Alpha Book

Ah, yes! It was good that
she should have the comfortable home and the beautiful daughter. He
had nothing but his beloved sheep, but did they not belong to his
Senorita?

At the ford the girl took the trail to the uplands, deciding to visit
the farthest camp first, and then, if she had time, to call at one or
two other camps on her way back to the rancho. As the trail grew
steeper, she curbed the impatient Challenge to a steadier pace and rode
leisurely to the level of the timber. On the park-like level,
clean-swept between the boles of the great pines, she again put
Challenge to a lope until she came to the edge on the upper mesa. Then
she drew up suddenly and held the horse in.
Far out on the mesa was the figure of a man, on foot. Toward him came
a horse without bridle or saddle. She recognized the figure as that of
John Corliss, and she wondered why he was on foot and evidently trying
to coax a stray horse toward him. Presently she saw Corliss reach out
slowly and give the horse something from his hand. Still she was
puzzled, and urging Challenge forward, drew nearer.


Pages:
49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73