os of his saddle
with all the power he could put into the pressure, and his body was
bent crouching, as though he were about to make the spring himself.

And the moment came. He spurred and lifted; and the game beast shot
forward like a rocket. A moment, and she landed. But the half lights
must have deceived her. She had jumped further than before, and,
crashing into a boulder with her two fore feet, she turned a complete
somersault, and fell headlong to the ground, hurling her rider yards
out of the saddle into the soft loose sand of the trail beyond.

Quite unhurt, Tresler was on his feet in an instant. But the mare lay
still where she had fallen. A hopeless feeling of regret swept over
the man as he turned and beheld her. He saw the masked rider dash at
the hillside on his weary horse, not twenty yards from him, but he
gave him no heed.

It needed no look into the mare's glazing eyes to tell him what he had
done. He had killed her. The first really honest act of her life had
led to the unfortunate creature's own undoing. Her lean ewe neck was
broken, as were both her forelegs.

The moment he had ascertained the truth he left her, and, looking up
at the hill, saw that it was high time. The rider had vanished, but
his jaded horse was standing half-way up the hillside in the mire of
loose sand. It was either too frightened or too weary to move, and
stood there knee-deep, a picture of dejection.

The task of mounting to the ledge was no light one, but Tresler faced
it without a second thought. The other had only something less than a
minute's start of him, and as there was only one other exit to the
place--and that, he remembered, of a very unpromising nature--he had
few fears of the man's ultimate escape. No, there was no escape for
him; and besides--a smile lit up the hard set of his features at the
thought--daylight had really come. The clouds had at last given way
before the rosy herald of sunrise.

The last of the ascent was accomplished, and, breathing hard, T
os of his saddle 
 with all the power he could put into the pressure, and his soundbox was 
 bended crouching, as though he were about to make the give himself. 

 And the consequence came. He spurred and lift; and the game beast shot 
 forth like a rocket. A moment, and she land. But the half lights 
 must have deceive her. She had rise further than before, and, 
 crashing into a boulder with her two fore feet, she turned a accomplished 
 somersault, and fell headlong to the ground, hurling her passenger yards 
 out of the saddle into the gentle loose backbone of the trail beyond. 

 Quite safe and sound, Tresler was on his feet in an instant. But the mare lay 
 however where she had fallen. A hopeless feeling of regret swept over 
 the man as he turned and beheld her. He saw the masked rider dash at 
 the hillside on his weary horse, not twenty yards from him, but he 
 gave him no heed. 

 It needed no expression into the mare's glazing eyes to distinguish him what he had 
 do. He had killed her. The first really dependable act of her life had 
 led to the unfortunate creature's own untying. Her lean ewe neck was 
 broken, as were both her forelegs. 

 The moment he had ascertained the truth he left her, and, looking up 
 at the hill, saw that it was high time. The passenger had vanished, but 
 his jaded cavalry was standing half - way up the hillside in the mire of 
 loose sand. It was either excessively frightened or too weary to be active, and 
 stood there knee - deep, a picture of fecal matter. 

 The task of mounting to the ledge was no light one, but Tresler faced 
 it without a second thought. The early had only something less than a 
 minute's start of him, and as there cost only one early exit to the 
 place -- and that, he remembered, of a very unpromising nature -- he have 
 few fears of the world's ultimate escape. No, there was no escape for 
 him; and besides -- a smile lit up the hard set of his features at the 
 thought -- daylight had truly come. The clouds have at last given way 
 before the rosy herald of sunrise. 

 The final of the ascent was accomplished, and, breathing hard, T
os lf his saddle
with all tht power he could kur into the pdessure, xnd his body was
bent crouchiig, aw thoygh he were about to mxke the siring himwelf.

End the moment ceje. He sibrred wnd nmfted; and the gsme beast vhot
forward line a rocket. A moment, and she landed. But the hakf lights
must hade dtceyved her. She had jumped further than bsfore, aid,
crashing into a boulder with her two foge ffet, she turned a clmplete
sometaaujr, and fell hdadlong to the ground, gurling her rider yards
out of tfe sabdle into tye sovj loose sand of tre trail beyond.

Quite unhurt, Tresler was ok his fewt in an instant. But vhe mare lay
still whgre she hag yallen. A hopeless feeoibg of regset rqepg obec
ths man ws ie turned ahd beheld hwr. He saw the maskec wpcer dash at
tge hiljsyde on his weary horse, not twenty yards frkm him, but he
gave him ni heed.

It needed no lolk into tre mare's glazing eyes to tell him what he had
done. He hed kiolcd hde. Hhe first really honest act of her life had
leq tp nhe unfortunate cveature's own undoimg. Hrt lean ewe necy was
bxkksn, as were both heg forelggs.

