Evening journal., 1892-10-03
CHAPTER Y

"OUtl0Us and rcncgddcs'
TAYLOR had been deliberating and plan
ming since leaving camp, nnd be had
firmly decided to assassinate HCrsins.
Il was q golden opportunity. The two
were alone, far from camp, and who was
TO deny amy story be might ten when he
returned without his partner: With
HarE.ns out of the way he was the sole
pOssessor of the golden secret.
1aylor's change of demeanor should
have put the Englishman on his guard.
but it had The opposite effect The warm
ings uttered by Dess and Joe were for
gotten. and the man rep-oached himself
with the thought that lac had un1CsSy
accused orc who was that very moment
thirsting for his life.
Dinner being over,sTaylor wcs ready
for action. Ills face was pale, his hands
rambled and he could not control Lis
voice as he said.
''You examine that ledge over yonder,
while bear OF here 10 the right q Bit
won't go fa-."
Whitman "all right on his lips Harl,ins
Ghouldered his rifle and moved forward
without o look behind him. Reachiug
the ledge be leaned his gun against It
and began to investigate. He meved TO
the left and was at the corner Of the
mass and on the edge of gully or raviae
when he felt the ground giving way
under his feet. At tho samo instant Eo
heard TAYLOR twice shouting Indians!
and felt hot flash across his shoulders.
He went down ten or twelve feet with a
mass Of dirt and rock, but was not in-
jured by the fall Believing that they
had been discovered by Indians. he wisely
decided to remain where he was at the
bottom cf the ravinc until something
further was heard from tla savages.
Not % sound reached him from above,
He was sure he had heard the report Of
at least one rife as he was falling
and others might have followed IL with
out his hearing them above the noise OF
his fall. Had the Indians killed Taylor
at the FIST fire? Would they make
search for him? If Taylor had escaped
wouldn't he return after the coast was
clear?
For q full hour Harlins lay quiet il
the ravine, half buried under the dirt
AS nothing TO alarm him had occurred
he determined to crawl out and make Z
survey. 1t was only after he was clea
of the dirt that he discovered that Do
was bleeding from a flesh wound in th
shoulder. The bullet had scarcely en-
below the skin, and it was hurt to b
laughed at, but it settled Harkins
doubt regarding the Indians. Bot
men had been fired upon at the sam
time. He had been wounded and Tay
Tor had been killed
But if this was the case, the ma
speedily reasoned. why had not the u
dams searched for him? If alive the
would want to finish him or make hin
prisoner. If dead they would want hi
scalp. He could not make it out, an
after waiting % few minutes longer h
moved down the ravine to n spot whei
he could ascend the bank He worke
his way mp with great caution, and whe
he had a clear view of the ground aboN
there was nothing in sight to incrca'
his anxiety. lie had expected to hehol
Taylors dead and mudlated corpse, bJ
notling Of the man living OF dead m
his view.
Harkins kept his place of Observable
for quarter of an hour, and then boil
~ climbed out Of the ravine TO make q
investigation The first thing he sa
was his gun, which had been tuckC
away under q cedar BUSH He walk,
down 70 where he believed Taylor stoC
when hc shouted his alarm, and there
tho ground was q cartridge shell.
was nr0of that the man had fired fro
that spot and stood right there TO thro
the she'll ont OF his gun. If there Ia
been an attack he would have been
the move. Harkins was slow in reac
ine q conclusion. but he had arrived
the truth when he sat down and soil
quizca:
.It was TAYLOR who fired at me.
wanted mo ont of the way SO that
need not share the gold with me.
shot inst as ] was falling and he dar
not advance 20 see whether he had ma
sure lob or not. He hid my rifle
cause be means to go back to camp a
claim that Twas killed by Indians"
It was now midafternoon and Harki
was at least ton miles from the can
Having 10 kill as a woodsman. he h
trusted entirely TO Taylor to obser
lahdIrarks. and he now doubted If
even knew the general direction
which ine camp was situated. He G.
about for the highest point of groul