The Irish standard., 1905-08-05
CHAPTER v.
DARREL'S ESCAPE.

Eponay creek skirted the confines OF
Sandy Bar. The left bank was fla.
reach of sand which gave the camp it's
name; but the right bank, on which the
settlement had been built, was high
and bluff-like and "gophered' with
| tunnels.
The bar was rich in placer gold.
| When the sand had been Graded over
| prospecting for quartz dykes began and
many a "stringer" had been followed
inward from the face of the right
bank.
The stringers had pinched out. The
south bank, however, had not been
abandoned as worthless until fairly
honeycombed with drifts that led TO
nothing but country rock.
Thus it followed that the camp had
under 1t a sort of catacombs wherein
lay buried a thousand hopes of disap-
pointed miners. To this fact, AS will
be seen, Nate Darrell owed his life.
The Sandy Bar Jail was a log struct-
ure that had outlived its usefulness as
a miners cabin. 1t was situated not
more than so feet from the brink of the
steep. brusf-covered bank of the
Eponay.
In the single room of this makeshift
jail Darrell and the marshal presently
found themselves, a tallow dip" splut-
tering feebly on the table. Outside tho
mob could be heard scurrying about in
ominous silence.
They're worked up to beat four of
kind" muttered the marshal, listen
Ing to the sounds from without, but
you can bet your moccasins they'll
think things over pretty careful before
tryin' to take the bit in their teeth"
He looked at the prisoner curiously.
Darrell had seated himself IN chair
and lighted cigar with his usual nom
chalance.
For a murderer, in the grip o. the
law and with pack of lawless coy
otes only too anxious to get at you,
you're taking this plenty cool"
I'm not murderer -
"That shot goes as it lays" returned
the incredulous marshal, but it won't
help YOU" He brought out barrels
revolver, pulled down the barrel and
examined the cartridges. "One empty
cartridge and five full ones," he added,
briefly; "45-caliber."
Il fred that one shot a good many
miles from Sandy Bar" said Darrell.
"Stick to it," grinned the marshal;
"it's your only hope and it's slim
enough"
when will You hold the inquest ?"
Tomorrow morning. And here's
something you can spread your blank
cts and 90 to sleep on, my friend
Escape amt to be thought Of. When
l leave here I draw Gordon of trusty
men around this Jail, and the guard II
be kept up until come to take you to
AnacOndy with coroner's verdict
holdin' you for the murder of Jack
Sturgis stuffed in my pocket"
The marshal walked to the door,
Darrell watching him silently.
Garry another gun beside this 'un?"
asked the officer, his hand on the latch.
mo"
"Well, the rest of your belongin's you
can keep, for the present. It will be
morning before come for you agin."
He went out and Darrell heard him
rafting the paddock that secured the
door. For some time afterward there
were sounds suggesting that sentries
were being posted about the building,
and after that silence.
Darrel's thoughts were not of the
brightest and he cleared his mind of
them and surveyed the interior of his
prison. Every opening that had once
served as window was covered with
stout planking, the chinks between the
logs were soidly filed and the place
was as tight as a drum.