The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1899-01-21

nrSt, came out OF the brush leading two
horses. one saddled. the other bearing
pack. The rising neon shed but
dim light along the mountain side; yet
Turner saw at glance that the ami
mas were the old mail-carrier's.
'They bit easy" said the shorter
man, with low laugh. There's no one
at camp but this. Now hurry"
The last arrival emptied the grips
and bags and selected whatever was of
value. He also took a couple of pairs
of blankets and all the ammunition the
boys had left behind them. Then he
began TO make Il pack of what he had
taken.
Never mind that" said his compan.
lon. 60 over and lay out all the grub
you can"
The tall stranger went to the cook.
tent. The other knelt down, laid his re.
volver on the ground. kept his eye con.
stantly on Turner. and made a roll of
what the first had put down.
When he had cnched this onto the
pack horse he marched Turner before
him TO the cook-tent.
The flaps of the tent were slightly
parted, but there was no light inside.
and everything was quiet. He stopped
before the opening. gave Turner the
bride reins and made him keep his
hands above his head while at the same
time he held the horses.
Hurry up with the stuff" he ex-
claimed, looking into the darkness of
the tent He waited a moment, and,
getting no answer. pushed aside the
flaps and started to enter.
But he had put only one foot inside
when the sound of a heavy blow was
heard, and with a muflled cry he fell
forward on his face.
Instantly McGinnis emerged from
the tent, and the surprised Turner saw
him drag out both strangers, almost to-
gether, and dexterously bind their
hands and feet. a new vigor had come
into the old mans frame, a new alert
ness. There were purpose and positive
ness in his every movement as he went
about his task.
at Turner. The latter suddenly came to
himself and put down Ills hands. Nc.
Ginnis took the weapons from his pris-
oners before they regained conscious
ness. and with Turner's help got them
into the sleeping tent. where there
re lighted candles.
IL never liked this ones looks" Nc
Ginnis said. by way of explanation. as
he wiped the blood from the face of the
man who had brought the letter. He
looks like he'd set a bait for you. an
that's why wint away an come back
unbeknownce to 'em. | seen 'em whin
| got to the cook tent. and whin they
come over | was waitin' for 'em wild
the bear-trap, the only thing | could
find"
Both men soon returned to conscious
ness, and after an effort to free them
selves they sat in logged silence.
In about half an hour several of the
searching party returned with our
pouch of mail, but most of the letters
had been opened, and many of them
were torn and almost destroyed. Soon
after. others came, accompanied by
three or four strangers. carrying a limp
form, which they laid carefully upon
one of the beds.
The prisoners looked on intently and
with unmistakable signs of fear.
Morton, our mail-carrier had been
shot in the back. and. though danger
ously wounded, was still living.
us he dead?" asked the smaller
prisoner.
At the sound of his voice Morton,
with convulSive effort. sat up and put
his hand to his side as if to draw his
revolver, but it was not there.
The men who had come back with
the party relieved the old cook of his
prisoners and took them out to civiliza-
ton. They were deputy sheriffs, part
Of large posse that for nearly week
had followed the trail of the two des-
peradoes.
The old mail-carrier. unayoidably de-
layed, had fallen in their way when
they were hard pressed for means of
escape, and they had shot him for his
horses. Then, learning from the letters
of our presence in the neighborhood,
they had played at n bold game to OBJ
tain provisions and had lost.
We felt that we knew McGinnis bet
ter after that.-Chicago Record.
Feeling the Earth's Pulse.