The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-09-11

attempt to save them. When within Q hundred yards of Tho camp. Jack lifted his rifle. The dim light from the smoldcriug fire showed tho reclining forms of the Apachcs. with two who had been assigned 0s scntinels sitting upright. every sense alert
 "We'd better begin firing" whispered Jack. "A 'Pache has eyes and ears like a cat, and they'll spot us soon. If we Are fast. maybe they will think there's a party and run"
 But Dan Driscoll. who had been look ing intently ut the campfire, laid a re- stralnlng hand on his partners arm, for into the brain of Dan had flashed a plan. full of danger. but promising complete success If well carried out.
 q can't see the women" murmured Dan. sThey must be tied Co one side. There's no use shooting. The reds will scatter out of the light of the fire. They'll know from the flashes there nln't but two of us, and they'll just pick us or. Now listen. I've got the dynamite in my pocket If we can creep up near enough to toss it ln the fire. those red devils win go to their own place in dctachments. Tho women are too far or to be hurt by the ex- p,osion. and it probably won't harm us. Us big risk, but our only chance"
 Inch by Inch Dan and bis partner crawled toward thC camp. A few yards more and it would bc time Co throw the dynamite. Then some almost imper- ccptlhlc noise aroused the suspicious of one of the sentlncls He sprang to his feet and pccred Into the night. The white men lay motionless. holding their breath. But they could not deceive the trained cyesight of the Apache, who fired at the spot where he had dimly discerned the crawling bodies.
 Then brave ufter brave leaped to his feet. snatchIng his ride. Dan ran for ward and hurled the dynamite. The distance was too great It struck the sand. failed to explode and rolled a few feet. where it lay dimly visible in the glow from thc campfire Dan Groaned. Now the Indians would scatter. ho and Jack would be killed. and the women but he didn't want to think ot that.
 But Jack Coyle his rifle 0t his shoul- der. was taking careful aim-not nt any of the Apaches. but at a little package which lay unnouced in front of the fire. and as Dan turned with a curse to ask the reason fos his partners slowuess In shooting Jack pulled the trigger.
 An explosion which seemed to shake the desert. a glare Of white flame, then silence. The campfire was gone. but far out on the plains could be seen scattered brands. Jack had fallen on his face as he fired. Dan had been knocked down by the explosion. As they picked themselves up they could hear the neighlng of the frightened horses and the cries of the women. Both had been too distant to be harmed But no noise came from the spot where a second before had stood the group of Apache warriors.
 There wasn't a man more than thir- ty feet from the fire" said Jack. with a little awe In his voice, "and there was dynamite enough in that package to blow up a town"
 There's no use sentmcnting over a lot of dead 'P0ches," answered Dan in busIneSsllsc tones. "That shot of yours saved the outfit The thing to do now Is to hustle out the horses and get the women back Co town. ThereIl be a lot Of people mighty glad to see 'em."
 Far or to the west shone a glow which seemed to De reflected from some rapidly moving object Jack Coylo pointed at it.
 'Thcrc goes the Overland. We'll, if we didn't use the dynamite quite the way we meant to it came in pretty handy"