Sundown Slim

m the winter winds, was a settlement in itself, providing shelter and comfort for the wives and children of the herders. Each home mai

o meet the varying breeze, the entire prospect was in its pastoral quietude a reflection of Se?ora Loring's sweet and placid nature. Innuendo might include the windmill, and justly so, for the Se?ora in truth met the varying breeze of circumsta

of a thousand each, and each band guarded and cared for by a herder and an assistant who cooked

holdings increased, the ranchers awakened to the fact that he had come to stay and that some boundary must be established to protect their grazing. The Concho River was chosen as the dividing line, which would have been well enough had Loring been a party to the agreement

brother Will, had been constant visitors at the sheep-man's home, both of them enjoying the vivacious companionship of Eleanor Loring, and each, in his way, in love with the girl. Eventually the younger brother disappeared without any apparent reason. The

meal. "The Se?orita," he murmured, and his swart features were lighted by a wrinkled smile. He stepped to his tent, whipped a gay bandanna from his blankets and knotted it about his lean throat. Then he took off h

d with admiration as the girl "set-up" the pinto and swung to the ground with a laugh. "Made him do it all over again, si. He is the big baby, but he pretends he is bronco. Don't you, Challenge?" She dropped the reins and rubbed his nose. The pony laid back his ears in simulated anger and nipped at her sleeve. "Straighten your ears up, pronto!" she commanded, nevertheless laughing. Then a strain of her father's blood was apparent as she seized the reins and stood back from the horse. "Because you're bluffing this morning, I'm going to make you do your latest trick. Down!" she commanded. The

ave the good manner, being always

t I can't let you get ahead of me. What a pretty sca

you give me, but I am yet not too old to like it. It is muy pleasu

happily. "It's lots of fun, isn't it-to 'josh

ill the Se?orita

Have to make the rounds. Dad is down with the rheumatism and as c

emper when rheumatism obliged him to be inactive. "He say nothing, th

know why he should want t

the vaquero Corlees. He tell me

ually interested in our

herder smiled. "But many times he look out ther

atch him talking to one of th

afraid of not even the b

he cautioned, provoking the old herder to immediate apology and a picturesque

ot forget to tell the patron

the cavalier, but a stoop-shouldered, shriveled little Mexican herder. He slouched out toward the flock and called his son to dinner. No, it was not so many years-was not the Se?orita but twenty years old?-since he had wooed the Se?ora Loring, then a slim

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

d 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. The stray, seeing her horse, pricked up its ears, swung round stiffly, and gall

eried, smiling,

not,

I suppose. There's no o

nt, thinking of

she said, readi

ould be no reason for-for

who has quarreled?

seem the same-s

haven't called at the ran

d to stay away even

ind Dad. He growls

yes were smiling, but his lips were grave. "

you and Dad could agree to stop growling altogether. But we won't

smiling. "My horse is over there-near the timb

!" she said. "And before

way-" he began; but sh

scintillating in her dark eyes. "Fernando told me you were talking

was apparent

ite," she asserted,

er unsmilingly. "I want t

sly. I was just 'joshing' you, as Fernando sa

extended her hand. "Let's begin over again," she sai

issed her fingers. She drew her hand away with a little cry

"I-I didn't mean it," he said, as t

n of youth and absolute health. "You get worse and worse," she said, teasingly. "Do

of intense feeling, and the girl knew it. She saw a light in his eyes that she recognized; a light that she remembe

orning," she said, ma

ell. You wait till I get Chinoo

re not going that

I'll catch you up, anyway. You daren't put Cha

t? Then,

up his own horse and leaped to the saddle as Chinook broke into a run. The young rancher knew that the girl

ithout slackening his speed and Corliss, leanin

nge down the rain-gutted trail at a lope. As she pulled up at an abrupt turn, she waved

the hillside. On the trail lay Eleanor Loring, her black hair vivid against the gray of the shale. He plunged toward her and stoo

es opened and a faint smile touched her white lips. "I'm all right. Challenge fell-a

aid, helping her to a seat on the

ke to laugh. You are the funniest man alive! I couldn't speak, but I heard you call to me and tell me you didn't me

funny. It was

d, John. I didn't know you could be scared at anything. Jac

irl," said Corliss

What were you doing up o

ar up for my old pony

would laugh if they heard you'd been feeding sugar to an

dn't say anything about the sugar. I kind

t him. He put his arm around her, and her head lay back again

e drew her close and kissed her lips. Her eye

t?" she murmure

all right," she said, and drew herself up beside him. "Ser

f Sundown and what the latter had said about the wreck

n't believe Will was killed. I can't say why, but if he had been killed I think I should have known it. Don't a

half-interest in the Concho. I can't do as I want to, sometimes. My hands are ti

I were you," said the girl, glan

s: I'll play square just as long as the other side plays square. There's going to be

aid the girl, reini

he wheeled Chinook and

Then she reasoned with herself, knowing that Will Corliss had given up all interest in the Concho, not to please her but to hurt her, for the night before his disappearance he had aske

turned her horse over to Miguel. Suddenly she flushed, rem