The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-28

tobacco smoke" he whispered under his
 breath. And 1t must come from some
 nearby spot, for tobacco smoke doesn't
 travel great distances. Now, careful.
 Andrew Simpson. Something Is going to
 happen-I can feel 1t In my bones."
 After making a calculation as to the
 spot from which issued the tobacco smoke
 Andy lay down and began crawling
 slowly in that direction. If twlg
 snapped beneath him, or If pebble rolled
 down the mountain side he would pause
 and hold his breath. Gee" he whis-
 pered II mustn't make the slightest
 noisel'
 After covering about 200 paces he
 thought he could overhear voices, very
 low, but voices surely. His heart was In
 his mouth, so to speak, and his pulse
 throbbed. "Oh, what if they should
 really be here!" he thought. And the
 sheriff gave up the search wouldn't
 that be joke on the sheriff, though!
 But I must creep quietly, for If that gang
 should sniff me 1t would be the last of
 yours truly" So saying, Andy crept slow
 y forward. Yes, there was the sound of
 human voices, and a strong smell Of to-
 bacco smoke. Andy now ascertained that the owners of the voices and the smokers
 of the tobacco were behind clump of
 scrub pine trees that grew from. the
 side of great boulder. With the great est caution, he crawled to spot within few feet of the very place where half dozen dark forms could be seen crouching together Upon closer scrutiny these forms proved to be men, and Andy could catch their words.
 ..Oh. it'll be safe, all right, all right, to get out of here tonight. You see, they have all got the notion that we're on in another direction. Even that old fool sheriff didn't look up here. Why, he was within 20 rods of us one night, and turned back, thinkin' we'd gone down the gully. He's a dandy sheriff, he is!' What's that noise?" asked one of the
 men, quickly rising to his feet and peer ing through the semidarkness right to- wards Andy. But Andy's heart didn't stop entirely, for In another instant d man came up the mountain side, whis- ting softly a signal. Then he passed quite close to Andy and joined the group beside the boulder. ''AlPs clear below" he said ''There's not n live thing astir on the mountain, and we'd better git for tall timber about midnight. It'll take clean three hours to git to the level; then another hour to git to the railroad. We
 must scatter, though, before we git near to town"
 Andy waited for no more. Like a mouse he turned silently and crawled of down the mountain side, using the greatest caution till he reached a spot far enough from the '.gang" to allow of his rising to his feet. Then he ran the rest of the way to the little town at the foot of Old Solitaire. It was about 12 o'clock when Andy, all out of breath. walked the deputy sheriff from his slumber and told him in an excited voice of what he had seen and heard up on Old Solitaire. At first the deputy gave little attention to l~xso o-fI1 bot ho bad kIa robbers in their hiding place, but as the boys story developed the man decided to act upon the advice so strangely brought him, and soon had posse form ed to surround the outlaws. They
 mean to scatter just before they reach town," explained Andy. And there's about i've or six of em, so you'd better go well prepared E 1Sat.'
 "Well get 'em if they're on Old Soli- taire." smiled the deputy calmly. "And,
 kid, if we do git these robbers on your information the reward Is yours."