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stupefied。 Then a faint tinge of red colored his ghastly cheeks。
〃A girl！ 。 。 。 Whywhy 'scuse me； miss。 II took youfor a boy。〃
He seemed so astounded； he looked so ashamed； so scared； and withal； so
haggard and weak； that Lucy immediately recovered her equanimity。
〃Sure I'm a girl。 But that's no matter。 。 。 。 You've been thrown。 Are you
hurt？〃
He smiled a weak assent。
〃Badly？〃 she queried。 She did not like the way he layso limp； so motionless。
〃I'm afraid so。 I can't move。〃
〃Oh！ 。 。 。 What shall I do？〃
〃Can youget me water？〃 he whispered； with dry lips。
Lucy flew to her horse to get the small canteen she always carried。 But that
had been left on her saddle； and she had ridden Van's。 Then she gazed around。
The wash she had crossed several times ran near where the rider lay。 Green
grass and willows bordered it。 She ran down and； hurrying along； searched for
water。 There was water in places； yet she had to go a long way before she
found water that was drinkable。 Filling her sombrero； she hurried back to the
side of the rider。 It was difficult to give him a drink。
〃Thanks； miss；〃 he said； gratefully。 His voice was stronger and less hoarse。
〃Have you any broken bones？〃 asked Lucy。
〃I don't know。 I can't feel much。〃
〃Are you in pain？〃
〃Hardly。 I feel sort of thick。〃
Lucy； being an intelligent girl； born in the desert and used to its needs； had
not often encountered a situation with which she was unable to cope。
〃Let me feel if you have any broken bones。 。 。 。 THAT arm isn't broken； I'm
positive。〃
The rider smiled faintly again。 How he stared with his strained； dark eyes！
His face showed ghastly through the thin； soft beard and the tan。 Lucy found
his right arm badly bruised； but not broken。 She made sure his collar…bones
and shoulder…blades were intact。 Broken ribs were harder to locate； still； as
he did not feel pain from pressure； she concluded there were no fractures
there。 With her assistance he moved his legs； proving no broken bones there。
〃I'm afraid it's myspine；〃 he said。
〃But you raised your head once；〃 she replied。 〃If your back was was broken
or injured you couldn't raise your head。〃
〃So I couldn't。 I guess I'm just knocked out。 I waspretty weak before
Wildfire knocked meoff Nagger。〃
〃Wildfire？〃
〃That's the red stallion's name。〃
〃Oh； he's named already？〃
〃I named himlong ago。 He's known on many a range。〃
〃Where？〃
〃I think far north of here。 Itrailed himdaysweeksmonths。 We crossed
the great canyon〃
〃The Grand Canyon？〃
〃It must be that。〃
〃The Grand Canyon is down there；〃 said Lucy； pointing。 〃I live on it。 。 。 。
You've come a long way。〃
〃Hundreds of miles！ 。 。 。 Oh； the ground I covered that awful canyon country！
。 。 。 But I stayed with Wildfire。 An' I put a rope on him。 An' he got away。 。
。 。 An' it was a boynoa GIRL whosaved him for mean' maybe saved my
life； too！〃
Lucy looked away from the dark； staring eyes。 A light in them confused her。
〃Never mind me。 You say you were weak？ Have you been ill？〃
〃No； miss。 just starved。 。 。 。 I starved on Wildfire's trail。〃
Lucy ran to her saddle and got the biscuits out of the pockets of her coat；
and she ran back to the rider。
〃Here。 I never thought。 Oh； you've had a hard time of it！ I understand。 That
wonderful flame of a horse！ I'd have stayed； too。 My father was a rider once。
Bostil。 Did you ever hear of him？〃
〃Bostil。 The nameI've heard。〃 Then the rider lay thinking； as he munched a
biscuit。 〃Yes； I remember； but it was long ago。 I spent a night with a
wagon…train； a camp of many men and women； religious people； working into
Utah。 Bostil had a boat at the crossing of the Fathers。〃
〃Yes； they called the Ferry that。〃
〃I remember well now。 They said Bostil couldn't count his horses that he was
a rich man； hard on ridersan' he'd used a gun more than once。〃
Lucy bowed her head。 〃Yes； that's my dad。〃
The rider did not seem to see how he had hurt her。
〃Here we are talkingwasting time；〃 she said。 〃I must start home。 You can't
be moved。 What shall I do？〃
〃That's for you to say； Bostil's daughter。〃
〃My name's Lucy；〃 replied the girl； blushing painfully； 〃I mean I'll be glad
to do anything you think best。〃
〃You're very good。〃
Then he turned his face away。 Lucy looked closely at him。 He was indeed a
beggared rider。 His clothes and his boots hung in tatters。 He had no hat； no
coat； no vest。 His gaunt face bore traces of what might have been a fine；
strong comeliness； but now it was only thin； worn； wan； pitiful； with that
look which always went to a woman's heart。 He had the look of a homeless
