Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-01-03
CHAPTER xI.-CoNr1NuED.


miner reached his side, "and I've had a
nice time gittin' here, too. I'm starved"
Shall I light a fre?" asked Rider.
''I've got it all ready, but was skit-
fish about lighting it till found out
what you had SEEM"
"You don't light no fire here, "growled
the other. "We've got ter put up with
cold grub tonight. We've been regular
done for, we have!"
| whats the matter?"
Matter enuff! In the fust place, that
Tarbox chap we see start for Dyea has
met party an turned back. One o.
Their men is named Avery"
"Avery!"
| The mates teeth chartered as he
gasped:
But l saw him buried at seal"
"Rot! Theremay be more'n one Avery
in Their world! Didn't that letter say
somethin' bout man named Bill that
was to come? Course it did, Mebbe it's
the old chaps brother or cousin or
some thin.
Then there's two young chaps that
looked like sailors an a young gal that
take ter be Avery's darter by the way
she stayed round him. They've routed
out the chap as wrote the letter an
they've all gone into camp under big
cliff not more'n mile from where we're
sittin' this mint"
! THE young men must be Scott and
| the second mate" said Rider, land
don't you see these papers are no good
| to us after all our trouble? We can't
do anything now but give the thing up
and make for the Klondike. We've got
good out"
make for nothin'!" was the savage
Interruption. Them men hev got n
gold mine right round here somewheres
and I've as much right there as they
| hev if / can only find it. I'd like ter
see 'em drive me off. You can go to the
Klondike if yer like, but yer don't take
any O this stuff with yer. See?"
Like most DULLES, Obed Rider was
easily cowed by a bigger bully than
himself, and he dared not make the re-
| ply which came to his lips. Instead he
said:
but / can't join these men after tax
ing these papers from Scott. There'd
| be trouble"
81 didn't say I was goin' to jine 'em.
| Look here, Rider, are yer scared or not :?
Here we are, two stout chaps with plen-
ty of grub an the horses. We knows
| jest whar them fellers are now, an
they don't know whar we be. If we
keeps our eyes open thar's sure ter be
chance for business. Will yer stick
ter me or not?''
Rider had little choice. He dared not
demand half the outfit his own money
had purchased, and was forced to sub
nit, so with a. show of sincerity he ex-
claimed:
"Of course I'll stick, Bowers!"
"All right. Now, you keep watch the
fust half Of Their night an call me for
Their last. We've got ter be movin'
bright an early"
In five minutes the hardened rascal
was snoring, while Rider stood guard.
Tie had no stomach for Bowers COM
pany now, and would gladly have left
him, but the miner had gained such an
ascendancy over him that he dared not
attempt to leave him now that he was
asleep. He had meant to assault Tom
Scott and take his papers, but his Gu
| pidity was inflamed, and he had been
| drinking then. He was, sober now, and
| the evident intention of his comrade to
attempt to bully or rob five, armed men
was quite another matter. Still, there
was no help for it, and he tried to steel
his cowardly heart to it's work.
/ I,
as soon as the first streak of daylight
| could be seen he aroused the mate and
said:
I'm off again. Stay here and keep in
under this hill as much as you can till 1
] get back"
Once more he made his way to the
bowlder and took up his station. From
| his hiding place he could see the diff
ferent members of the party as they
carried load after load out Of sight
among the rocks, but suddenly one of
the men mounted a horse and drove the
rest directly toward the hidden W watcher.
What's he drivin' at?" muttered
Bowers to himself.
AS the. rider drew near the miner was
forced to throw himself at full length
on the ground to escape being seen, and
he fingered his revolver grimly. Tar
box was too busy with the horses to look
very sharply about him, and soon
turned back after giving the animals a
| few sharp blows, which sent them off
at full speed.
Then he returned to his party, and
at last they had all disappeared from
sight
Bowers waited until he was satisfied
that they would not reappear; then he
stretched his cramped limbs and hur-
ried back to Rider, who was Impatient
~ awaiting him.
What are they doing?'' asked the
latter, eagerly.
They've turned all their critters
loose an hid away somewheres, - was
the reply. "See here. Rider, I've got a
scheme"
| "a scheme?"
That's what said. It's good one,
too Suppose you could find yer way
back to Dyea?"
"Of course I could. Why?"
I'm goin' ter tell yer why. Thar's
about a dozen good critters turned
loose. They're worth $500 apiece in
Dyea, / dunno but more You don's