Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1891-05-16
"Well, somehow-anyhow."

her an ardor Of spirit uncommon to his
| calmer temperament.
'sLet me think" he meditated. 1.-THE
| guards can't be expecting an attack from
the outside. They're only watching the
wagon to see that its inmates don't break
out. Mightn't l take one unawares
when the others were not too close by,
silence and down him by throwing
blanket over his head and SO give you
chance to slit the canvas with a knife?
If we had four horses ready we might
| get away before much of an alarm could
be raised"
''Ceuld you fight stronger man than
yourself? It would be better to let me
help you"
"The fellow might be stronger than l,
but probably not SO quick or dexterous,
for | am something of wrestler. Be-
sides, he would be caught at disad-
vantage And your part would require
all your time and presence Of mind"
They discussed the details of tbs plan
freely yet rapidly. Then Will went out
to get the horses ready. He found
where the two mustangs were tethered.
These and two other horses he saddled
and left at a point a few rods along the
road. Then he accommodated the prison
wagon. The guards were drowsy and
unalert. The rest of the camp seemed
to be fast asleep. He returned to the
tent. Deuce was pacing to and fro like
young tigrass in a cage. A knife
cleaned in her hand.
81 found it here" she said, "and it
seems sharp enough to cut canvas quick
ly. Here's strong and not very heavy
blanket for you to mufde the man with.
Can we do it right Off"
eyes," VIII replied.
They emerged cautiously into the
darkness, which had become as heavy as
rain laden clouds could make it, End
passed dozen tents and wagons in
which no signs of wakefulness were
given by the occupants. Suddenly Will,
who was ahead, drew Deuce back behind
q wheel He had heard the approach of
footsteps, and there was barely time to
ensconce themselves before Aleck Wiams
passed by so closely that they could have
touched him. Will left Deuce where she
was and stole after the man until he en-
tered his own tent. 1t was small one,
exclusive to Wiams' own use, and situ-
ated near by the makeshift jail. A light
soon glimmered within, and then the
watcher saw him fasten the opening to-
gether, inclosing himself with remark
able care.
Will dropped on his hands and knees,
crept slowly to the back side of the tent
and lay fat on the ground. The canvas
showed no hole through which he could
look in. He crawled all the way around
the tight structure without discovering
lesion in the cloth. He heard Wiams
astir within, and the position of the
lighted lamp was changed several times
At length. despairing of less risky de-
vice. viii took out his penknife and made
tiny slit. With one eye at the aperture
he looked in.
Aleck Wiams sat astride a trunk, on
which stood the lamp, while in his hands
he held a package Of treasury notes of
the same fraudulent manufacture that
had been taken from his two scapegoats.
He was irresolutely lingering them, as
though making up his mind with diff
Guilty what to do with them. When a
determination was reached he had to
summon all his resolution to carry it
out. He held handful Of the notes
over the glass funnel of the lamp, but
before the heat ignited the paper he
drew it away.
Wiams was compelling himself to re-
luctantly burn the remainder of his stock
of spurious money for fear that it might
be discovered. He had obtained it to
mix with cash to pay to his employees. A
little had been used in that way, and
| Detective Alloway had followed the
trail by means of these cautious outputs.
1t seemed the part of common sense to
make his safety sure by destroying all
the evidence of guilt rather than keep it
at his peril Again ne held the pack
age over the lamp and charring corner
broke into fame.
"Stop, you scoundrel!" Will Brown
yelled impulsively.
Wians' action was equally inconsider-
ate and instructive. He dashed the lamp
to the ground. But instead of putting
out the light he created vastly greater
one. The glass broke with an explosion,
and the oil was thrown over the mans
clothes. The tent and its occupant were
instantly ablaze.
A screech of fright and agony re-
sounded through the camp. The tent
famed high, and was gone like flash
of fireworks, leaving Wiams burning like
great torch. The oil had saturated his
garments and he was enveloped in fire.
The four temporary jailers ran hastily
to the spot Deuce Low was next. She
saw the burning man, and believed that
some mischance of the intended rescue
had delivered her father from durance
into this awful disaster. She had brought
the blanket from where Will had dropped
it on leaving her. She desperately
wrapped the wooden cloth around the
fiery object. Then other hands helped
and the flames were smothered, but they
saw that the man was dead, and Deuce
as well as they recognized him as Aleck
Wiams. Her father Rugged her, for the