lmost at a gallop, making
the mare take the slopes often crouched back on her haunches with
forefeet braced forward, and sliding many yards at a time.

In between the boulders he darted, twisting here and there, and always
erect and jaunty in the saddle, swaying easily with every movement of
Mary. Not far behind him came the girl. Fine rider that she was, she
could not hope to compete with such matchless horsemanship where man
and horse were only one piece of strong brawn and muscle, one daring
spirit. Many a time the chances seemed too desperate to her, but she
followed blindly where he led, setting her teeth at each succeeding
venture, and coming out safe every time, until they swung out at last
through a screen of brush and onto the level floor of the valley.

CHAPTER XX

FULL DRESS

In the heart of that valley two roads crossed. Many a year before a
man with some imagination and illimitable faith was moved by the
crossing of those roads to build a general merchandise store.

Time justified his faith, in a small way, and now McGuire's store was
famed for leagues and leagues about, for he dared to take chances with
all manner of novelties, and the curious, when their pocketbooks were
full, went to McGuire's to find inspiration.

Business was dull this night, however; there was not a single patron at
the bar, and the store itself was empty, so he went to put out the big
gasoline lamp which hung from the ceiling in the center of the room,
and was on the ladder, reaching high above his head, when a singular
chill caught him in the center of his plump back and radiated from that
spot in all directions, freezing his blood. He swallowed the lump in
his throat and with his arms still stretched toward the lamp he turned
his head and glanced behind.

Two men stood watching him from a position just inside the door. How
they had come there he could never guess, for the floor creaked at the
lightest step. Nevertheless, these fantoms had appeared silently, and
now they must be dealt with. He turned on the ladder to face them, and
still he kept the arms automatically above his head while he descended
to the floor.

However, on a closer examination, these two did not seem particularly
formidable. They were both quite young, one with dark-red hair and a
somewhat overbright eye; the other was hardly more than a boy, very
slender, delicately made, the sort of handsome young scoundrel whom
women cannot resist.