Part 4 (2/2)

The fight was done Seth left his cover, and, followed by the sheriff, went across to where the former's victim had fallen

”Good,” exclai Wolf---- What?” He broke off and dropped to his knees

But Seth was before hireat chief to one side, and revealed, to the sheriff's astonished eyes, the dainty clothing, and what looked like the dead forht, but Somers was the first to put it into words

”Tain't Jason's They're all grown up,” he said

Seth was looking down at the child's beautiful pale face His eyes took in the thick, fair ringlets of flowing hair all matted with blood He noted even the texture of the clothes And, suddenly stooping, he gathered her into his arhtful, dark eyes took on their slow sh, I'”

”How'd you know?” asked Somers curiously

”Can't say I've jest a notion that aways”

The others came up, but not another word passed Seth's lips He walked off in the direction of the track where the engine was standing at the head of its trucks And by the tihted down, for this prize of his was no infant but a girl of soine, and quickly discovered a nasty scalp wound on the back of her head Just for a moment he conceived it to be the result of his own shot, then he realized that the injury was not of such recent infliction Nevertheless it was the work of a bullet; which discovery brought forth a flow of scathing invective upon the head of the author of the outrage

With that care which was so characteristic of this thoughtful plainsman, he fetched water froe portion of his own flannel shi+rt, and proceeded to wash the wound as tenderly as h treated the pretty head, he found that his supply of shi+rt was nearly exhausted But this in no way disturbed hireat resource he went back to the prairie and tore out great handfuls of the rank grass, and so contrived a co on the foot-plate of the engine

By this ti from their search for the bodies at the ruins of the ranch The story was quickly told The reht have been expected, charred cinders of bone

There was no more to be done here, and Somers, on his return to the track, sounded the true note of their necessity

”We it back The, or I'o”

Then he looked into the cab where the still form of the prairie waif lay shaded by a piece of tarpaulin which Seth had found on the engine He observed the bandage and the grass bed, and he looked at the figure bending to the task of firing

”What are you goin' to do with her?” he asked

Seth worked on steadily

”Guess I'll hand her over to Ma Sa

”Maybe she has folks Maybe ther's the law”

Seth turned now

”She's mine now,” he cried over his shoulder Then he viciously aimed a shovelful of coal at the open furnace door

All his years of frontier life had failed to change a naturally tender heart in Seth Whatever hepassion it had no pros in his real nature The life of the plains was his in all its varyinglove for his kind under it all However, like all such men, he hated to be surprised into a betrayal of these inners, and this is what had happened

Somers had found the vulnerable point in his armor of reserve, but, like the sensible man he was, he kept his own counsel

At the saloon in Beacon Crossing the men were less careful Their curiosity found vent in questionable pleasantries, and they chaffed Seth in a rough, friendly way