Bloomington High School - Gothic Yearbook (Bloomington, IN)

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□- -—| Jhr ifei to bo moving. Jean. She look.- all right, but you never can trust a skirt. Make an excuso for moving on. The half- breed spoke in a whisper, while Jean played with the cinch of the girl's saddle. NV-n. ho said, tinully I'm not going to I» mm mg on. We threw MncTruviah oil the trail and we have two day ' start of Barry. We have plenty of time and the border t- only thirty miles away. And. Bene, you don't often so a nice girl up here. “You're a damned fool. declared Rene. Maybe fo. assented Jean. Come, let' go back and see how our visitor I getting along. The girl was pouring out another cup of coffee when they returned. I'm afraid I'm taking all your breakfast, die »ald. apologetically, “but I'm awfully hungry. Help yourself, invited Jean. You see. went on the girl. “I was so frightened nil lust night. I did nut have time to think ' e.iimg Tin. • an outlaw named Jean O'Neill, a sort of Irish Indian, ...... around here somewhere, and I was afranl I'd mis’! him If I had, I should have boon scored green. How far am I from home ? About forty miles. You've been roaming quite a bit. yourrelf. Miss. Jean hud glued his eyes on Rene nnd the half-breed had. after an involuntary start at the mention of Jean’s mum. been perfectly still. “I’m going to see you safely home. Miss. Jean contin- ued. •till watching Rene carefully. You can ride the roan. he's perfectly safe: and Bene can take your horse aiul go where he i going. I can catch up later. The half-breed started, then rose nnd went over to the hottes. Jean followed a moment Intel It's good-bye. then. Jean? queried Keruux “ flood-bye? No. indeed. Bern | l| catch up with you before you're twenty miles over the border. Tin- half-breed rmiled. Catch up! With MucTruvish %«W ll»drU-a hau Maa» M«dM ho II • »w and Barry after youT No. Jean 1 don't think wall ever mn l again. h. «aid W T. •« ! «hen If. c.w«i l, p Jmn I wlah you luck, but the Rider» are burcard it. iwl c«.t« They're sure to g t • Well. remarked Jean, cheerfully. “m dad ni' •» Ir- 1‘limnii and m mother waa French and Indian. All threw rao. are nolet I for their ability to «ei into hot water, and— out of it airain. So I'll be with you before you re twenty mile over the iKiftkr, Rone Babbit Jim Peter rode down the trail to the diamond ranch Babbit Jim waa ghtftaoab drunk He had Ml thm month»- wage in two day» ami waa coming back from Edmonton to deep off the “jag A man and a girl wet . dn . in from O south Kab- t.it Jim grinned woldaMy He had rwc Jgni»ed ihe man. lie n»te up l i the corral, unsaddled hie hnree amt turned him in then «wared over to a bale of hay to ait down and b»de hU time. Monnwhlle the other two ndcr had arrived at the front gale Vll. remarked Jean, “you're home all rtght. and I «Hi i it'» up to me In aay good-bye, • I m -irry. returned the girl “Can't hi puaaibly tay II While r “So. thank you. I promised to meet Rene tw—. near here I mint in- going . He rawed hw hat and atarlrd to ndr away. One moment, pletur. called the girl. You might at leant toll me your name. Her ex-snwort turned in hi» saddle. Mi name Jean O'Neill.-' he «aid «imply, and rode •wav without even looking at the girl Taking the trail that led back by the «tables, hr eneoun- tend Babbit Jim Hoy «houlod that worthy, as Jean cantered by. Jean drew rein. “Wdir I i»u --□

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| e hr wailing to swoop down from God knows where, any minute. I know you didn’t have anything to do with that Edmonton affair, but somebody says you did. and you haven’t got any real proof that’d be worth a damn, that you didn’t. Be- sides. they’ve got that silver-mounted pop-gun, with your name on it. and whoever did the killing shot that feller with it. Why you ever carried thHt thing. I don’t know, but I do know that you’re ripe to swing for it; ami it ain't even a man’s size gun!” The half-breed was plainly out of temper. Jean's eyes narrowed, and a stem, hard look was on bis face as he said: If I ever have half a chance to find out who accused me of that Edmonton business. I'm going to send him to hell so quick, he’d— Come, let’s have break- fast. We ought to be riding borderwards right now. A girl on n rangy skewbald rode with her chin on her shoulder, ever keeping her eyes on the trail down which she had come. Oh Pal! Pal! Can't you go a little faster? I’m ho hungry and tired and scared.” she begged. The skewbald was worn out. too. He walked with his head drooping and stumbled now and then. “Pal! exclaimed the girl. I see some smoke over there! There’s somebody feeding horses! Oh. Pal! They'll tell us the way home. I know!” She dismounted and. after encouraging the tired animal with a few pats, led him in the direction of the campfire, in the distance. • • • • • • • • • Rene Keroux. glancing up from the pan of bacon he was frying, saw- the head of a skewbald horse appear around the turn in the trail. Jeon O’Neill saw it. too. Both crouched, ready to draw and fire at any moment. A girl’s voice broke the stillness. We’re almost there. Pal! I can smell the bacon frying. Don’t it smell good? 91.«. I Nalacaa limb» } amfru |---------------------------------------------------irrun The horse and the girl were in plain sight now. O'Neill I laughed a little. | Fool. hissed the half-breed. It's a trap. Aw. shut up. Rene. You're always hunting trouble. Jean rose and went to meet the girl, who had drawn back a little, frightened at the look on the half-breed’s face. Good morning. Miss. said Jean, raising his hat. “May I be of any sen-ice to you? The girl looked from the half-breed's face to Jean's. I—I’m lost.” she said. I’ve been riding nearly all | night, and Pal's quite worn out. I don’t know where I am. | and Pal doesn’t, either. We can't go any further, and I saw your campfire, s.. I came to see if you could help me. Come. said Jean, gently, “sit down by the fire. Rene will give you something to eat and I'll attend to your horse. • Go ahead: Rene's pretty savage-looking, but lie won't hurt I you. i Thank you. so much. She sat down near the fire. Rem dished up some breakfast for her and poured out | ft cup of c t! . i “Here, Mam'selle. I’m sure you must be hungry. Somewhere out of the dim past, the inborn courtesy of his French sneer tors had come to the half-breed. He was not always si»: indeed, he had the reputation among those I who knew him best of being more of a brute than a man— I an animal like the lynx, and so they called him Le Lou- | clfie. j I’m so hungry that I don't know what to do. announced the girl. I haven't had a thing since supper last night. I started out to ride after supper and got lost, and I’ve been wandering around ever since. Is your horse new to the country?” inquired Furoux. I don't know, the girl told him. I am. though. They j said at the Diamond C ranch that he was a safe horse for i n woman to ride, ro 1 took him. FeroUX left her idone and went over to where Jean was. with the horses. She's from the Diamond C. up by Long Tim’s. We got □

