Gunnison news-champion., 1912-06-21
0WsUA . : - . C. -
Couttnued % Third Page.


q 60 vtu rstssa sAs suset some
OaDss As~a - ~ Arkassss. IT,
OAs0 htsal - hase farther Wsss,
OAsso sAsy UssS - sssa. wAst q
oUs eas. bes7"
"Thsts sAs sss n lo0ns sp tsr nss.
~; most skely tsss the boss Aimr
80"
We'll SAosvsr n sss. the Ssrl =
osall VITA tAs others. and their tposl
= IL sesiest 70 follow Well ksoD
sessr sA>a"
rAsy pushed on hour sitter hour. -
- - daylight lasted or they could
oDsesivs ths fsintest trace to follow
Alssady half convinced that he knew
- ultimate Asstinastoa sf the fuG1
o~Gs. Keith Jet dare not vsstune On
ossssiag ferwsrd dursAG the night tkss
Dosstbly losinG the trsil and being
ssoUsl'ed - retraee thsir steps. 1t
Wes better - proceed SLOW sna sure.
oou1Aes. judsinG from The condition a
ostr Own horses. the pursued would
- compelled to halt somew here TO
sost their stock alse Their traal even
sovesled the fact that they we're trav-
cling fer less rapidly than OF Arst. aL
Enough evidently making every enort
- cover the greatest possible ats-
tence before stopping. just - the
1ush shut In close about them they
rode down into the valley Of shaw
- Fork. end discovered signs of
socent camp ct ths edge Of the stream.
Mere, apparently. Judging from the
campfire ashes, and the trampled
0roas along the Fork, the party must
have halted for several hours. BY
hghting matches Keith and Bristoo
eiscerned where some among them
had laid down TO sleep, aaa. through
various siGns. Aecided they must have
oOoAn eepartsd some I've - ella h0uss
Osovtous. enc ef their horses HmpinG
- y lane. The tired pursuers went
INTO camp at the same spot, but with
cut venturing to light any hre, merely
onatchinG . cold bite, and cropping
- TO sleep with heads pillowsd upon
tAeir saddles.
They we're upon the trail again with
the first dimness of the gray dawn,
Wading the waters of the Fork. and
striking forth across the duh level of
brown prairie and white alkali to-
ward the Arkansas. They saw nothing
oil day moving In that wide vista
about them, but rode steadily, scarce
ly exchanging Q word. determined,
grim, never swerving a yard from the
faint trail. The pursued were moving
slower, hampered. no doubt, by their
lame horse, but were still well in ad-
vance. Moreover. the strair of the
saddle was already beginning to tell
severely on Waite, weakened somewhat
by years, and the pursuers were com
PEELED to halt oftener on his account.
The end Of the second day found them
approaching the broken land border
ing the Arkansas valley. and just be-
fore nightfall they picked up a lame
horse evidently discarded by the
party ahead.
by this time Keith had reached q
definite decision as TO his course. II
the fugitives received a fresh relay
OF horses down there somev here. and
crossed the Arkansas, he felt positive
ly sure as to their destination. But IT
would be useless pushing on after
them In the present shape of his party
their horses worn out. and Waite
reeling giddily in the saddle If Haw-
ley's outfit crossed the upper ford, to-
ward which they were evidently head
ing, and struck through the sand hills.
OF that lone cabin on Salt Fork.
Should this prove true. then il was
probable the gambler had not even
yet discovered the identity of Hope,
for II he had he would scarcely ven
ture upon taking her there. knowing
that Keith would naturally suspect
the spot But Keith would not be like
ly 10 personally take up the trail in
eearch tor Christie Maclaire. II must
have been Hawley then who had left
the party and ridden east, and up TO
that time he had not found out his
mistake Yet IL he brought out the
fresh animals the chances were that
Hopes identity would be revealed
Bristoe. who had turned aside to ex-
anime the etraying horse, came trot-
ting up.
Belonged to their outfit all right.
Cap" he reported. carries the double
cross brand and that shebang is
upon the Smokey: saddle gals s.ll
Needing"
Waite was noW suffering SO acute
y they were obliged to halt before
ginning sight Of the river. finding. for
tsnately. q watef-hole fed by a spring
A soon as the sick man could be
made comfortable. Keith gave to the
others his conclusions. and listened TO
chat they had to say. Brfstoe favor
I'd clingine to the trafl. even though
they must travel slowly. but Fairbain
insisted that Waite must be taken to
errpe fovp yhere Ia clZlA kS SYGH