Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-28

laitn1ulIy promised to carry 1t out SO tar az
they could
Kinks proposition that they should wash
out some gravel before night was eagerly ac
cepted by Dory; but they had hardly beguI
work when both realized how thoroughly tlrec
they were, and the labor was brought to
close almost as soon as it had been begun.
Then it was agreed that they would rest
and to that end Dory lay down to sleep wnlie
Kirk stood watch for two hours; and thus
each keeping strict guard while the oVne'
slept, the night came and passed.
Nothing had been seen of Tom or his com
panions. Not human being had appeared
on the plain, and the boys were beginning
to feel confident that Bart was correct wnen
he said that he should return before tne
road-agent discovered that he had been mis-
led yet they were by no means inclined 70
relax their vigilance.
Unless something had happened to him.
Bart was already in Silver Cliff, and perhaps
making preparations to return.
"In forty-eght hours more we may expect
him back" Dory said, gleefully, as he went
into the tent to go to sleep that night, while
Kirk remained outside; and his cousin answer
ed, in quite as joyous tone: .
"Yes, and then we can snap our fingers at
Mr.. Tom Weed"
The second night after Bart's departure
passed as quietly as had the first, and the
boys went about their duties-one to the mine
and the other to act as sentry-wlth great
er sense of security than had been theirs Tor
several days.
The forenoon wore away. Dory, who was
at work at the mine, ceased his labors about
twelve O'Clock, in order to get something 70
eat before taking Kinks place as sentinel,
and he was on the, point OF indulglng IN a
hearty meal, even though the food was cold,
when low cry from Kirk startled him.
Without waiting to get his gun. he started
toward his cousin, convinced that some dan.
ger threatened them, otherwise Kirk would
not have called him when it was SO nearly
time for. them to change positions,
And danger did threaten, as Dory could
see when he peered over the plain from be-
hind the thicket of trees in the direction
pointed out by Kirk. :,
There, hardly two miles away, were three
men advancing directly toward the ravine,
and although they were, yet too far off for
the watcher to distinguish them clearly, there
could be no doubt but that they were the
road-agent and his friends.
''They must have come out OF the woods,
OF should have seen them before, for have
been keeping a particularly sharp watch. IN
that direction" said Kirk, speaking in a low
tone, as if he was afraid the men would hear
him, even though they were SO far away, !.
"They act as if they were coming straight
here"
'T'm afraid that's just what they are do
ing. They have probably come to the con-
clusion that we were running away from the
mine when we went down that way, and now
they are going to examine this portion OF the
range"
'6What shall we do?" asked Dory, trembling
with dread at the thought of an encounter
with these lawless men.
'There is nothing we can do except just as
Bart told US. We will get our weapons, some
of the provisions and blankets, and skulk up
the gulch where we can see all that goes on
in the camp. Perhaps they won't come in
here, after all" Kirk added; but he had no
hope that the men would overlook the ra-
vine, or had Dory.
to make their preparations for flight, they
worked as if the men were close upon them,
instead of more than half an hours walk
away.
while they were in hiding, and then hurried
up the ravine, leaping from rock to rock in
the water.course, or, walking carefully on the
hard earth when they met with miniature
It was not until they were far E up the in,
cline that Kirk proposed they should halt,
and secrete themselves in. clump of bushes
through which they could see their encamp-
ment, which looked doubly beautiful now
that they were forced to leave it.
No signs of the men could be seen, either
in the ravine or the valley, and hope once
more sprang up in the hearts of the BOYS.
'They must haye given it up, and gone
They've either done that, OF else thev
are so far in on the edge of the plain That
the trees hide them from u.s." and Kirk was
very nearly of the same opinion as his cousin.
The minutes passed into an hour, and vet
the men had not been seen.
They've gone back, that's certain. and
there's no reason why we shouldn't 60 down
to the tent" said Dory, impatiently.
Kirk was on the point of agreeing to the