I Conquered""

of Yell

cessary, and it would be an education for VB, he said with a chuckle, to s

n, in explanation: "He's a horse bu

stuff was so strong that Jed declared it

y to do things, to be of use, and after a short interchange of drolleries with the man Kelly, w

that July morning in the luxuriously dim house on Riverside Drive. And the reason for his departing from the old way came back to him now, because he was alone, with

way all that I hold dear, shall I always be afraid? Shan't I be able to stand and fight a

in terms of his ideal, as m

challenge him some day and batter him down and make defeat all the more bitte

e beacon in the bottle, corking it up, driving back

ies. Five miles farther on VB saw a curious thing. This was at the forks of the road. To his right it went off behind the long, rocky poin

ile. Nothing curious about that to VB, for many times he

crowned by a mass of yellow hair.

ng down here, shooting ahead there, going on toward the horizon, bearing the yellow hair away from him, until it was only a crawling thing with a

VB. "She's driving that

en down Fifth Avenue in the afternoon traffic congestion beside a woman who piloted her

. He had not been near enough to see the girl's face-he was sure it was a girl, not a grown woman-but the color of her crowning adornment

eing familiar with the unknown. That had been when Jed had sketched with

an hour when Danny, watching a coyote skulk among dista

buildings as did the town itself. Morning found him weak and drawn, as it always did after a nigh

ditions, on another day perhaps, it might have amused VB; but with the un

rugs anything, bounded on one end by horse liniment and on the other extreme by eye-drops guaranteed to prevent cataracts, is for sale; and

ls and started for the team. A dozen strides away from the store building he paused to look about. It was his first inspectio

and sounds of blacksmithing issued from it. Behind VB was a tiny house, with a path running from it to the store, the home of the manager. Next it a log c

muttered, a

t, stretched on and on toward Utah, of

e all on the nort

idea, I suppose," VB mu

p rise of ground. It stood apart, as though consciously aloof from the rest, a one-story struct

LO

et the parched lips and his fingers pl

ly. Nothing can be accomplished in a moment. Just one drink to cool his th

ng it off, he did not hear the fall of hoofs behind him or

he voice-drawling

havin' a bit o' ref

's red-lidded eyes. The cruel mouth was stretched in an angular grin,

evil-eyed, jeering, leering, daring being, typified all that was fo

t alive such a spirit, wanted to stamp into the dust the body that housed it-because it mo

call: "Ranger ain't no eastern Sunday school. Bett

was gone and he was puzzling over something. After he

back in Jed's cabin, away from Ranger. This thing had followed him across the country to C

drove, fastening them in his throat and shaking his will until

ed weakly at thought of it, and the horses, more than willing, carried the w

re the outer gate Jed

led, "are yo

he answered, dropp

he heard the older

ining room. The table had been moved from its usual place nearer to the window, and the bott

ight, Young VB. I never thought about it. I-I guess I'm an old fool, gettin' scared th' way I do. So

, Jed! Every little thing help

rned