bn and v. men.
"Yes, yes."* * ?y said, soothing I
gruffly. "Shore he did: shore you
didn't.. It'- al riuht. ( me along:,
come along."
Then?
' Tick lit ? - n up. He's had hurt,
himself. See that blood? No, *tain't
his arm, is it? He's bleedin* internal.
Whar's the h < ? I e ? Wait ? he's busted
something."
They would have carried me.
"No." I cried, while their bearded
faces s;vam. "He said *\uf* ? he shot
me afterward. Not bad. is it? I can
walk.*'
As they hustled me onward the
world grown curiously darkened, and
I dumbly wondered whether I was
dying myself. Across a great distance
we stumbled by the wagons and halt
ed at a fire.
"You're all right." Jenks appar
ently had looked me over and was
ministering to me. "Swaller this."
The odor of whiskey fumed into
my nostrils. I obediently swallowed
Hands were rummaging at my left
arm; a bandage being wound about.
"Did I kill him?" I besought. "Not
that! I didn't aim ? I don't know how
I shot ? but I had to. Didn't I?''
"?V'ou did ! He'll not bother you ag'n
Sue's yourn." ,
That hurt. I
"But it wasn't about her! He
bullied me ? dared me. We were man
to man, boys. He made me fight
him."
"Yes. shore." they agreed ? a*id
they were not believing. They still
had figured only as a transient occas
ion.
Then she herself. My Lady, appear
ed, running in breathless and appeal
ing.
"Is Mr. Beeson hurt? Badly?
Where is he? Let me help.'
She knelt beside me. her hand
grasped mine, she gazed wide-eyed
and imploring.
"No, he's all right, ma'am."
"I'm aii right. I assure you." I mum
bled thickly, and helplesr as a babe to !
the clinging of her cold fingers.
The group about me dissolved.
Jenks seated himself close beside us. 1
"Your arm won't trouble you," he
said. "Jest a flesh wound. You two
can eat pnd rest a bit, and if you set
out 'fore moon-up you can easy get
d'ar. We'll furnish mounts and grub
and anything else you need."
"Mounts:" I blurted. " 'Set out," ?
you say? You mean that I ? we ? ,
should run away? I'll not leave the
*ra:n ami neither shall >he. until the
proper time. Or do I understand that
you disown us?'*
"H '<1 m." -Jenks bade. "Tain't a
? juestinon of disowin* you. But
you've killed <?ne o' the Marmons. the
*vajr< n boss's son; and when he comes
in the h -rnir.' demandin' <-f you for a
?rial by his Mormons, what can we do?
We'l! 1 1 i k *. the chance . sneakin' you
"f" *h away, and facin' the old mon."
"I think we'd best g*o." I a creed.
"It's the nly way."
And it was. We were twain in 1
men * the outfit, and to each oth- '
or. ir -ep?; . We were yoked.
The f . ' a: t ailed. It tripped me
c?.:. \ly. I <"i.med to have bargained
r h? r with ti-* an<i bullet, and won
her: ? v I -? aid appear to carry her
a* : v v: a wife and a jaramb
!<r*- witV. Ye; such must be!
"Moon'll be up in a couple o*
"???".:r?." Jenk> said. "I'd advise you
? take an h -ur's -tart f i*. so as to
:r". away easier. If y i travel
?traisrht >outh'ard you'll strike the
?ta-j-v in the morn in". Wh< n you
>tati - ?n youT have eh ice
?ither way."
"I ha\e money," -he d: and sat
erect.
* ? >;t STg* *
For the first half mi'.e we rode
with- t a word.
W t i.er thought- ? r I misrht
n ? ?t l:r w. but they * heavy upon
her. el sinjr her throat with the tor
ture : vain, self-re? roach. That
nuun i sensed. But i ild j t re
a> ?, iter. My own thoughts were
s* ? :t v,.us as to crush me with aching
woe.
This, then, was I: somebody who
had ju?t killed a man. had broken
fi -m the open trail and was riding,
he knew not where, through darkness
worse than nunt. himself an outlaw
with an outlawed woman ? at the best
a chanc woman, an adventuring wo
man ? now the -poil of killing!
CHAPTER XI.
A BARGAIN FOR A WOMAN
At last Edna spoke in low, even
tones.
"What do you expect to do with
me, please?"
"We shall have to do whatever is
best for yourself," I managed to an
swer. "That will he determined when
we reach the stage line, I suppose."
"Thank you! Once at the stage line
and I shall contrive. You must have
no thought of me. I understand very
well that we should not travel far in
i ompany ? and you may not wish to
go in my direction. You have plans
of your own?'*
"None of any great moment. Every
thing has failed me, to date. There
is only the one place left: New York
State, where I came from."
"You have one more place than I,"
she replied.
Her voice had a quality of definite '
estimation which nettled, humbled,
and isolated me. as if I lacked in some
essential to a standard set.
