The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1912-04-05
OPEN TRAIL.

CONTINUED Fom Yesterday
| An hour later, Hickey Hoff
was sleeping the sleep of utter ex-
haustion in camp. Average Jones
felt amply qualified to join him.
But II was not In the Advisor s
character to quit an enterprise be-
fore II was wholly completed. So
long as the two bandits were on
their way to cash the Young spend
thrift's checks-Jones had heard
from the victim a brief account of
the extortion-success was not
fully won.
We've got to get that money
back" he said to Captain Funcke
with conviction.
The hunter made no reply in
words. He merely leaned his shot
gun against his thigh, reached
, around beneath his coat and pro-
duced forty-five caliber revolt
yer. This he held out toward
Jones.
Good thing to have" conceded
the other. "But-well, no; not in
this case. They got the booty with
show of legality, since Hoff sign
ed the co-partnership agreement
and turned over the checks. 1t
was under duress and threats, it's
true, but who's to prove that,
they being two to one, and this
being Mexico? No; they're with
in the law, and I've a notion that
we can get the swag back by
! straight sale and barter. Provid-
ed, always, We can catch them in
time"
They'll want to make pretty
good time to the Tenaja Poquita,
pointed out the captain. They're
shy on water"
"On wind, too. They've travel
pink of condition. According to
! Hoff, they decerted him while he
was taking nap, about four In
the afternoon. It's a fair bet
they'd camp for the night, as you
say it's an eight-hour hike to the
tenaja.' ~
Eight, the way they'd CO." uai
| Then er-there's a--er---
shorter way?" drawled Average
Jones, removing some sand from
a wrinkle in his sacrificed and soil
ed trousers as carefully as IL that
were the one immediate and i'm
| portant consideration In life. cs4
Eyes. Across the Padre Cliffs.
It cuts off about four hours, and
It takes us almost to the secret
tenaja / spoke Of. We can fill up
there. But it's not what you'd
call safe, even in daylight"
But to a hunter, wouldn't 1t be
well worth the risk for a pair of
horns-even If they were only tin
horns?" queried Average Jones
suggestively.
Captain Funcke relaxed into a
grin. He nodded.
\ "What'll we do with him?" he
asked, jerking his head toward
the sleeper.
Leave him water. food and a
note. Now, about this Tenaja
Poquita we're headed for. How
much water do you think there is
in it "
IF there's hundred gallons
it's doing well, this dry season. 4"
|
his feet. Looking carefully over
the scattered camp outfit, he Sc
lected from it collapsible pail.
Captain Funcke glanced at 1t with
curiousity, but enthusiastically
forebore to ask any questions. He
himself shouldered the largest
canteen.
"That'H be enough for both I'M
til we reach the supply" he said.
| Don't need much water at night,
| But the tenderfoot hung upon
his own shoulder, not only the
smallest of their three canteens,
but also the empty one which they
had found in the camp. Their own
third tin, almost full, they left be-
side Hoff, with a note.
I've notion" said Jones,
that I'll need all these receptacles
for water in my own peculiar bust
ness"
"All right" assented the other
patiently. He took one of them
and the pail from Jones and skill
fully disposed them on his own
back. READY? Hike. then"
| W. HOuis VI Tie TOuBl6SI KING
of climbing brought them to a
landslide. These sudden shift
ings of the slopes are frequent
failure OF travel In the Lower
California mountains, often oblit-
Grating trails and costing the way
farer painful and perilous search.
for a new path. On the Pedre
Cliffs, however, had occurred that
rare phenomenon, benevolent
avalanche, piling up safe and
feasible embankment around the
angle of an impracticable precivt
pice, and thus saving an hour of
the most ticklish going of the
journey. Thanks to this dispense
ton, the two men reached the Ten
ala Poquita before dawn. Scout
ing ahead, the captain reported mo-
fresh trail except coyotes and
mule deer. and not more than sew.