The Trail to Yesterday

t to Dakota he might not have ridden away from the latter's

ke him into his confidence should any aggressive movement be contemplated. He had even expected to be allowed to plan the details of the

he referred to the nester, and his silence had nettled Duncan. Langford had ignored his hints, had returned monosyllabic repli

morning following his conversation with Langford about Dakota, certain that the Double R owner would speak, but when after breakfast the next morning L

boulders-never once making the mistake of appearing on the skyline. And when Langford was sitting on the box in front of Dakota's cabi

t the two had reached some sort of an understanding. That their conversation and subsequent agreement concerned Doubler he had little doubt either, for fresh in his mind was a recollection of his conversatio

day he rode in to the ranchhouse to find that Langford had gone out riding with Sheila. Morose, sullen, Duncan again rode abroad, returning with the dus

ing with a plea for justice for the latter. For the first time during all the time she had known Langford she had seen an angry intolerance in his eyes, and though

uld regret to find that you are i

he persisted, determined to do her best t

ll get the consideration he deserves," he said shortly

t it would resemble its original shape, but never again would it appear the same in her eyes. She had received a glimpse of her father's real character; she saw the merciless

l and began to replace them. Piece by piece she fitted them together, cementi

line of conduct toward her fellow men, and as a consequence her sympathies were broad and tender. In business, though, she supposed, it must be different. There mind must rule. It was a struggle in which the kee

racter Sheila longed for something to take her mind out of the darkness. A recollection of Duncan's jealousy, which he had exhibited on the day that she had related the story of her res

ome fir-balsams on a slope several miles down

beginning to like t

grows into one. If you ever go back East you will never be contented-you'll

ant mockery so plain in her eyes

ht to begin to like u

e some of the peo

e said, his face

don't believe that I like you-so very well.

ken," he challenged. "

scued me from the quicksand? Well," she continued, noting his nod and the frown which accompanied it,

ten if he had ever acted that way, and she did n

of the people," said Duncan presently. "

ze when he looked up. "There's Ben Doubler. He seems to be a very nice old man. And"-Duncan looked at her a

side of the river. What strange fatality had linked her sympathies and admiration with his enemies? A

tion and pressed

isn't he? An odd o

, if they'd been around. I reckon that's what makes him 'attractive' in your eyes. On the ot

eard of the story, he met Blanca in Lazette, ordered him to leave, and when he didn't go he shot him. I understand that that is the code in

discovered that defending him gave her a thrill of satisfaction, though she assured herself that t

tells about it. A lot of people in this country don't believe Dakota's story. They believe what I believe, that Dakota and Blanca were in partnership on that d

dn't you? The day you went over after the calves? You had quit

ned. "Who told you

he heard of you repeating your suspicions to anyone, he would do somethi

u that?" rep

," returned Shei

nd me, and so what he says don't amount to much." He laughed oddly. "It's strange to think how thick you are with Doubler," he said. "I understand that your dad and Doubler ain

bject upon which Sheil

said. "I presume that father is able to take care

ing his manager. Perhaps he had even told her of his visit to Dakota; perhaps there had been more than one visit and Sheila had accompanied him. Undoubtedly, he told himself, Sheila's admirat

after he had regained sufficient contro

er skirts with her riding whip, and her ma

n riding with your

Duncan's question, however, she realized that there had been a subtle unde

Do you mean that fathe

'm meaning

was raised a little as she turned from him and gave her attentio

for she resented Duncan's apparent desire to interfere. "I told you

in telling her this, but unable to control his resentment over the slight which had been imposed on him by Langford, a

a quickly, unable to

ford's visit to Dakota concerned Doubler. Equivocation would have taken him safely away from the pitfall into which his rash words had almost plunged him, but he felt that any evasion now would only bring scorn into the eyes which he wishe

ng to me about gun-men. I told him th

s-they were turned toward the slumberous plains that stretched away into the distance on the other side of the river. But Duncan knew that he had scored, and was not bothered ov

. "How do you know that Dakot

er lips, straight and whi

-that he has been running his branding iron on other folks' cattle. I've told you that he worked a crooked deal on me, and then sent Blanca over the divide when he thought there was a chance of Blanca givi

that myself. He wouldn't try to run Doubler off himself-that's too dangerous a business for him to undertake. Not wanting to take the chance himself he hires someone else. Who? Dakota's the only gunman ar

er Doubler-a laugh full of scorn and mockery. Yet in her eyes, which were wide with horror, and in

evil light which was now thrown on Dakota through Duncan's deductions, she felt confident that Dakota would not become a party to a plot in which the murder of a man was deliberately planned. He had wronged her and he had killed a man, but at the quicksand crossing that day-despite the rage which had been in her heart against him-she had s

hat he feared Dakota-at the least did not like him. Ben Doubler had given her a different version of the trouble between Dakota and Duncan; how Duncan had accused Dakota of stealing the Double R calves, and how in the presence of Duncan's

to force another man to apologize to him in the face of great odds, would, or could, be so entirely base as to plan to murder a poor, unoffending old man in

ed over his teeth in a snarl, she could see the bitterness that

villy. "You'll know more

ace as she rode, but looking back at the distance of a hundred yards, she saw that he did not intend to follow her. He was still sitting whe