Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-10-07
CHAPTER xxx.
Closing In.

III he morning The SUN rose with a
Tountan smile. The storm had swept
the air till the ranges shone blue and
the plain sparkled under a cloudless
sky Bob Scott and Wickwire, riding
at daybreak, picked up trail on the
Fence river road. A consultation was
held at the bridge. and within half
an rour Whispering Smith, with un-
shaken patience, was in the saddle
ard following It,
WIZ him we're Kennedy and Bob
Scot Sinclair had ridden into the
lines, and Whispering Smith, with his
best two men, meant to put II up 10
nm 10 ride ont. They meant now to
get him, with a trail or without. and
were putting horsehesh against horse
flesh and craft against craft.
At the forks OF the Fence they picked
up Wickwire. Kennedy taking him on
the mp road, while Scott with Whisper
ing Smith crossed 70 the Crawling
Stone. When Smith and Scott reached
the Frenchman they parted to cover in
turn each Of tho trails by which II Is
possible TO get out OF the river country
toward the Park and Williams Cache.
BY four o'clock IN the afternoon
they had all covered the ground so
We'll that the four were able TO make
their rendezvous on the big Fence
divide, south Of Crawling Stone val
ley. They then found. to their disap-
pontm"nt. that widely separated as
they had beon, both parties were fol
loving rails they believed to be good.
They shot a steer. tagged It, ate din
ne, END supper In one and separated
under Whispering Smiths counsel
that both the trails he followed INTO
tAe next mornine-in the belle! that
one OF them would run out or that
the two would run together. At noon
the next day Scott rode through the
nils from the Fence, and Kennedy
with Wichwire came through Two
Feather nsss from the Frenchman
with the report that the game had lett
their valleys.
without rest they pushed on. At
tho loot Of the Mission noun aims
they picked up the tracks OF party
IL three horscmcn. Twic" within ten
miles afterward the men they were
following crossed tho river. Each
time their trail, with Some little dihl-
Guilty. was found again. At little
ranch IN the Mission foothills, Ken
neGy and Scott, leaving WlCkwire with
Whispering Smith took freeh horses
and pushed ahead az far Us they could
ride before dark, but they brought
back news. The trail had split again,
with orc man i!ding alone TO the left,
while two had taken the hills TO the
right, heading for Mission pass and
the Cache. With Gene Johnson and
Bob at the mouth OF the Cache there
was little fear for that outlet. The
turn 10 the left Was the unexpected
Over the little flra IN the ranch kltch
en- whore they ate supper, the four
men were In conference 20 minutes
II was decided that Scott and Kennedy
should head for the Mission pass
while Whispering Smith, with Wick
wire to trail with him, should under
take to cut or, somewhere between
Fence river and the railroad, the man
who had gone south the man believed
to be Sinclair. 1t was late moon,
and when Scott and Kennedy saddled
their horses Whispering Smith and
Wickwire were asleep.
With tho cowboy, Whispering Smith
started at daybreak. No one saw
them again for two days, During
those two days and nights they were
In tho saddle almost continuously,
For every mile the man ahead Of them
rode they were forced to ride two
miles and often three. Late In the
second night they crossed the railroad.
and the first word from them came In
long dispatches sent by Whispering
Smith 10 Medicine Bend and lnstruc-
tions TO Kennedy and Scott In tho
north, which were carried by hard
riders straight 10 Deep creek.
On the morning OF the third day
Dicksie Cunning, who had gone homo
from Medicine bend and who had been
tolephoning Marion and George Nc
Cloud two days for news, was trying
to get Medicine Bend again on tho
telephone whom Puss came in to say
that q man at the kitchen door wanted
| 10 see her.
who is It, Puss?"
Il dino. Miss Dicksie; deed. l never
seen him b'forc."
Dicksie walked around on the porch
to the kitchen, A dust-covered man