Brand Blotters

She clapped her hands. "Oh, let's! I'm tired of boys, anyhow. They know

nothing but nonsense." She made a laughing moue at Flatray, and turned to

join the railroad builder.

The young sheriff arose and trailed to his pony. "My marching orders, I

reckon."

They walked up the hill together, the great man and the untutored girl. He

still carried himself with the lightness of the spare, wiry man who has

never felt his age. As for her, she moved as one on springs, her slender,

willowy figure beautiful in motion.

"You're loyal to Mesa. Born and brought up there?" West asked Melissy.

"No. I was brought up on the Bar Double G ranch. Father sold it not long

since. We're interested in the Monte Cristo mine, and it has done so well

that we moved to town," she explained.

At the first bend in the mountain road Jack had turned in his saddle to

look at her as she climbed the steep. A quarter of a mile farther up there

was another curve, which swept the trail within sight of the summit. Here

Flatray pulled up and got out his field glasses. Leisurely the man and the

maid came into sight from the timber on the shoulder of the hill, and

topped the last ascent. Jack could discern Melissy gesturing here and

there as she explained the lay of the land.

Something else caught and held his glasses. Four riders had emerged from a

little gulch of dense aspens which ran up the Point toward the summit. One

of these had with him a led horse.

"Now, I wonder what that means?" the sheriff mused aloud.

He was not left long in doubt. The four men rode swiftly, straight toward

the man and the girl above. One of them swung from the saddle and stepped

forward. He spoke to West, who appeared to make urgent protest. The

dismounted rider answered. Melissy began to run. Very faintly there came

to Flatray her startled cry. Simultaneously he caught the flash of the sun

on bright steel. The leader of the four had drawn a revolver and was

covering West with it. Instantly the girl stopped running. Plainly the

life of the railroad president had been threatened unless she stopped.

The man behind the weapon swept a gesture in the direction of the led

horse. Reluctantly West moved toward it, still protesting. He swung to the

saddle, and four of the horses broke into a canter. Only the man with the

drawn revolver remained on the ground with Melissy. He scabbarded his gun,

took a step or two toward her, and made explanations. The girl stamped her

foot, and half turned from him.