Part 17 (1/2)

”And look as though I'd come out of a circus--no!” retorted Aldous ”I'm invited to breakfast at the Blacktons', Mac How the devil aet out of it?”

”Tell 'e funny in the appearance of Aldous' face ”Good Lord, how I'd liked to have seen you coht!”

Aldous led off in the direction of the trail MacDonald followed close behind him It was dark--that almost ebon-black hour that precedes suo disappeared in the west When a fewon the trail Aldous could just make out the shadowy forun when I juh the , Mac,” he explained

”There's another thirty-eight auto that, and the 303 with the gold-bead sight--and plenty of ammunition

You'd better take that forty-four hip-cannon of yours along, as well as your rifle Wish I could civilize you, Mac, so you'd carry one of the Savage autoo!”

MacDonald gave a grunt of disgust that was like the whoof of a bear

”It's done business all that tiood huh anyas I relooripped the other's hand

”You'll be there, Mac--in front of the Blacktons'--just as it's growing light?”

”That means in three quarters of an hour, Johnny I'll be there Three saddle-horses and a pack”

Where the trail divided they separated Aldous went directly to the Blacktons' As he had expected, the bungaloas alight In the kitchen he saw To breakfast Blackton hi-jacket, and puffing on a pipe, opened the front door for him The pipe almost fell from his mouth when he saw his friend's excoriated face

”What in the naasped

”An accident,” explained Aldous, with a suggestive shrug of his shoulders

”Blackton, I want you to doyou can think of--soh a indoith plenty of glass in it No the deuce can I explain going through alike a gentlehtfully for a moment

”You can't,” he said ”But I don't think you went through aI believe you fell over a cliff and were caught in an armful of wait-a-bit bushes They're devilish those wait-a-bits!”

They shook hands

”I'ain,” said Blackton ”But I'll play your gay Blackton joined theain the quick flush of pleasure in Joanne's lovely face when she entered the rooed instantly when she saw the livid cuts in his skin She caave him her hand Her lips trembled, but she did not speak Blackton accepted this as the psychological moment

”What do you think of a et mixed up in a bunch of wait-a-bit like _that?_” he deood joke on Aldous ”Wait-a-bit thorns are worse than razors, Miss Gray,” he elucidated further

”They're--they're perfectly devilish, you know!”

”Indeed they _are_,” eiven a quick look and a quicker nudge, ”They're dreadful!”

Looking straight into Joanne's eyes, Aldous guessed that she did not believe, and scarcely heard, the Blacktons

”I had a presenti at hilad it was no worse than that”

She withdrew her hand, and turned to Peggy Blackton To John's delight she had arranged her wonderful shi+ning hair in a braid that rippled in a thick, sinuous rope of brown and gold below her hips Peggy Blackton had in soure, a typical mountain outfit, with short divided skirt, loose blouse, and leggings She had never looked ht's rest had restored the colour to her soft cheeks and curved lips; and in her eyes, when she looked at hiht that thrilled hiot his telltale disfigurey Blackton were beautifully oblivious of them Once or twice he saw in Joanne's clear eyes a look which uessed very near to the truth

MacDonald was proolden tint, was just creeping over the shoulders of the eastern mountains when he rode up to the Blacktons' The old hunter was standing close to the horse which Joanne was to ride when Aldous brought her out Joanne gave hiy head over it Five on-road, MacDonald in the lead, and Joanne and Aldous behind, with the single pack horse between

For several h the thick ties of mountains They had travelled but a short distance when Joanne drew her horse close in beside Aldous

”I want to knohat happened last night,” she said ”Will you tell me?”

Aldous met her eyes frankly He had made up his mind that she would believe only the truth, and he had decided to tell her at least a part of that He would lay his wholeover the poht before, beginning with his search for Quade and the half-breed, and his experience with the wo--except all htly, not o very near to comedy