Missouri Valley times., 1901-11-28
CHAPTER VII.
RIDER. GEtrS 4 SHOCK

And You expect me to believe all
this Narn?"
Il tell You its oil straight There's
the letter: It's n chance Chat comes
only once III n lifetime. | give You the
chance because you have lent hand
While l was used UP. Il will make us
both rich men,"
With their foreheads nearly touch
Ing. Obed Rider and 4 stranger We're
conversing in low tones in the formers
tent. They were not a handsome pair.
The seanian'S weather. stained Brutal
countenance was q fitting mate for its
companion, where the deep-set. color
less eyes, protruding check bones ana
shapeless mouth. together With a vul-
pine chin and tiendish eyebrows, de-
sscending to the nose In sharp arches,
We're natures warning to his fellows
Obed Riders hurts had proved more
serious than he had al first ina glned
The broken ribs panied him whenever
he moved, and he was almost helpless.
This man, who was known as Hank
Bowers, was a desperate character who
had lost his last ounce at the gaming
table. He attached himself to the
mate With a view to robbing him at the
first opportunity, but the latter. find
ing him to be utterly unscrupuious,
had decided to enlist his services in
his own schemes.
VII atuG very night rom l1nGSQ AT
Dyea he was making the offer. He
first informed his new friend that his
name was Avery, then showed the let
tes from the old miners partner, also
the Will drawn up on shipboard
The other laughed insoientlv in his
face as he went on and snccrcd:
Gene Off Do yer take me for u
fool? If You was digging gold in 40
you was at it blasted young!'
Rider Shronts hefnra his look aud ha
continued:
See here, now, old man. Give US y
straight deal. Them papers ain't none
of your'n. You've pinched' ein some-
whar. OF course. that's your business
an Yer amt obliged ter split on yerself.
l amt q man ter stick at trites. but I
don't so in With yer blind Now. in the
fust place. what's yer right namc?"
Having obtained this Information, he
continued:
"All right. Now. the next thing is.
how did yer get them papers?'
Rider dared not refuse to tell, but lie
said. sulienlN:
II took them from n young fellow in
Frisco
soh. YOU did. Now we are coming
down TO biz. He give EN- up fer the
askin'. l dare say"
No. growled Rider, Il Knocked him
over and took EN-
Good. And did Yer make q clean job
of it? Did Yer kill him.
Il don't know. He WAS alive the mex,
morning.
Know who hit him."
No"
Then you're all right, and Iii join
yer. But see here, Rider. If that is youl
name, there's one more To this than sef
think. You say there is one man up to
the place now besides the one that was
to come IN after the grub in the spring
Now why can't we run across this chap
on his way, and-we,l, he must be taken
care of. Then we can so to the place
where the gold is and look after youi
other friend. We shall have the whols
shootin' match to ourselves then
What's to prevent us stal<in' out claims
and layin' round loose, then se'in on,
for big money when the rush comes:
It's wuth a million apiece to u.s. man.
But what about these men?" whis-
pered Rider.
Bah! Yer chicken. They'll never
be missed.''
You mean to murder them?''
See here said Bowers, don't yor
be fool. This thing has got TO be
managed right, an it's lucky yer tool
me in. You'd spoiled the wnole
racket I'd like to see yer work il
alone
Riders heart failed him fer an In
stant, but II pun at the whisky bott!,
revived his courage, and for another
hour the two conspirators continued Il
plot against the lives and wealth o
their fellows.
They had decided to start at once OIL
their viilainous errand, and the follow,
ing morning they We're astir before day
light They wished TO avoid observation
as much as possible. and but few peo
PIE saw them as they loaded thei
horses.
Bowers was attending to this. whe,
Ohed Rider, who had been bringing tn,
goods 10 him, remembered that he hat
left some articles te dry on a sinai
bush not far away, and hurried afte
them.
BY this time 1t was broad daylight
and fires were being started in th
stoves here and there He was passin.
close behind one of these when sud
denly his heart seemed To leap into hi
throat, for voice he could not mistake
sounded clearly:
Hello. Green! You're up early, My
Amt l sleepy"
1t was Tom Scott's voice. and tn
mate stopped az though he had lee;
shot. CHANGING furtively over his shoul
der he saw the second mate in the ac
of lsindling n fire.
Even ms the guilty man looked Iii
shipmate turned suddenly toward hin
and started toward the entrance of tn
tent, while Rider turned his head away
but could not lift his feet from the spot
Hold on" said Green,
Rider dared not look up. He had bee
taksn SO completely by surprise that II