The Girl from Montana

"No!" said the man with decision. "On no account can we go that way. Was

that the man you ran away from?"

"Yes." She looked up at him, her eyes filled with wonder over the way in

which he had coupled his lot with hers.

"Poor little girl!" he said with deep feeling. "You would be better off

with the beasts. Come, let us hurry away from here!"

They turned sharply away from the trail, and followed down behind a family

who were almost out of sight around the hill. There would be a chance of

getting some provisions, the man thought. The girl thought of nothing

except to get away. They rode hard, and soon came within hailing-distance

of the people ahead of them, and asked a few questions.

No, there were no houses to the north until you were over the Canadian

line, and the trail was hard to follow. Few people went that way. Most

went down to Malta. Why didn't they go to Malta? There was a road there,

and stores. It was by all means the best way. Yes, there was another house

about twenty miles away on this trail. It was a large ranch, and was near

to another town that had a railroad. The people seldom came this way, as

there were other places more accessible to them. The trail was little

used, and might be hard to find in some places; but, if they kept the

Cottonwood Creek in sight, and followed on to the end of the valley, and

then crossed the bench to the right, they would be in sight of it, and

couldn't miss it. It was a good twenty miles beyond their house; but, if

the travellers didn't miss the way, they might reach it before dark. Yes,

the people could supply a few provisions at their house if the strangers

didn't mind taking what was at hand.

The man in the wagon tried his best to find out where the two were going

and what they were going for; but the man from the East baffled his

curiosity in a most dexterous manner, so that, when the two rode away from

the two-roomed log house where the kind-hearted people lived, they left no

clue to their identity or mission beyond the fact that they were going

quite a journey, and had got a little off their trail and run out of

provisions.

They felt comparatively safe from pursuit for a few hours at least, for

the men could scarcely return and trace them very soon. They had not

stopped to eat anything; but all the milk they could drink had been given

to them, and its refreshing strength was racing through their veins. They

started upon their long ride with the pleasure of their companionship

strong upon them.