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[jEhj Phil Jardine down at Kdmontnn Hr drunk. Wr riilr out together. He tell roe he kill homesteader. Riders think vou did it. Phil stole your min Hr gone to Three Crons Bar.” Rabbit Jim’. diction would have turned an {Englishman's hair white, but it told Jean O'Neill ail he needed to know. “Thank . Jim, said Jean, briefly Rabbit Jim's eyes glittered “PhiL he kill my squaw You kill him. No want money.” ami he waved t«ck the proffered silver. He over at Three Cross Bars. Jean was off down the trail like a whirlwind. He be- strode the plains-brcd stallion. Coeur-de-Lion. He had rap- tured the animal when it was about two years old. and had never regretted his trouble. Three Cross Bars was only fifteen miles away, and if the Riders did sight him. there was Long Tim's twenty miles further on. To a horse like Coeur-de-Lion. eighty miles a day was not a hardship; he could be forced to go more. Long Tim had slept till almost sunset. Sitting m a com- fortable chair on the front porch, he was trying to decide whether to take another cat-nap or to go and feed the stock, when a sound of galloping hoof caught hi ear. Same drunk fool riding a horse to death. he comment- ed to the porch pillar Then he started A figure was com- ing up the trail, swaying. The man caught the bo a« he •tumbled, and was about to fall. “Jean, lad You're shot' Was it—was it the Riders?” “The Riders No. Phil Jardine plugged me. H-hr killed that man. and—stole— m —gut to— to kill him with.” Long Tim picket! him up bodily and, carrying him into the house, laid him on the bed. “No use. «aid Jean, as the older man tried to stop the How of blood. “He got me good. Tim. but I got him. too. I’m all in. Tim. but I got Phil Jardine. Hr stopped from weakness “Oh. no.” Monohan tried to speak cheerfully. “You’ll S.H. Mw m « • t]------------------------------------------------- be nil right soon. You— Jcnn interrupted. I told Reno I'd meet him twenty mile over the border. It'll be a wider border than I thought, but if you kc him, tell him Mint IH be waiting.' Keep still. Jean.” burst out Monohan. Here, drink this, and lie still. Jean drank the water, but went on speaking. Coeur-de-Lion’ «lend. Killed on his feet. He’s down nt the bottom over there. The Riders—they're after—af- ter me. They saw me—but Coeur-de-Lion—bent 'em out. “For Mod’s sake, keep still, implored Monohan You’re going to get all right. Keep still and don't start that blood ■ again I'll be back in a moment. Long Tim went out on the porch and looked over the hills. Then he sat down agam. If I’m not in there. Jean won’t talk. he thought, as he ! lighted hi pipe. j At that moment, two men rode around the house—two | men in scarlet coats and black trousers with a stripe down j the seam. They carried rifle . One was the Sergeant, Howdy. Tim. greeted tin Sergeant. How's things with you? Tim was silent. A noire in the doorway causer) the three to turn. There stood Jean in the doorway, grasping the sides for support. You're too late, gentlemen. he -aid. with a short mirthless laugh. I've got a change of venue.” He swayed forward and Tim caught him a he fell. “Jean! exclaimed the Sergeant. He's gone. said Long Tom. sadly. “Do you want him now? There were actual tears in the Sergeant's eyes I No. Tim. We had come to tell him that Whiting, here. | had found Phil Jardine shot through the lungs near Three • Cross Bar-. Jardine confessed that he murdered the home- steader. with Jean's gun. He -aid he got Jean. We thought we'd find him here, and we did. but we came—too late. IM'n a IMl.