The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-05
BY cHAUNcEY III o MAS.
,Copyrignt by the s. S. Mcclure Co,

YOU turned that ice-jam loose. Nc
wonder she busted. What'd you ex-
poet? You're too experienced a mar
by the looks OF You To throw such q
KID trick as that. Thought | Wasn'l
heeled, hey. and you'd work a blum
+, on an icicle. Now. you foo,"-Suili-
vans tone became a dry metallic
YOU wiggle a hair and I'll kill YOU
Ny gun has not been out all winter
It's ready for business. Just Off the
hip: hot as buckwheat. Now don't
do the stage-eye act on me. nor try
any football dives--ani leave that
sticker az yours alone. YOU faight cut
somebody with it. No, thank you. I'll
help myself. Straighten M, now. and
turn your back. See here. Are you
going to do as | tell YOU, or shall
fix your hide so that they'll tan it
Tor chair bottoms? Jump lively now,
or I'll iii you so full of lead that
YOU II assay for Leadville ore and itU
take the Coroner's jury twenty-four
hours TO count the holes. Still ! don
want To Kill you: its Il dirty JOB. and
| would rather walk you into town
than haul YOU there on your back.
"Oh. don't go frothnS now and sass
,re back like that. OF course I'm fes-
tive. Who wodldn't be. With a five
IN Observation-Disclosures Winner-hOld on
there. Five-thoussrnd dollar gold mine.
as 4 was a-sayin. IN your own self us
Il standing reward for Black Jack.
N-no. my dear sir! A single jump
into my latitude and I'll plug you.
Postofnce robber, huh? And gathered
in by Uncle samuel himself in the
person Of Your humble striker.
Lord. | amt talked SO much
since speech maxim over good luck
come into fashion. On, yes, / know
you No; it amt no lie either. | have
Your circular description mere in my
pocket right next my heart to tack w
III tv':y mail window between Empire
and Hot Sulphur. You're wanted.
wanted bad: five thousand dollars
worth OF bad. too; and I've got you
anG incidentiy I intend To keep you.
Now drop that cleaver of ycurn and
shiny on down the Trail there o. you'll
have troub---
= mile above q conclusion jolted
he cliff; 2 terrific echo TO the pistol
shot. Down came the side-gentiy at
first-So far away il seemed Only as
vide as ones hand. In an instant
the snow shot from under the two
men. rhe enemies fell fiat. \ mile Of
snow, bTiStling hair-iike with root
torn pines. numbered down the slope
Sullivan and Black Jack. forgetful OF
each other, We're tossed Whirlng III
the air. and fell back into the grinding
chaos. Yet the piece of ice on which
they lay was thick and solid. laced and
nterEaccG With tough brushwood fro
zen in. This woven acre rode The
avalanche like u sled
&n hour later Il mountain lion
sneahed over the wreck. i hill OF
snow. ice. broken stone, and splint-
cred logs dammed the gulcll. Away
tn the top of the Range the track Of
the slide lay like q scald. Miles away,
:li2h in the air, d cloud of white dust
was floating. All nature was liuShed as
If frightened. \ screenching eagce,
went tapping far away. From under
the ruin a wolf honled disnially: then
weaker and Weakef--a piteouS whine
silence Berthoud had struck n ter
-ihie blew; and where
We're the men?
The panther was hunting; his nose
had found them, but not his jaws. Set
ding himself he dug. AS the fam
listed brute ratked q log to one side
with his 9tlunt paw he heard q groar
Within an ich of his ear. Whirling
he flashed up the mountain side q
streak of yellow. But his work was
done. From the shallow hole Sttlli-
van appeared, chalk white, his face a
CHASTITY blue. He struggled carefully.
then desperately. to free himself. but
.whan he stepped. exhausted. only his
head and shoulders showed above the
snow.
PINNED down -dead--my last trip
and yet not hurt. Freeze like cock,
roach in the ice-house. Cool. my boy,
cool-keep cool. Don't lose your head
don't get ratified, or you're Il dead
men. NoW's when you need all your
brain. Keep CoOl-thoueh youi ii be
cool enough all too soon"
Sullivans head disappeared IN the
pantIler-dug hole. Slowly the end OF q
small log ten feet a~ay rose into the
air ond fell aside. Up Strengthened
the grizzly head OF Black Jack. one
side daubed with u red slush.
"Well--i--be--dauan rl.is don't
look much like hell; still it's a pretty
good imitation" groWled the desper-
ado as he gaZed around on the con-
fusion. He noticed the straining mail
sack. Black Jack waited silently UNI
til the carriers haggard face again
came above the rim. The two men
looked into each others eyes.
Hurt ~ asked Sullivan.
Don't think so. Both feet fast.
How's yourself2'
lone leg in a vise-can't move it.
What d'you Think
We're done for.
Guess you're right. How's the snow
round ycu?'
None t all--all ice. solid
Hold still. I've got one foot a little
loose" exclaimed sullivan as he
stamped on log far below.
Same log said the thief. got us
both
Nothing more was said. they went
to work. The carrier unslung the
mail sack and laid il carefully aside.
For an hour both men strained, pulled.
twisted and dug with bare fingers until
the purple ends We're raw. Human
fingers are Tot panther claws. Both
men were packed tight up to their
arrnpits in solid snow. Four feet below
the surface of the ruin their legs were
fast between two parallel logs as in
q steel trap. An inch closer and their
ami les would have cracked like pipe
stems; an inch wider and the men
would have been free. They were
not hurt; merely held. Berthoud had
been kird only 10 be cruel.
No use painted Sullivan, my trail
ends here.
Mine iort / wish it did" answered
Hack ia ck. The hard tone was gone.
the voice was almost gentle. "Helfs
ahead OF me. You're an honest man.