The San Francisco call., 1905-04-09

~ OMZWHERE down below n
~ heartbroken old violin was wall
7 ] ing. as tIoughton stepped out
from The lof. that had sheltered
him. and faced the troubled dawn
There was more than a threat Of storm
fp The Sky, aad the day was coming
forth uncertainty. sh-inhnEiy- Inc
shadov-y dusk WAS favorable to Hough-
tons purpose, and yet it oppressed him;
there had been no 10y in the light of
lne days since he had made that dash
from prison with the others. FIVE DAYS
ago. Five days. And in all that time
he had covered only forty miles. Still
those forty miles had put half noun
tain range between him and his pur-
sueis. aud b. could do better now. He
glanced down at the Very decent suit
t,f clothes that he had stolen IrOm the
miners ca bin III Deer Creek Valley the
night before, anu he erinlly laughed
al The thought uf how practical d re-
venge he had taken on the man who
would have betrayed him.
The miner, q tai, gaunt Cornishman,
had taken bin in srudgingly, and in the
first hour Houghton mad seen SUSPICION
light itself in his hosts eyes. Silent
himself he could not bear silence IN
another. and Gerald HOushton had had
nothing to say. one crafty lead a1ter
another had been thrown out but
Houghton had Warily cluded them all.
The miner finally abandoned his ef-
forts, but his somber. suspicious eyes
were frequently lifted from the much
worn Bible behind which he had re-
tired, and HoughtOn found it easy TO
surmise that over the scriptural text
the eyes were seeing a placard which
had been posted far and wide:
FINE HUNDRED DOLLARS RE
WARD FOR THE ARREST OF ANY
ONE or THE CONNICTS WHO
ESCAPED'-and SO on. every minute
detail Of description pitilessly clear.
How far would his few poor changes
serve him.
3oughton sat cursing the luck that
had led him 10 select this cabin. of
all others; z little knot Of ragged
shanties trailed out along the bend OF
the river, forming a dreary, iost-look-
ing little settlement. A settlement OF
any sort was an unexpected find in
that unprcmising region. and Houghton
had lost no time in clambering down
the mountain side 10 ask for food and
lodging at one Of the dwellings Small
choice there had been among them; in
one a noisy group wrangled over a
card game; from another came the CRY
OF little sick child: and at the door OF
another d wan-eyed woman sat, hel
gaze never lifted from the narrow band
OF misty moonlight that meant the trai
70 town Finally his choice had faller
upon the last one. detached from the
others. and thus he had fallen into the
hands Of the suspicious Cornishman.
de gave no sign that he was aware
OF his hosts suspicious, but when,
shortly after they had retired. the
fn1
guessed his errand' only too well. He
d rose, and in response to a swiftly
forming habit, looked about for some
thing that might be of service to him
IN his flight. a suit of clothing. evil
IDENTIFY the miners best, hung care
fuliy covered in corner. With a grim
sense of its owners probable chag-
rin, Houghton hastily dressed himself
IN the neat, well-brushed suit, left the
cabin and struck out along the trail
OF the so-called town. The furious
rage OF the hunted had abated. and
now he was able to plan with a certain
degree Of calmness.
The miner had preceded him by
only few hundred rods; Houghton
figured that he would have time. after
the rough-four-mile tramp, for a lit
lie nuch-needed rest and yet be sure
OF reaching the railroad before the
authorities. summoned by the miner
10 the Deer Creek cabin, could notify
any one to head him off. The trail
followed the river, running at right
angles 70 the railroad; there would
surely be water tank where the rail-
road and river met; that was the
chance upon which Houghton was
counting. 1t was only a chance:
Houghton's knowledge of engineering
told him that many other devices were
possible, but his judgment argued that
that would be the probable one. The
train would stop and il would be easy
Tor him TO get aboard. A hundred
miles by rail, and he could laugh at
ali attempts to find him.
So far all was well. though the all
night life Of the mining town had in
terfered, to a certain extent. with his
slumbers: The jangling pianos. the
sorrowful violin, the shutting of feet
and the Wild choruses Of tuneless
voices cast a spirit of unrest over him
as he slept, curied up in a Convenient
loft The feeling was with him when
he awoke, and 1t deepeaed az he
looked out upon the hopeless gray of
the new day. If only the sin
Eoughton pulled himself together
sharply; there was plenty of sunshine
q hundred miles to the south. Three
hours, four, hve-of this denress;n. !.
grsyness-what did It sienifv7 re
would have a chance TO begin again.