The Trail to Yesterday

butte overlooking the Ute River, with Duncan, the Double R manager stretched out, full length beside her,

lope, forming the other bank of the river. From the crest of the slope began a plain that stretched for many miles, merging at the horizon into some pine-clad foothills. Behind the foothills were the mountain

ve the nondescript river weeds; the near bank a continuing wall of painted buttes-red, picturesque, ragged, thrusting upward and outward over the waters of the river. On the left was a stretch of broken country. Mammoth boulders were strewn here; weird rocks arose in inconceivably grotesque formations;

re-a clearing in a dense wood beside a river-the same river which she could have seen below her now, had she looked. In the foreground was a cabin. She entered the cabin and stood beside a table upon which burned a candle. A man stoo

m this day forth ... til

detail of it. She could hear her own protests, her threats, her pleadings; s

he dawn came she had heard him talking to the parson, but could not catch their words. Later she had mounted

earing, and the cabin. Beside them was the river. And there, riding slowly away over the narrow trail which she had traveled the night before, was the parson-she could see his gray beard in the white sunlight. Dry eyed, she

king moment of the month that she had been at the Double R ranch

would seem to mock her. For had not nature conspired against her? Yet she knew that she alone was to blame-she, obstinate, willful, heedless. Had not her father warned her?

o the Double R. See that you telegraph instructions to Duncan to meet me. It

e could be annulled, of course! it was not legal, could not be legal. No law could be drawn which would recognize a marriage of that character, and she knew that

ct, she desired? Mockers there would be among them, she was certain; there were mockers everywhere, and she feared their taunts, the shafts of sarcasm that w

ather announcing her coming. It had been brought from Lazette by a puncher who had gone there for the mail, and Duncan was at that moment preparing to drive to Lazette to meet her, under the impression that

in no conversation with anyone had Sheila even mentioned Dakota's name, fearing that something in her manner might

she was certain, for during the month that she had been at the Double R-riding out almost daily with him-he had forced her t

, for she had at times felt a certain reluctance in accepting his little attentions-such personal service as kept him almost constantly at her

herself studying him, as she had done many ti

ty-seven or eight. Besides, there were the lines of his face-the set lines of character-indicating established habits of thought which would not show so deeply in a younger face. His mouth, she t

d to talk about himself; he had been talking about himself all the time that Sheila had sat beside him reviewing the mental pic

nth now," he said. "How

it," she

icture, watching the shimmer of th

ntance-like the people." He flashe

ooking at him, but determined to ignore the personal a

you have seen?

ormed no

active in her brain that the latter had held no place for curiosity. Or at least, if it had been there, it had been a subconscious emotion, entirely overshadowed by bitterness. Of late, though her resentment toward Dakota had not a

boys, I like your sister, and I am not in the habit of telling people to their faces what I think of them. Th

Double R men. There are line-camps, of course-dugouts where the men hang out over night sometimes-but that's all. To my knowledge there are only two men with shacks around here, and they're mostly of no ac

ranchers,

ht not see the interest in her eyes, or the

that. But they're only nesters. They've got a few head of cattle and a brand

began Sheila

re rustlers-cattle thieves

a's cheeks; she turned a pale

men lived in the vici

re when I came and mebbe he's been here longer. Dakota's been here about

he Double R cattle, you

what I

you have th

aw to cover cattle stealing, except our own. And then we've got to have the goods. The sheriff won't do anything when cat

with the

catch a man with the goods and hang

catch these men, Dakota and Do

re too

atch them!" There was a note of angry impatience in Sheila's voice which caused Duncan to look

ral thing nosing out a rustler is a pretty ticklish propositio

s voice, scorn in her uplifted ch

ive as long as he can. I don't like them nesters-Dakota especially-and I'd like

onosyllable was pr

-not even the sheriff. There's something about the cuss which seems to discourage a man when he's close to hi

ow d

euchre Dakota. A gunman he was, from Texas, and-well, they car

was repressed horr

t of business. Dakota only mad

ased

desire to send the gambler over the divide; just wanted to show him that when he was playin' wi

with contempt. "So you are all afraid of him?" she

t that, if you come right down to the t

id of him, to

t," he parried, "but I ain'

e tops of some mesquite near by. She reached the animal,

she said. "I am going to express that opinion now. It is that, in spit

ed away to the Double R buildings in the distance. For an instant Duncan stood looking after h

t the Double R corral gate

ain't got no use fo

questioned, a smolde

rec

Duncan, her eyes flashing

Duncan, cha

idly toward the ranchhouse, leaving Duncan al