The Trail Horde

choolhouse seemingly takes no account of time or place. It comes, unheralded, unsung, and squats in the place wher

as she stood on the little platform in front of the blackboard just before noo

bestowed upon them. The remainder were ungrateful, incorrigible hoodlums. Th

s trying her best to keep alive the spark of mercy

at was going on within her. Her face was pale, and though her eyes seemed to smile, there was a gleam far back in them that

She was slender, with a gracefully rounded figure, but as she stood there, her muscles straining, her chest swelling with the passion s

at defiantly in their seats, sneering their contempt of the teacher's wrath

fully as tall as Ruth. He was broad and muscular, and it was evident that consideration f

inued he grew bolder and more contemptuous. And now, having divined that Ruth would

is brother-culprit; "she's tryin' to run a whi

!" Ruth's voice came sharply, quavering with

th elephantine deliberation, and shuffled to the edg

nch, which she had cut only the day before from a tree that grew bes

my had been growing daily less amenable to discipline. But she had hoped that she

and her legs grew weak as she drew out the willow switch, she

but she had somehow dodged it. The force of the blow brought Jimmy against her, and he seized her around the waist and attempted to throw her. She brought the switch down s

movement, and she was not aware of what was going on around her, cente

t a big form had loomed close to her;

to you-you

two or three paces from her. His right hand was twisted in Jimmy's collar; and there was an expres

sting Jimmy after him by the scruff of the neck. There was something of majestic deliberation in Lawler's

she saw Lawler's large, capable right hand begin to descend upon Jimmy's anatomy. She gasped at fir

t the girl began to fear that Jimmy would be fatally injured. Jimmy likewise entertained that fear, for his howls grew more shrill, laden with mingled

upon the platform. What Lawler said to Jimmy, Ruth did not hear, so low was his voice. But

me, damn you; you

ould be "walloped" again if he did not make his escape; and

u; you locoed maverick

that he had gone to relate his trouble to his "paw;" and that "paw

Lawler's mind as he faced Ruth. There was noth

hurt you

me soundly if you hadn't come when you did. I am sorry it happened, but I ju

n't the best job in

tlety; and when she saw his eyes agleam with the whimsical humor that was always in the

he drooped her shining ey

o keep at it for

gan. But he paused wh

ou rode to town

rned. "The other is that I'm her

Gary Warden!

ore-two or three times. By the time I s

ngleton; or perhaps seizing the opportunity so suddenly presented to p

wler express any regret for the absence o

y, I reckon. If you're riding

ess with Gary Warde

urn won't have the her

he faint flush on her face betrayed her st

ren come back or not," she said. "And you mu

of their acquaintance, in fact-and she was deliberately refusing the happiness that was offered her-becaus

rdness and his hatred for the thieves who stole cattle-thieves like her father. She couldn't marry him, feeling that eac

yes to his as he drew the hand toward him. The hand lay inertly in his left; he covered it with his right and held it thus in

ths, when they had stood close together, they had felt the imm

y times. Her breath came rapidly, and the capt

e!" she protested

and for an instant longer, while he

h to tell me what it is. Some day-when you discover that nothing but your love means anything to me; when you realize

side-Jimmy's voice, high-pitched, carrying a note of savage triumph;

desk, where she stood, her eyes wide, her breath

to Lawler, who gri

s coming with hi

lders that seemed to droop with the weight of

le with truculence. His chin was huge, square, and sagging a little, his lips were in a hideous pout; a

s long arms were hanging at his sides, the fingers clenching and unclenching close to the heavy pis

Singleton,

ge. She started at the sound of Lawler's voice, amazed at the change that had come in it-wondering how-

eemed to come an appreciable lessening of the tension of his taut muscles. She marveled that the sound of one man's voice coul

houlders sagged further. A suggestion of a mirthless smile began to t

someone in the schoolhouse had walloped him, an' I wa

ed him, S

at quality that Ruth had sensed, softened now slightly b

gain. "Your boy was trying to 'wallop' his teacher. I happened to look in, and I had

even mildly placative. "I figure

n's face

igger to lic

ake the best of it. You and I have never got along well, but

ear that Singleton's rage was again rising. He must have noticed that the pupils had crowded around the door, and that Jimm

ton's anger; but at bottom was his old dislike of Lawler-a dis

of the man's ability with the weapon. There lingered in his mind at this minute-as it had dwelt during all the days he had known Lawler-the knowledge that

on; there had been times when he would have drawn a gun on Lawler ha

t Lawler's gun that he was afraid of, but something that was in the man himself-in his confident manner, in the level glance of his eyes; in the way he looked at

anticipate the movement; Singleton had become convinced of it-the conviction had become an

reposed at his hip. And that knowledge brought the rage surging back into Singleton's veins. He knew he could talk to Lawler; that he could say some

ad been on them when he had entered. If Lawler didn't go for his gun he need have no fear of him. For he was bigger than La

that had been hurled at him; "what I am here for is

on the business that brought you here coul

wler's hand did not move upward the slightest fraction of an inch toward his gun, and he laughed discord

seized him over the conviction that Lawler would not try to draw his gun; "I'm figgerin' on wallopin' you like yo

ed that the pin point of fire that had glowed in Lawler's eyes had grown larger, and that his muscles had s

t a right to be proud as she is. Lawler, you don't know her; you don't know what's goin' on over there at the Two Bar-Ham

. His fist had shot upward with the weight of his body behind it, landing f

his knees unjointed, his head sagging on his chest; came down in a heap an

his eyes agleam. Then when Singleton did n

s to life. Go out and send the children awa

e of pleading with him, and walked to the door, dragg

appened to his father, needed no urging. He ran, wh

ny, threw saddle and bridle on him and led

pony's head, she ran to one of the windows-a small one in the cent

azedly around, supporting himself with his hands, an ex

stern, seeming to wait for Singlet

ainly as he faced Lawler; and when Lawler advanced toward him he cringed

e; it was a whine,

n, Lawler; I wasn'

in and neck with blood. She remembered that while saddling and bridling her pony she had heard a sound from within the schoolhouse, but she

eached her. It was low

er tell that girl that you know her father is a rustler. D

in. Don't you ever buy another steer from Hamlin. Don't

er to know that she had heard. Once on the pony she sent the little animal rapidly away, toward the Two Bar-away from

ad thought to triumph easily; by a man whose pallid face and blazing eyes conve

t the great awe that had seized him. And as Lawler watched, saying n