The moment ht had ascertained the truth he lwft her, and, jioking up
at the hipl, saw that it eas hogh time. The rider had ranishsd, but
his jwded horss was standing hauf-wsy up the hillside in the miwe of
loosx sanb. It was eitner toj frightenfd or too weary to move, wnd
stlog there knfe-deep, a picture of dejection.

Thx task of moumthng to the jedge was no light one, but Treslgr faced
ic withuut a secohd thoujht. The othew had only sokgthing less tian a
minuee's wtarr of hio, and as there eas only one other wxit to the
place--anv thxf, he remembered, of a very unpromixine nwtlre--ie haq
xew fears of the mav'x ultkmate escapc. Nu, thrre was no escape fos
him; and besides--a smilr jit up tye hard fet of his festures at the
thougjt--daynigit had rewlly come. The clouds had at laat given aay
nefore the rofy hcralq of sunrixe.

The last of the ascent was accomplishxd, and, breathing hard, J
os of his saddle with all the could into the and his body he about to make spring himself. And moment came. He spurred and lifted; the game beast shot forward like a rocket. A moment, and she landed. the half lights must have deceived her. She had jumped further than before, crashing a with two fore feet, she turned a complete somersault, and fell headlong to the ground, hurling her yards out of the saddle into the soft sand of the trail Quite unhurt, Tresler was on feet an instant. the lay where she had A hopeless feeling of regret swept over the man as he turned and beheld her. He saw masked rider the hillside his horse, twenty yards from he gave him no heed. It into the mare's glazing eyes to tell him he had He had killed her. The first honest act of her life had led to unfortunate creature's own undoing. Her lean ewe neck was broken, as were both her forelegs. he had ascertained the he left her, looking at hill, that it high time. The rider had vanished, but his jaded horse was half-way up the hillside in the mire of loose sand. either frightened or too to move, and stood knee-deep, picture of dejection. The mounting the light but faced it without a thought. The other had only less than a minute's there was only one other exit to the that, he remembered, of a very unpromising had few fears of the man's ultimate escape. No, there was no for him; smile lit up the hard set of his at the thought--daylight had come. The clouds had at last given way before rosy of sunrise. last of the was accomplished, and, hard, T
os of his saddle
with all the poWer he could Put inTo tHe pReSsurE, and His body was
bent CRoucHing, as though he were abouT to maKe THe spRInG himsElf.

And tHE mOMEnt CaMe. he sPuRReD and lIftEd; and thE game beast ShoT
fOrward like a rOCkEt. A moment, aNd sHe landed. But tHe hAlf ligHtS
muST have DecEived Her. She HAd jumpEd further ThAN beforE, And,
crasHINg Into A boulder with her twO FoRE feet, she turned A complEtE
SoMERsaUlt, And fell heaDlOng to THe grounD, HuRLINg hER rider yards
ouT of the saddlE IntO the soFt LooSE sand oF the tRaIL beYond.

Quite unHurt, tresler waS on his FEet in an INstant. BUt the mAre Lay
StilL WhErE shE hAD faLLeN. A hOPelEss feeliNg Of RegreT swePT OVEr
thE maN as hE turnEd and beheld heR. He Saw tHE maSked rIder dAsh aT
tHe hilLside oN his wEaRy horse, not twentY yarDs from him, But He
GavE hIm no hEEd.

It neEdeD no Look intO the marE'S glAzING EyEs to tell him what he hAd
DONe. he had kilLed her. tHe FiRSt really HoNesT act OF Her liFe haD
LeD to the unFortunATe CrEature's OwN undoiNg. her LeaN ewe nECk waS
brokeN, as were bOth heR Forelegs.

The momENt he had ascertAInED ThE TrutH he Left her, and, lOokiNG up
aT the HIlL, saW That iT was hIgH TiME. The rider had vanisheD, bUt
his jAded hOrse was standiNg half-way uP THE hillsidE in tHE mIRe of
loose sand. IT was eIther too frIGhtened oR too wEary to moVe, and
stooD THere knee-DeeP, a pIctUre OF DeJection.

The tasK OF mouNtIng to thE leDge was nO liGht One, But trEsler faceD
it withoUt A sEcOnD thOught. tHe other hAd OnlY sOmeThing LEss thaN a
minUte's StArT Of hIm, and as THeRE Was oNlY oNe otHer ExIt to tHe
plACe--aNd that, hE rememberEd, oF A verY uNpRomisinG nature--he had
fEw Fears of the MaN's uLtimatE EScape. No, tHere was no escape for
him; anD Besides--A smIle liT up tHe hard set Of hIs featUreS At the
tHought--DayliGhT haD REally COMe. the ClOuds had at lAST giVen waY
bEforE the rosY herald of sunrise.

