The log cabin Democrat., 1909-11-04
CHAPTER XL-.
Crswlinq Stone Wash.


 When Whispering Smith and his 1 companions were fairly started on the 1 last day of their ride it was toward a l rift in the Mission range that the trail l led them Sinclair. with consummate | cleverness. had rejoined his compan- 1 ions but the attempt to get into the l Cache. and his reckless ride into Medi cine Bend. had reduced their chances of escape to a single outlet, and that they must find up Crawling Stone val l ley. The necessity of it was spelled in every move the pursued men had , made for 2i hours. They were riding the pick of mountain horsehesh and covering their tracks by every device known to the high country. Behind them made prudent by unusual dan ger. rode the best men the mountain division could muster for the final eff fort to bring them to account. The fast riding of the early week had given way to the pace of caution. No trail sign was overlooked, no point of concealment directly approached, no hiding place left unsearched.
 The tension of long day of this work was drawing to close when the sun set and left the big wash in the shadow of the mountains. On the higher ground to the right, Kennedy and Scott were riding where they could command the gullies of the pre- eipitous left bank of the river. High on the left bank itself worming his way like a snake from point to point of eoncealment through the scanty brush of the mountain n-side, crawled Wiekwire, commanding the pockets in the right bank. Closer to the river on the right and following the trail itself over shale and rock and be- tween scattered powders. Whispering Smith. low on his horses neck. rode slowly
 it vas almost too dark to catch the slight dlscolorations where pebbles had been disturbed on a fiat surface or the calk Of a horseshoe had slipped on he uneven face of a ledge and he had halted under an uplift to wait for Mickwire on the distant left to ad- vance. When. half a mile below him, a h0rsei~an crossing the river rode slowly past a gap in the rocks and dis appeared below the next bend. He vas followed in a moment by a sec Oud rider and a third. Whispering smith knew he had not been seen. He had flushed the game. and. wheeling his horse rode straight mp the river bank to high ground, where he could circle around widely below them. They had slipped between his line and Wickwires. and were doubling back, following the dry bed of the stream. It was impossible tO recall Kennedy and Scott without giving an alarm. but by a quick detour he could at least hold the quarry back for 20 minutes with his rife, and in that time Ken nedy and Scott could come up.
 Less than half an hour of daylight remained. 1T the outlaws could slip down the wash and out into the Crawl ing Stone valley they had every chance of getting away in the night; and if the third man should be Barney Reb- stock. Whispering Smith knew that Sinclair thought only of escape. Smith alone. of their pursuers, could now intercept them. but a second hope re mained: On the left. Wickwire was high enough 10 command every turn in the bed of the river. He might see them and could force them to cover with his rife even at long range. Cast ing up the chances. Whispering Smith riding faster over the uneven ground