Arizona republican., 1912-02-10
.TheCoyote By JAMES OLIVER cURWooD. Copyright, 1910, by the Pearson
 Publishing co.)
By JAMES OLIVER cURWooD.

watch began tinkling of the hour of nine.
 One-twO-three-fo He crushed the girls head in his arm, smothering the sound from her. Five-six- seven. He pressed his lips to hers. Eight-nine-
 My wife-my sweet little wife"
 Her face was growing cold. Her lips were cold. Her arms slipped from his shoulders. She became a weight in his arms
 God in heaven be praised." he breathed.
 He looked into her white, still face again, buried his face in the warm sweetness of her hair, and as he waited whispers of prayer formed themselves on his lips.
 TlCK-TICK-TICK
 He could hear his watch A clam my chill crept through him. The. roar of the bursting mountain seemed al ready to fill his head Sickness weakness-overcame him, and he sank down upon the cold rock floor with his unconscious burden.
 TlCK-TICK-TICK-
 His watch was beating of the sec onds, faster and faster. He counted them, ten, twenty, forty, sixty-and they raced so swiftly that his brain could not follow. Something had hap pened to the wire up on the rock. They were attaching the battery. A moment more
 The seconds grew into minutes. Fiye-ten-he lifted his head. Good God, what did it mean? The girl moved, and he strained her to him. She was coming back to life. His fin gers touched her soft throat, and he knew that God would have him choke back her life a little longer. His fin gers frightened. and he groaned aloud. The bell in his watch struck again. IL was a quarter after nine. IL would happen soon-it MUST happen soon. There had been delay-they were pressing the button now. A little lonser-just a little longer-
 4 sound came 10 him. It was not the ticking Of his watch. IL was not the little bell. He raised his head, his eyes shining madly. It was voice a faint shout-beyond the choked up mouth of the coyote
 He dropped the girl and sprang to the rocks. and his voice rose in shrieks that were like those of a madman. Answering shouts came to him through the mass of earth and rock. They heard him, He heard the beat of metal picks on hard rock,-one, two. three, and then an army of them! Their CLlCK-CLICk-C to him faintly, swiftly, and he contin- ued to shout until he staggered back exhausted. The girl had regained consciousness, and was swaying on her feet, holding out her arms to him and muTmuring incoherent things. He sprang to her and caught her in his arms.
 We're saved." he shouted. Some thing has happened, They're out there-they hear us-I can hear them working"
 She looked at him dumbly, incom- prehendingly, and her hands went 10 his face again, and in her eyes there was a look as though she feared the strain had been too much for him.
 "Come-listen!" he cried, and he drew her to the choked mouth of the coyote, holding her trembling form in his arms.
 For a moment they held their breath.
 In the silence there came to them distinctly the rapid beating of many picks upon rock.
 An hour later crumbling slide of earth and rock cleared the mouth Of the coyote. A flood of warm, fresh air rushed in upon Philip and the girl he still held in his arms. In a moment he was carrying her over the debris. A dozen lanterns flashed in their faces, a score of men had drawn back, lean ing on their picks and crowbars, star ing at them white-faced and silent, as men will stare at those who have come out of the jaws of death. But one sprang forward, and caught the girl from Philip. It was her father, the vice-presldent, and from behind him Philip heard the voice of one of the men, which told him what had happened. A rock had fallen upon the wire leading to the dynamite, and had severed it. The battery had failed to explode the mountain, and men had come down to investigate.
 He drew in great draughts of air, and looked at Isobel and her father. The girl had freed herself from his arms, and another man was standing near, holding out his hands to her. It was the Englishman. And then he saw the girl draw herself erect-turn and search for him; and when she