Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-05


they would be obliged to cross the opening,
where, they would be exposed to the fire OF
the enemy.
'eWeN Ncan risk two or three Shots" Kirk
said, after they had viewed in silence what
could hardly be called anything less than a
battle field, N"and then Bart will certainly
know that we have come back. What puz-
zles me most is, why they don't separate, and
post some OF the men up on the ravIne.
Perhaps there are but few with Bart and
they don't dare to divide their force" sus-
gested Dory.
Such an idea hardly seemed probable to
Kirk, but it was not exactly the time for
argument, and he dismissed the matter by
saying:
Il suppose they understand their own bust
ness best. Wen try to let them know we've
come"
The boys discharged their rifles, and were.
mot at all disappointed in the sensation they
caused by SO doing.
The men who had jumped the claim, and
proposed to hold it by force of arms, fired a
volley in the direction from which the sound
of their weapons had proceeded, and Bart's
party responded to it by firing at the road
agents., as their way of showing that they
knew the ! meaning of the new turn of affairs.
All aver That that there was nothing to do but
fensive.
:, The road agents must have begun to fortify
1l their position Immediately, after the boys had
thorough manner. Around the excavation
that had been made in getting out the pay
gravel they had piled up logs until they
were screened on all sides. and to drive them
fer terrible slaughter, for they could have
picked Off any medium-sized force that might
have advanced upon them, without exposing
themselves.
tba 1ary a1,o L.
relative position of the three parties. Some
desultory firing was indulged in on all sides,
and as the hours passed without any decisive
movement on the part of Bart and his
parent apathy of the miners increased.
1t was about three o'clock in the afternoon
when Dory, weary of simply remaining con-
cealed In the woods, said:
It's no use staying here. Let's go and try
to catch the burros, for if Bart drives the
road agents out of here-as he's sure to do
we shall need them; and if we wait too long
We. may lose them."
manning where they. were, and Kirk was will
ing to join his cousin in the attempt, even if
1T only resulted in walking about the valley
lit little while; therefore they started.
ming out of the ravine at their best speed
and in comparatively short time the boys had
possession of their burros once more.
Now let's ride across the open and Join
part, sald, Dory; "We.can make circuit
large enough to keep out of range, and by
using our lariats, we can guide them as well
as if we had brides"
Come on" assented Kirk.
And it was not long before they had crossed
the opening. at safe distance from the forti-
fcation, and were approaching from the lower
side.
Bart had seen them as they rode down the
valley, and when they came up. he was at
the edge of the woods to meet them.
'Tell me how they, drove you out?" he
asked, before the boys had time to speak.
And, in a very few words Kirk told him
of the time when the road agents came, and
of their fight.
''Why don't you post some of the men up
on on the ravlne? %1? Kirk asked as he concluded
you could soon drive them Out" -
"That,'s just what we don't want to do
Bart said grimly. ''Were going to bag the
whole lot, and are only waiting for more of
the miners to come down.
"Only one We got here yesterday after
noon. and l should have fallen into nice
trap, for l had no idea but that you were
here, if Tom hadn't shown himself just as we
came in sight. Then we laid out until day
light, and moved up on em this morning"
"But we were sure that there must be a
dozen of you, the firing was SO rapid when
we first heard it." said Kirk.
"Well, we did start in little quick" said
Bart, with laugh; "'for, you see, we. wanted
to make 'em, think that we had a big force.
If they should find out that there were only
two, they. might take it into their heads to
give us the slip"
'rWhy don't you let them go?" said Dory.
'rIhen we would have the mine, and if the
question about Tom troubling us"
"We are not going to. give him the least
bit of chance to trouble us again." replied
Bart, sternly "We've agreed to carry these