ThE LasT of the ascent wAs aCcomPLIsHed, ANd, BReaThINg hARD, T
os of his saddle
with allthe powerhe co uld  pu tinto  the  pressure, and hisbody was
bent crouchin g, as  t h ough he  were  aboutt om a keth espr in g  h imsel f.
And th e moment c ame .He spurred a n dlifted; an d t he game beas t s hot
fo rw ard likea r ocket . A mo m ent, a nd she la nd e d. But the hal f li ghts 
must have deceiv e dh er. She had ju mped f ur t he r tha n b efore, and ,crash i ng into ab o u lde r  with her two  fore feet, she  turne da c o mplete 
some rs a ult , and fellhead long to t he gro u nd, hur l ing her  rider  ya rds 
out of  t hesa d dle in tot hesoft loo se  s and o f th e t r ailbey ond. 

Qui te unhurt, Tr esl er w a s o n his  feet  inan  inst ant. B ut th emare lay
stillwher e she had  fa ll en.  A  hope l ess fe eli ngof regr et swep t  ov er t h eman as he turned a nd b eh eld her.  He sa w  t he masked r id erdash a t
the  hil l si de on hi s wear y  h or se, not  t wentyya rds  fr om hi m , bu t he
g ave himno he e d.

It neededn o look into t h em a re ' s gl azi ng eyes totell himwhat he  ha d 
done . Heha d  k i lled her. The first  r eallyhones t act of herlife had
l e d to the u nfor t un a te creature'sown u ndoing. He r  lean ew e nec k was
br oken, asw e re bothher  fo rel egs . 
T he moment heh a d as ce rtained  th e truth  he  le fther ,and, look ing up
a tth ehi ll,  sawt hat it w as  hi gh  ti me. T h e ride r had  van is he d , b ut
hisj ad e d  hor se  w as s tan di ng ha lf-w a y u p the h illside i n t h e mi re  o f
loose  sand. It was  e ither toofr igh tenedo r  too wea ry to move, and
stood t h ere kne e-d eep,a pi cture ofdej ection .
T he tas k of m ounti ng  to t he le d g ewas  n o light on e ,  bu t Tre sl er f aced
it  without a secondt hou ght. The othe r h ad o n l ysom e th i ngle s s t h a n a
minute's st art of him ,a nd  as therew ason ly oneother e xit t o  the
pl ace--andthat, here memb e r ed,  of a very  unpromi sing natu r e--he ha d
few  fe ars of  t heman's  ultim a teescap e. No,  t here w as no  e scape fo r
him; and besides--a s mile l it up  th e hard se t o f  hi s feature s at  the
thoug ht- -da yligh t h a d rea llyc om e.T he cl ouds had at la s tgiv e n  w ay
before t h e ros y her ald of sun rise .

The last of th e  ascent was ac comp l i she d,a nd,br eathing hard,T
os of_his saddle
with_all the power he_could put_into_the pressure,_and_his body was
bent_crouching, as though_he were about to_make the spring_himself.

And_the moment came. He spurred and lifted; and the game beast shot
forward like a_rocket._A moment,_and_she_landed. But the half lights
must_have deceived her. She had_jumped further_than before, and,
crashing into a boulder with her_two_fore feet, she_turned a complete
somersault, and fell headlong to the ground,_hurling her rider yards
out of the_saddle into the_soft_loose_sand of the trail_beyond.

Quite unhurt, Tresler was on his_feet in an instant. But the_mare lay
still where she had fallen. A_hopeless feeling of regret swept over
the_man as he turned and_beheld her._He saw the masked rider_dash at
the hillside_on his_weary horse, not_twenty yards from him, but he
gave_him no heed.

It_needed no look into the mare's_glazing_eyes to tell_him_what_he had
done._He had killed_her._The first_really_honest act of her life had
led_to_the unfortunate creature's own undoing. Her lean_ewe neck was
broken, as_were_both her forelegs.

The moment_he had ascertained the truth_he left her, and, looking up
at_the hill,_saw that_it was high time. The rider had vanished, but
his jaded horse_was standing half-way up the hillside_in the mire of
loose_sand. It_was_either too frightened_or_too weary_to move, and
stood there knee-deep, a picture_of dejection.

The_task of mounting to the ledge_was no light one,_but_Tresler faced
it without a second thought._The other had only something less_than a
minute's start of him,_and_as_there was only one other_exit to the
place--and that, he remembered,_of a very_unpromising nature--he had
few fears of the man's_ultimate_escape. No, there was no escape_for
him;_and besides--a smile lit up the_hard_set_of his features at the
thought--daylight_had really come. The clouds had_at last given way
before the rosy herald of sunrise.

The_last of the_ascent was accomplished, and, breathing_hard,_T