The sun., 1897-06-13

mr.
their blood viii be on your head" VI no.
Then l reckon, said the surveyor, as h.
tSchc and revealed tho iiy,rc Of jacE HI1 iT,mqs mus
that I'm about tho last witness that Nr, S,Onn
toc.Horncastie ought to call aud about the Ss,
witness that he ever Will Cnlll ""'
But he had not "a lcuatcl upon lhc icsnsr,
tlon Of stcptoo over the failure q this l,,t RopSs
sao F9T tIGGG SdoSPps up ha Inc he v@n 10
panions at the Divide" With hUnrsc rrvin r,'i
his Iol2wsTs he crashed hS .ms his pgkaN
sprang forward. Three or -four shots wcrc "u n,
changed. Two of his men fell a bul,ct t'mSS rS,n
ward on one knee He heard the s,,,l,s nt 'nr. n:
rcinforccmcnts with their wcauur, r",ris ins
close behind him, and rolled aside on w
sloping ledge to let them pass But IA, r,lins
too far. He felt himself Slipping dow, III
mountain side in tho slmy shpot of th,, tnn1T' "'
self, but tho treacherous drift Uf the loose dGbr.
rolled with him, MS II he were part ~ is rcfTsn
md, carrying him down, left him urcon,ci@e;;
sccond ledge 500 feet below. '"'
When hc recovered his senses tho shouts nm,
was safe. The ledge could only bc reached brneo
circuitous route thrcc miles away. Tie kn"s
too. that II he could only reach rotu, " on...
the stage road down the gentle s'npr Of ibo 10
mountain hidden in a growth Of halrbro,HH ia ia
on his hands and knees laborirlsly To the our.
crop; He did not look mp: since HI, pick had
STnshfSS into MTrshrf pr'hrn brain he had I'M o
That his revenge and comnensatio ion would CONS
later he never doubted He iimpGd ,nd crcpt,
slopine thickets until he saw the red road a few
feet below him.
II he only had a horse he could put miles b,.
tween him and any present p,r-uit, Why
should ho not have ono The rad was frs
ouented by solitary horscmon-- ers and Mcy
leans. lie had his revolver with him. what
mattcrcd tho life of another man II he csCnpeS
the consequences of the ono he had just takcni
,,Ipa rnIp O. liE .Ir,h
disappointment. But they had .scarrly passed
before another and more rapid clat,cr came from
their rear. II was lad ON horsehnck lie start.
He remembered in a fash how the hoy had
himself, his wound and his defeat from the lad
but the blind idea of escape was stil paramount.
He leaned over tho bank and callcr to him, Tho
nstonishcd lad cantercd eagerly to his side.
Give mo your horse, Eddy" said the father,
"Im in bad luck and must get.
The boy glanced at his fathers face. Mt his tat.
tered garments and bandnged leg, and read the
whole story. 1t was familiar page t" him fis
odd glitter in his eyes, said: take me With yon.
father. Do! You always did before. I'll bring
Desperation is ,superstitious Why not take
him They had been lucky before. and tho two
together might e3nfound S any description Of
Eddy, and then get up before me-
Behind, YOU mean" said the boy With
sSd steptoe harsy s do
you hoari And II anything In ppcns behind Won
don't look! II I drop off don't stop Don't 81
standf' he repeated almost savaGely,
Yes" said the boy TREMENDOUSLY.
as he passed his one arm round the bov's BODY
and lifted the reins. Hold tight when we
come to the cross roads, for we'll take 'hc frat
They were the last words EXCHANGED between
them, for as they wheeled rapidly 10 the left at
the cross roads. Jack Hamlin and Dcmorost
n fha
right immediately behind them. Jacks chal.
lcnge to " Halt!'' was only answered by Stcr'oe's
horse sDringing forward under the sharp lash Os
Hold up said Jack suddenly. laying nj,
to his. shoulder. :" He's carrying some one 4
wounded comrade. ! reckon. We don, wan,
him Swing out oo, and go for the horse well for
road and raised his rife. As it cracked Step
toes horse seemed to have suddenly struck soms
obstacle ahead of him rather than to have been
hif himself: for his head went down With his
lorGteet under him; and he turned hnlf,s9m"r,
feet away.
Stcptoc scrambled to his knees. revolver in
hand but the other figure never moved. Hands
up!" said Jack. sighting his own wcaron. Tho
reports seemed simultaneous. but Jacks bullet
laws pistol exploded harmlcssly in the air.
The two men dismonnted. hut by common in.
stinct they both ran to the prostratc figure that
"By God! IT'S q boy said Jack. leaning over
The body and lifting the shoulder; from which
as his pal. suddenly he started. and. to Dem
crest S astonishment. began hurriedly pulling OF
Look" said Jack. as he laid bare the small.
white hand. The two first fingers were merely
unsightly, stumps that had been hidden in the
Good Godi Van Loo's brother!" said Demo.
No" said Jack. with grim face. Its what
haye long suspected,its steptoes SON.
YES" said Jack: and he added after looking
at the two bodies @ with 2 lonr,drawn whistle q
ANYTHING of this to Barker"
"Whyi" said Demorest.
Well, returned Jack; when our scrimmass
was over down there and they brought the news
10 Barker that his wife and her diamonds were
burned ur at the hotel. you remember that they
Yes. said Demorcst; but what has that 10
of his sRo%ders Mrs Mrs Horn @tn wss ssfR X
mother of the boy that's lying there"
Two years later. rs Demorest and Stacy sat
before the fire in the old cabin on Mar,hall's
the door beyond the great bulk OF Black Spur 20
the pallid snow line OF the Sicrras. still ms "a
mote and unchanged TO them as when they hQd
the matter OF that, they themselves seemed 10
have been left so unchanged that, even row. 20
III the oiu uh!s' IL was barkcr Nol'c a. no
greeted them from the darkennE trail that
alone broke their reverie.
We'll" said Dcmorest chcerfully, your
usual luck. Barber boy for they already saw
in his face the happy light they had once seen
there on an evcntful night seven wears ago.
I'm to he married to Mrs. liorncrs''r nert
month";" he said. breathlessly. "and littlc S'a
loves her already as il she was his own mother.
Wish me joy
A slight shadow passed over Stacy's face. n,
his hand was tho first to grasp Barker and bis
voice the first to say" "Amcn!"
THE END.