The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-11-05
CHAPTER XII.
Crawling Stone Wash.


When Whispering Smith and his
companions were fairly started on the
last day of their ride, it was toward a
rift in the Mission range that the trail
led them. Sinclair with consummate
cleverness, had rejoined his compan-
ions; but the attempt to get into the
Cache, and his reckless ride into Medi-
cine Bend, had reduced their chances
of escape to single outlet, and that
they must find up Crawling Stone val
ley. The necessity of it was spelled
in every move the pursued men had
made for "a hours. They were riding
the pick of mountain horsefiesh 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-
cipitous left bank of the river. High
on the left bank itself, worming his
way like a snake from point to point
of concealment through the scanty
brush of the mountain-side, crawled
Wickwire, 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 was almost too dark to catch the
slight discolorations where pebbles
had been disturbed on a fiat surface
or the calk of horseshoe had slipped
on the uneven face of ledge, and he
had halted under an uplift to wait
vance, when, half a mile below him,
a horseman crossing the river rode
slowly past a gap in the rocks and dis
appeared below the next bend. He
was followed in a moment by a Sec
ond rider and third. Whispering
Smith knew he had not been seen. He
had flushed the game, and, wheeling
his horse rode straight up the river
bank to high ground, where he could
circle around widely below them. They
had slipped between his line and
Wickwire's, and were doubling back,
following the dry bed Of the stream.
1t 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 rifle, and in that time Ken
needy and Scott could come up.
Less than half an hour of daylight
remained II 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 II
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 second hope re-
manned: On the left, Wickwire was
high enough to 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