rider。 Lucy had seen a few of his wandering type； and his story was so plain。
But he seemed to have a touch of pride； and this quickened her interest。
〃Then I'll do what I think best for you；〃 said Lucy。
First she unsaddled the black Nagger。 With the saddle she made a pillow for
the rider's head； and she covered him with the saddle blanket。 Before she had
finished this task he turned his eyes upon her。 And Lucy felt she would be
haunted。 Was he badly hurt； after all？ It seemed probable。 How strange he was！
〃I'll water the horsesthen tie Wildfire here on a double rope。 There's
grass。〃
〃But you can't lead him；〃 replied the rider。
〃He'll follow me。〃
〃That red devil！〃 The rider shuddered as he spoke。
Lucy had some faint inkling of what a terrible fight that had been between man
and horse。 〃Yes； when I found him he was broken。 Look at him now。〃
But the rider did not appear to want to see the stallion。 He gazed up at Lucy；
and she saw something in his eyes that made her think of a child。 She left
him； had no trouble in watering the horses； and haltered Wildfire among the
willows on a patch of grass。 Then she returned。
〃I'll go now；〃 she said to the rider。
〃Where？〃
〃Home。 I'll come back to…morrow； early； and bring some one to help you〃
〃Girl； if YOU want to help me morebring me some bread an' meat。 Don't tell
any one。 Look what a ragamuffin I am。 。 。 。 An' there's Wildfire。 I don't want
him seen till I'mon my feet again。 I know riders。 。 。 。 That's all。 If you
want to be so goodcome。〃
〃I'll come；〃 replied Lucy； simply。
〃Thank you。 I owe youa lot。 。 。 。 What did you say your name was？〃
〃LucyLucy Bostil。〃
〃Oh； I forgot。 。 。 。 Are you sure you tied Wildfire good an' tight？〃
〃Yes； I'm sure。 I'll go now。 I hope you'll be better to…morrow。〃
Lucy hesitated； with her hand on the King's bridle。 She did not like to leave
this young man lying there helpless on the desert。 But what else could she do？
What a strange adventure had befallen her！ At the following thought that it
was not yet concluded she felt a little stir of excitement at her pulses。 She
was so strangely preoccupied that she forgot it was necessary for her to have
a step to mount Sage King。 She realized it quickly enough when she attempted
it。 Then she led him off in the sage till she found a rock。 Mounting； she
turned him straight across country； meaning to cut out miles of travel that
would have been necessary along her back…trail。 Once she looked back。 The
rider was not visible； the black horse； Nagger； was out of sight； but
Wildfire； blazing in the sun； watched her depart。
CHAPTER IX
Lucy Bostil could not control the glow of strange excitement under which she
labored； but she could put her mind on the riding of Sage King。 She did not
realize； however； that she was riding him under the stress and spell of that
excitement。
She had headed out to make a short cut； fairly sure of her direction； yet she
was not unaware of the fact that she would be lost till she ran across her
trail。 That might be easy to miss and time was flying。 She put the King to a
brisk trot； winding through the aisles of the sage。
Soon she had left the monument region and was down on the valley floor again。
From time to time she conquered a desire to look back。 Presently she was
surprised and very glad to ride into a trail where she saw the tracks she had
made coming out。 With much relief she turned Sage King into this trail； and
then any anxiety she had felt left her entirely。 But that did not mitigate her
excitement。 She eased the King into a long； swinging lope。 And as he warmed to
the work she was aroused also。 It was hard to hold him in； once he got out of
a trot； and after miles and miles of this； When she thought best to slow down
he nearly pulled her arms off。 Still she finally got him in hand。 Then
followed miles of soft and rough going； which seemed long and tedious。 Beyond
that was the home stretch up the valley； whose gradual slope could be seen
only at a distance。 Here was a straight； broad trail； not too soft nor too
hard； and for all the years she could remember riders had tried out and
trained their favorites on that course。
Lucy reached down to assure herself that the cinch was tight； then she pulled
her sombrero down hard； slackened the bridle； and let the King go。 He simply
broke his gait； he was so surprised。 Lucy saw him trying to look back at her；
as if he could not realize that this young woman rider had given him a free
rein。 Perhaps one reason he disliked her had been always and everlasting