whether or not he deserved such a blessing was not the question.
While she dreamed of Neale and their future she busied herself with many tasks, and a whole year flew by without a lagging or melancholy hour. Neale, she believed, had been detained or sent back to Omaha, or given more important work than formerly. She divined Slingerland's doubt, but she would not give it room in her consciousness.
He was used to the badinage of the men, and had always retaliated with a sharp and ready tongue. But this half-kind, half-humorous talk encroached upon what he felt to be the secret side of his nature the romantic and the dreamful side to which such fancies were unconscionably dear. Early the next morning Neale and King rode out on the way to Slingerland's.
The last mile to Slingerland's lay through a beautiful green valley with steep sides almost like a canon trees everywhere, and a swift, clear brook running over a bed of smooth rock. The trail led along this brook up to where the valley boxed and the water boiled out of a great spring in a green glade overhung by bushy banks and gray rocks above.
Slingerland's sight was not clear when, as the train pulled away, he waved a last good-bye to his young friends. Now he had no hope, no prayer left unanswered, except to be again in his beloved hills. Abruptly he hurried away to the corrals where his pack-train was all in readiness to start. He did not speak to a man.
I've got a bad leg." "I'll come, then. We may have weeks of fine weather yet. I'm going to hunt some." "Good luck to you." So these comrades parted. They were only two of the intrepid engineers selected to brave the perils and hardships of that wild region in winter, to serve the great cause. The golds and purples of autumn mingled with the predominating green of Slingerland's valley.
"You can be moved down to Slingerland's cabin without pain to you. I'll get Slingerland and his sled. You'll be more comfortable there. It'll be better all around." So that was decided upon. And Neale, after doing all he could for Service, and assuring him that he would return in less than twenty- four hours, turned his steps for the valley.
Word Of The Day