Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-08-05

"And if he don't throw up2" asked
Crandall.
why, then you let him have it.
The reward will be paid just the
same"
The apparent indifference with
which Lansing spoke of the entire
matter, much as if he were discuss
ing the best method Of hunting a
wild animal, shocked the young man
but he had committed himself too
far to Withdraw. Besides, he had
that feeling that all men have when
they are young-the curiosity to
know whether or not he could rely
on himself when danger threatened.
I'VE should strike his trail on the
hills here, if he is really headed for
the basin country" said Lansing.
They had been riding for several
hours in silence through the snow,
unbrolEen by aught save the scat
tered pines that here and there dot
led the mesa. Before them lowered
tle mountains through whose passes
The man whom they were after would
have to pass in his search for safety
in tie half settled wilds beyond.
AS the two men rode along, scam
ming in each direction the snow COW
cred mesa, Lansing suddenly whe,led
his horse to the right, and when
Crandall joined him he pointed to a
narrow trail where two horses had
passed through the snow.
That's him. Hes driving one
horse and leading another, and he
hasn't passed by very long, either.
See, the snow hasn't had time to
drift in it, said he.
With the discovery his whole de-
meanor had changed A new look
came into his eyes and his voice
sounded strange. He even grasped
his weapons in a manner different to
that he had heretofore displayed.
Hes right ahead, and we want to
look out" the older man continued
as they began to follow the trail. AS
they approached the sunniit of each
hill they would stop their horses,
and Lansing would dismount and
crawl to the top so that he might
look, without being discovered, into
the valley beyond, in order that they
might not come on the fugitive too
suddenly.
They had travelled this way for
several miles, when, refining in his
horse, Lansing pointed to what
seemed an old road leading off to the
right of the one they were following,
and said
"That's the cutoff into the basin.
/ thought he would take it, but he
probably doesn't know the country.
You had better take it and ride on
ahead until you strike the road we're
on again. Then, if you can't find his
tracks, you had better ride back to
meet me until you do. Twill follow
the trail up"
The young man tried to expostu-
late with Lansing for the great risk
he was assuming in thus following
the trail alone, but his companion
was obdurate, and cutting the argu-
ment short by again warning the
young man to be ON his guard, he
rode on, following the trail in the
snow, while the younger man, find
ing objection useless, took the ''cut-
off" road. He had no difficulty in
following it, and wondered why the
man they were in pursuit of had not
taken advantage of it. The whole
pursuit seemed almost like a dream
to him. The snow, unbrolzen save
by his horses football, stretched away
mile after mile in every direction,
with here and there pine through
whose branches the wind seemed to
sob and sigh, making the only noise
that broke the stiffness of the wintry
afternoon. 1t added to this feeling.
Not a thing in sight. He began to
depict in his own mind the manner
of man they were pursuing. He had
almost forgotten his name.
After all, what had the man done
that he, Frank Crandall, should be
seeking his bloodl Perhaps, like
himself, the man had mother and
sisters to grieve over any misfortune
that would overtake him. These
and a hundred kindred thoughts
passed through his mind The sun
was fast declining as he passed from
the "cutoff" into the main road
again. The air was getting chilly
with the coming of evening, and the
snow in the distance took on colors
of pink and purple where the rays of
the setting sun touched the noun
tain peaks, He scanned the main
road eagerly to see if the man they
were in pursuit of had passed, but
the snow that covered it was un-
broken.
Then he rode back ON the main
road in the direction from which he
had come, to meet his comrade and
the fugitive. He had just ascended
one of the many rolling hills when
in the distance he discovered a man
riding one horse and driving another.
At the sight his heart almost stood
still. He dismounted, and leading
his horse to one side concealed him
in a clump of young pines. Then he
returned to the roadside and waited.
The man was urging his horses for
ward, but th9y seemed to be wearied
and made but slow progress. Gran
dali felt his heart beat faster and
faster at the length of time it took
the man to reach him.
He examined his revolver and rifle,