The Red Cloud chief., 1897-01-15

must start curly, In 10 get our
Job done in time to get back to a
comfortable dinner, but In reality, ]
believe. TO preclude the possibility OF
being followed. When we had fin
ished our breakfast, Brace, taking
the hotel.ma by the button. said
''Old pal, you hev got q stranger
staying in this house. ! reckon"
The man scratched his ear. looked
up and down, and then, at a jerk OF
his button. blinkcd up at Brace. aud
said
.'Waal. | allow | hcv."
"A wooden-lcggod stranger, l
thinkp'
The same shufling. and then
WAL, III allow he hev got q
wooden leg"
"a Niger. | believe"
.'Waal, "a niger accordin' to up.
p%carances."
81 kinder fancy he's in tho little
chamber over there. 'Twarn't u
swine | heard gruntin', were IT,"
You kin inspect him, il YOU like"
III will; after which hcf | take a
fancy to nailin' Of him up for four
a~nd-twcnty hours. for the same
number of dollars you will allow mo
the use of u hammer and some three
inch pints?"
IL will do that" said the man and
bargain, he went of to get tho arti-
Giles required. while Brace looked
into the room.
.'It's the same" sdid Brace. and
turning up his sleeves. he proceeded
to nail up the door in u business-like
manner.
II don't think he will trouble US.
unless he kin afford to make 1t worth
the old pals while to let him out"
said Brace, as we started from tho
house. lend even then he won't get
much of u chance, seein' as no NOR
tai mar can get down that hole
without a light, and we've got eyes
to see hef a light is ~follerin' on US
1t vas dark. despite the snow that
lay upon the ground. Brace led the
way with a pine torch. which burned
sluggishly in the mist that envel.
oped us. Lola. holding my hand
tightly, we followed close be-
hind Brace, who kept the torch low
to show tho nature of the path. new
crtheless we slipped and %floundcred
considerably in stepping from bowl.
der to bowlder-the half-meltet
snow rendering it impossible TO OBJ
tain u firm footing.
Under other circumstances, Loli
would have enjoyed the difficulties
: and laughed at our mishaps, but nov
she neither smiled nor spoke; some
times she would press my hand u lit
tie tighter--that was all the sig
{ she gave. We followed the cours
| OF the river, guided by the sound O
the rushing waters. AS we proccede,
the descent grew more and NOR,
, rapid, the stream forming a long sue
: cessiOn of falls. and. the light IN
creasing, the rocks and bOwlder
. about us became visible through tn
A., gray mist At length our progress
was stopped by a huge rock that ros
perpendicular before us.
heard beside the swirling an
: dashing noise in our rear a mufie
Q roar, that seemed to come from tn
very bowels OF the earth. / amos
tancied / felt tho rock vibrating III
r der my feet.
you're right" said Brace, when
d gave him my impression; .'end tn
: roar you hear Is that stream shootii
down thousands of feet to the DO
tom OF the great hole. II it arm
@ for the burned mist" he added. hole
d ing up the torch, which revealed b,
n a few feet above our heads of Oh
It granite wall by our side, YOU'D SC
r that we're standin' right betwee
o the two sides OF the divide we locke
o at last night. We air standin' rigl
+ over the canyon, with per'aps 70,
d or five thousand feet OF nothing u
der as, on u lump Of rock that's tur
"a bled down from up above, an
n wedged itself here. cause somethi
stopped its goin' furder. end IL {
d tremble, 1 allow. 1t amt solid! II
b moved q lump since ! knew it in Il
h old days. and one o. these days
h chunk from up above will come dow
and start it of for good an all"
IT fro BE CONTINUED
q