The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-30
THE HUNTING OF
BULL GRIERSON

| might NOT he in at the final act of the
drama, and | cursed his youthful I'M
petUoslty.
AZ last Grierson gained the brink.
and | aaw his legs vanish overhead l
c!Guched behind a convenient bowider
Ealf expecting him 70 try snapshot,
but none came, and | resumed my climb
i Presently ] reached granite projection
/ on the edge of the cliff, and, drawing
myself mp, found myself standing on the
rough country bordering the desert, In
the distance | snw Grierson lodging
among the hillocks and running swiftly
! across the plain, and took up the chase
which had now became footrace.
Glancing back, | saw Shercliffe Just
climbing over the edge of the elf.
For man who had passed through
a trying physical experience. Grierson
ran with extraordinary speed. Still !
was gaining upon him after about a
mile of strenuous effort, when ] behcld
him rushing mp an incline to mound
OF stones upon which stood windlass.
Near by stood a miner on the ore,
figures. GrleTson sprang up the side
of the mound without speaking, rushed
al the miner knocking him to the
ground, and hurled himself into the OK
hide bucket The wndlass creaked and
groaned under the pull OF the cable. and
the crank whirled wildly, Presently a
thump announced that the bucket had
wondering if the bandit had survived
the shock of that crazy descent.
How far does that shaft go2' ] in
quircd of the miner. who had Just picked
himself mp and stood glaring ut me
in angry astonlshmcnt.
Thirty feet was the reply. What
the devil
| LII I, 3,
crank. as ShcrcIiffe came rushing up.
THAT man is Bull Gricrson, and we
want him for murder, Who else is there
down in that shaft?''
"My pardner. and he ain I got no
weapons, either. He has hole ready
TO fire, and was Just about to come
up.
Shercllffe as he stared down the mouth
of the PIT.
''Crack. crack, crack! came three
shots in rapid succession and Shercif'c
jumped back with an oath Of surprise
his hat falling off his head.
"a close call, he said cooIly. as h,
picked up his riddled bcadgear and
gazed at the groove, cut in the crown
by a bullet '.WeIl, all his ammup
he he" donoS5'' N S5''@e' anyway "na' next ''
turned the crank vigorously ant
the end of the rope appeared, but the
bucket WAS missing. The rope had beer
cut clean through with a knife.
"Whose claim is this7' | inquired OF
the miner.
jackson s, that's me- was the re
ply. "There s a twenty -fve.foot levc
at the bottom of the shaft and hol,
for ventilation over there.
He pointed to a small mound not fa
from the ore dump.
HCould a man get through the ven
tllator shaft 20 ] asked
"He might; but there S no ladde
there Here's one, but
Jackson stopped short and pointed
to the mouth of the shaft. Shcrciffe Z
, sprang forward to pull him back, bu
l he was out of reach and descendn,
the ladder rapidly.
, "JOhnny, YOU fool, come back here, ;
/ shouted, but that cheerful youth only
responded with a mocklng laugh. and
! saw that there was no chance TO inter
fere. Catching the rope | started il
: the direction Of the air shaft and tn,
= windlass again groaned in response t.
: the pull.
"What s the move now?' demande,
Jackson,
. 81 IN going down that ventiato
hole, - was my response. &" You cut tha
rope loose when il S all run ont -
! The words had scarcely left m,
7 mouth when the sound of an explosion
. followed, and a volume of smok
= rushed from the shaft.
! "Somebody set off that hole Bill ha'
. loaded yelled Jackson. @ Them fel
y lows will all be killed by flying rock
; or smothered by the fumes.
a perhaps not, - ] said, hopefully