Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-01-02

Nearer and nearer he crept until Il
could hear the heavy breathing of tn
occupants. and for fully five minuues II
stood motionless, every sense on th
alert.
Apparently the entire party wa
asleep, and with noiseless step he stol
past the two tents and fixed his eyes OF
the opening of the cave. Twice since hi
arrival he had managed to peep insid
unobserved, and only that morning h
had seen the pile of fat canvas bags Oh
the ground to the left. He had also no
ticed that the boughs and blankets up
on which Avery and his daughter slep
We're on the opposite side.
Now he was within ten feet of tn
entrance, and after a last swift ganc
at the tents behind him he dropped t,
his knees and crawled deliberately III
to it,
Again he paused.
Yes, they We're both asleep. lie coule
hear the longdrawn breathing at TIL,
right, and plainly distinguish that o
the father from his daughter.
Then, like some huge black spider, h,
crawled into the inly darkness, anl
was lost to View.
Inch by inch he advanced. guiding
himself by the glimpscs he had fixed II
his mind of the place, until his hand
rested on the treasure. The bags wers
heavy, and he moved them With dill
Guilty in his recumbent position, but hi
had come prepared.
Thrusting his hand into his bosom. he
produced II short, thick thong. with
which he fastened two of the larges,
together pausing often TO be certain
he had not disturbed the sleepers.
When this WAS done he hung then
over his neck in such manner thai
they swung clear from the floor. His
next move was to stuff two small bags
into his shirt. Then. with infinite pa
thence he worked his way back to Inc
door and through it.
His breath came hard as he reached
the open air. for the strain had been
tremendous. Detection meant almost
certain death, and even his iron nerve
had not been proof against the situa
tinn.
When he had somewhat recovered, he
crept slowly by the tents. until salts
fed that all iInuediate danger, MS
past. Then he rose TO his feet. and
hurried down the bed of the old braol.
until he reached the top of the bowler.
II was the work Of u moment To ras-
ten his plumber to q rope and lower II
down. at the same time Whispering
loudly to his coniederate:
Are YOU there Ridcr9',
YES, came the answer. what is
HII IlilS
Gold, you fool." Missed Bowers
Lash 1T on one of the critters, quick .
For moment he hcSitated Should
he join his partner and make good his
escspeo
apparently cupidlty won the day, FOR
lie BEGAN to retracta his steps toward tie
cave HIS FIRST suceess had made h,n
more confident. ana he was Well aware
that he had liot secured half the ,.tgs
again ha reached the entrance With
OFT noise and crawled to The spot
Were the gold vas piled AGAINST Inc
wal. This time We could only stuff tsyo
81 three small bags inside his bucNsi,in
shirt and grip one III his teeth.
lie reached the apen air safely and
was just rising tn IDS feet when Avery
appeared In the mouth of the cave, re
volver in hand Shouting:
robher."
But before the words were fairly out
OF his mouth Bowers had dropped the
bag which he had brought out iii his
teeth like a retriever and ssp1ang asva;-
In full flight
Crack, Crack,
lie heard the bullets sing over hts
head.
AS he dashed iv the tents 81 man
dal,ted out with suspicious prornptitu.l.
nnd fred apparently p9intblank at Its
back, but niissad Kim.
4 few secoiis more and he had
reached the rocky cieft and dalted out
OF sight. IpoNsn The rope ladder be
scrambled, then with great presence Of
mind he stopped laiag enough to JERK il
free from the spua above so that it fell
at his feet.
Rider had rot vet returned from his
Il
along the passage until he emerged
upon the plain.
Running quickly to the horses, whore
Rider was at work. he cried.
Jump up Jump lively an let's git
out O this, Nanlose."
He set the example BY throwing him
self on one of the horses and Selling tho
birdie of the ono upon which Rider had
been carefully securing tho stolen gotd
The latter needed no eecand Invitation
and Il moment later they We're hulryines
the beasts along the back trail as rap.
Idly as the poor light and the nature OF
the ground would permit
For fully two hours they made their
way in silence except for an occasional
oath from Towers at the unevenness OF
the route, then, apparently reasslrea
he exclained:
This is the biggest nights work one
man ever did in this ere country.
Rider. took long chances an / won
out. 1T was /, great plant"
How did you manage it?" asked
Rider, eagerly. rs 1t all gold In them
bags?"
at amt nothing esei"
With great pride he now narrated TO
his companion TIL. whole vil)aino,ls
scheme, and then added. complaccntly.
''All they've got to do is Ter dig our
some more gold. There's plenty of if
wllar they are They logged an .se
best claims. but I'm NJ ter them ne3,.,i'
"But they'll be after us WON'T tl,a,.,,,
"They hain't got no HOSES. ;iav
they9' retorted bowers. Resides tbat