The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-12-20
(
! Capt. J. II. B.

far to the southwest.
What do you uppose it is?" he in
CURED.
THAT Is a signal! No fool would try
to cook with wet wood when there's
plenty O. dry ter be had! You stay
here and don't till I git back!"'
Without another word he strobe off
in the direction Of the smoke, which
seemed to be beyond a heavily coded
hill not more than a mile away. At the
right Of the hill stood a ragged rock
like a sentinel on duty, and toward this
reaching it and from its shelter he
peered cautiously around the outer cor
ner.
A party of men We're u%nsaddling their
horses near the foot of a high cliff, and,
as he looked, he distinctly saw q wom-
an among them. The twilight was
deepening fast, and he could not dis
tinguish any features, but he muttered
aloud:
If that don't beat all! I don't un-
derstand 1t nohow. I must know who
they be, an what they're after!"
With stealthy steps he drew neal the
party, sheltering himself easily behind
the boulders as he proceeded. Soon he
was near enough to be certain thai the
men were strangers to him, and he
watched the thick smoke with curious
ity. He did not see Joe Tarbox, for the
latter a disappeared before the
watcher drew near, but as the latter
crouched behind a rock he suddenly
uttered a savage oath.
Sold! Curse him.! He must have
been on to mel
For there before him stood the man
he had parted with on the trail, while
a fifth man was shaking hands heartily
with one of the party, his joyous shout
of "Avery!" being plainly distinguish
able.
For g few moments Hank Bowers
watched the preparations for camping,
then, apparently satisfied that the par
ty was settled for the night, he stole
noiselessly away, his evil face lighted
up with a look of triumph.
But Bowers found it no easy task to
retrace his steps. 1t was now very
dark, and as Rider had not dared to
light a fire there was nothing to guide
his companion, who stumbled about as
best he could, not daring to shout for
fear he might alarm the party he had
just been watching. He became hope
lessly lost at last and was about to give
up the search until daylight when he
heard a horse stamping. E-%
Confident there was no one but Rider
near him, he called softly, and to his
intense delight the sailor answered
from a point not twenty yards "a
"Is that you, Bowers?"
Yes" was the surly reply, as the big
miner reached his side, land I've had q;
nice time gettin' here, too. I'm
starved" 81
Shall I light a fre?" asked Rider.
I've got 1t ready, but I was skit-
fish about lighting it till I found out
what you had seem"
You don't light no fire here"
growled the other. We've got ter put
regular done for, we have!"
whats the matter?"
Matter enuff! In the fust place,
that Tarbox chap we see start for Dyea
has met a party an turned back. One
o. Their men Is named Avery
Avery"
The mates teeth chartered as he
gasped:
but I saw him buried at seal"
Rot! There may he more'n one
Avery in Their world Didn't that letter
say somethin' bou a man named Bill
that was to Gomez Course 1t did!
Mebbe it's the old chaps brother or
cousin or somethin'.
Then there's two young chaps that
looked k sailors an u young gal that
I 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 a big
cliff not more'n a mile from where
we're sittin' this mint"
THE young men must be Scott Inc
the second mate" said Rider. land
don't you see these papers are no good
to us after all u trouble? We can't
do anything now but give the thing up
and make for the Klondike. We've got
to get out
MAKE for %nothin'!" was the savage
interruption. Them men hev got a
gold mine right round here some
where's and I've as much right there as
they hev If I can only find 1t. I'd like
ter see en- dove me off. You can go
to the Klondike II yer like, but yer
don't take any O. this stuff with yer.
See 2"
Like most DULLES, Obed Rider was
easily cowed by a bigger bully than
himself, and he dared not make the re-
ply which am to his lips. Instead he
said:
but I can't join these men after TAX
ing these papers from Scott. There'd
be trouble" a.,
IT didn't say I was goin' to jine 'em.
Look here, Rider, are yer scared or
not? Here we are, two stout chaps
with plenty Of grub an the horses. We
knows jest whar them fellers are now,
an they don know whar we be. If
we keeps our eyes open thar's sure ter
be a chance for business. Will yer
stick ter me or not?"
"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.
He 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 infamed. 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 its work.
Bowers relieved him at midnight, and
as 500 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 Q car
till I get back"
Once more he made his way to the
boulder and took IN his station From