Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1911-02-16
God hope Of an escape unseen.

plpe-men's hammers should drown the
noise of dash for placement When
II came, he flung himself backward,
whipped Nan over his head and out of
the line of sight as if she had been
feather-light, and rolled swiftly after
her. Before she could rise he had pick
| ed her up and was dragging her to the
climbing point under the lip of the
boulder cave
up with youl" he commanded, MAX
ing step of his hand. GIVE me your
foot and then climb to my shoulder
quick!" But she drew back.
"Oh, 1 can't!" she gasped. Tim
too skeeredl"
Jumping to catch the lip of the cav
ern's mouth, he assembled cat-like, and
moment later he had drawn her up
after him.
I'D like to know what got tho mat
ter with you all at once" he said, Sc
verely, when they were crowded to-
gethsr in the narrow rock cell; and
then, without waiting for her answer:
You stay here while drop down and
keep those fellows away from this side
of things"
But 1t was too late. The mon were
already at the barrel-spring, as an in
distinct murmur of voices testified. Tho
girl had another trembling fit when
she heard them, and Toms wonder was
fast lapsing into contempt or some
thing like it.
"Oh-h-hi" she shuddered. DO you
reckon they saw us, Tom Jeff?"
Il shouldn't wonder he whispered
back unfeelingly. I'VE could see them
plain enough"
He'll kill me, for shore, Tom jeff"
Toms lip curled. The wolf does not
al hor
beauty could atone for such spiritless
cringing. Love would have pitied her,
but passion is not moved by qualities
opposite to those which have evoked 1t.
Then you know them-or one of
them, at least" he said. "Who is he?"
She would not tell; and since the
murmur of voices was stfll spafnly au-
dible, she begged in dumb show for
silence. Whereupon Tom shut his
mouth and did not open 1t again until
the sound of the voices had died away
and the fainter tappings of the ham
mers on the pipeline advertised the
retreat of the inspection party.
They're gone now" he said, short
ly. Lets get out of here before we
stihe."
But a second time i'll chance inter-
vened. Tom had leg over the brink
and was looking for a soft leaf bed to
drop into, when the baying OF a hound
broke on the restored quiet of the
mountain side. He drew back into
hiding.
The girls ague fit of fear had passed,
and she seemed less concerned about
the equivocal situation than a girl
should be; at least, this is the way
Toms thought was shaping itself He
tried to ina CINE Ardea In Mans place,
H.. - IL
BILE. A daughter of the Dabneys would
never run and cover and beg to be
hidden at the possible cost of her good
name. And Mans word did not help
matters.
What makes you so cross to me,
Tom-Jeff?" she asked, when he drew
back with an impatient exclamation
II hain't done nothin to make you let
on like you hate me, have II"
Il don't hate you" said Tom, frown-
ing. IF 1 did, 1 shouldn't care" Just
then the hound burst out of the laurel
thicket on the brow of the lower slope,
running with it's nose to the ground,
and he added: That's Japhe Petit
grass dog; hope to goodness he isn't
anywhere behind it,"
But the horse trader was behind the
dog; so close behind that he came out
OH the continuation OF the pipeline
path while the hound was still nosing
among the leaves where Tom had lain
summing himself and telling his tale of
woe.
Good dog-seek himi What is 1t.
old boy?" Pettigrass came up, patted
the hound, and sat down on the fiat
stone to look on curiously while the
dog coursed back and forth among the
dead leaves. Find him, Caesar; find
him, boyl" encouraged Japheth; and
finally the bounded pointed a sensitive
nose toward the rift in the side of the
great boulder and yelped conclusively
Dye reckon he climm up thar, Cae-
sar?" Pettigrass unfolded his long legs
and stood up on the fiat stone to at
tain an eye-level with the interior of
the little cavern. Tom crushed Nan
into the larthest Granny, and hattened
himself lizard-lil1e against the nearer
side wall. The horse trader looked
long and hard, and they could hear
him still talking to the dog
You're an old fool, Caesar-that's
about what you are-and Solomon al
lowed thar wasn't no fool like an old |
one. But you needn't to swaller that |
whole, old boy; I've knowed some |
young ones in my time-sometimes
gals, sometimes boys, sometimes both. |
But thar amt no 'possum up yonder,
Caesar; you've flew the track this time, |
for certain. Come on, old dog; let's be |
gettin' down the mountain"
The baying dog and the whfstling
man were still within hearing when |