"Well at home you will live com
fortably. You will need to wear no
belt weapon. The police will protect
you. You can marry the girl next
door? -or even take the chance of the
one across the street, her parentage
being comme il faut. Your children
will love to hear of the rough mule- !
whacker trail ? yes, you will have j
great tales but you will not ? mention
that you killed a man who tried to [
kill you and then rode for a night
with a strange woman alone at your
stirrup! Your course the safe
course. By all means take it. Mr.
Beeson."
"That I shall do, madam." I retort
ed. "The West and I have not agreed
I wish to God I had never seen it ? I
did not conceive that 1 should have
to take a human life ? become like an
outlaw in the night, riding for re
fuge ? *" And I choked passionately.
"You deserve much sympathy,"
she lemarked.
I lapsed into a turbulence of voice- ,
less rage at myself.
For a time our mules plodded with .
1
sundry snorts and stares as if they
were seeing portents in the moon
shine. Eventually their imaginings
dulled, so that they now moved care
less of where or why.
I could not but be aware of my
[compandor. Her hair glinted palely,
'for she r-de bareheaded; her Mor
mon g?>wn. tightened under her as she
sat astride, revealed the lines of her
boyish limbs.
She was a woman, in any guise;
and I being a man, protect her I
should, r.- far as necessary! I found !
myself wishing that we could upturn
something pleasant to talk about!
The d: 'oning round of my thoughts
revolved over and over, and I dozed,
and kept dozing, until she spoke.
"Hadn't we better stop?"
That was a curious sensation.
When I stared about, uncomprehend
ing. my view was shut off by a white
ness veilii.g the moon a; ve and the
earth below except immediately un
derneath my mule's h fs.
"Wi .it's the matter?" I asked.
"The : 2. I don't know where we
are."
"OV ! T hadn't noticed."
"I think there's any use in I
i i? :i i . _ n." she said. "We've lost our j
bearing."
4*Ye-. we'd better st ; where we ]
are," I agreed. "Then in the morn
ing Wt can take stock."
Sh? swung off be: re I had awk
wardly -..-mounted to help her. Her
limb.- tailed ? my own were clamped
by -fnf-i* ? and she staggered and
collai--*d with a little laugh.
"I'm tired," she confessed "Wait
ij . ? moment.'*
To really protect ,
paint must be good
all through . , ,
We sell the famous du Pont line of paints
and varnishes? made by the makers of Duco.
That assures you of results that spell real
satisfaction ? not merely when the paint. is
new, but for years after.
/,et us advise s jou hotc t/ou can Jo your job
most economically end most quickly. Come
in and see the new colors nou' being used by
fashionable intenvr decorators .
CAROLINA LUMBER &
SUPPLY CO.
Andrews, N. C.
BR1TTAIN & AXLEY
Murphy, N. C.
"You stay where you ure.'M order
ed, statrjrerinir also as I hastily land- 1
ed. "I'll make camp."
But she would have none v?f that;
pleaded my one-handed ness and in
I sisted upon cooperating at the mules.
The animals were staked out. fell to
j nibbling;.
I sought a spot for our beds; laid
I down a buffalo robe fo?* her and plac
i>d her saddle as her pillow. She =ank
with a sigh. tucking her skirt under
her. and I folded her robe over.
Her face gazed up at me; shv ex
tended her hand.
"You are very kind, sir," she >irid,
in a smile that pathetically curved her
! lips. There, at my kiicvs, she locked
so worn, so slight, so childish, so in
(Continued on page 3)
Hupmobiles Advance
SHATTERING SALES RECORDS
The month of March just closed registers
important new sales records in the Hup
mohile business.
These impressive facts are presented for
the guidance of intending buyers of motor
cars. They clearly show that the H up
mobile Eight is extending its inroads into
the field of higher-priced sixes, and in
creasing its leadership among the eights;
while the Hupmobile Six, the closest
priced Six in America, is rising still higher
in public favor.
See these cars. Drive them. Ride in them.
Nineteen beautiful body styles.
During the month Hupmobile had:?
1
2
3
4
The largest single day's shipment of
Eights to a single distributor ' ?
Largest number of cars shipped in
any one month to a single distributor
The largest single week's shipment
from the factory ? ? ? ? ?
March shipments from the factory
larger than March, 1926 ? ? ?
February, 1927 shipments greater than
February, 1926 ? ? ? * ?
79
723
1371
4957
4106
cars
cars
cars
cars
cars
Hupmobile Eight ? Fourteen Distinguished Body Types ? priced from $19^5 to $57 95
f 0. b. Detroit, plus revenue tax. Custom Bodies designed and built by Dietrich.
r r t
Hupmobile Six ? Sedan, five. passenger, four-door, S13S5. Brougham, fife-pas
senger, tuo-door, $7385. Coupe, two -passenger, with rumble seat, $i$8y Roadster,
with rumble seat, S1385. Touring, five-passenger, $1325. AU
prices f o. b. Detroit, plus revenue tax.
HUPMOBILE
EIGHTS AND SIXES
G. W. COVER
ANDREWS, N. C.