Gunnison news-champion., 1913-02-28
~uusssv.A ~ AR a.a-as . e

The earth was hard packed aad wou,1
lnove little tsail: there we're - leaves.
- osaa srsss to Eustle. beyoad -
psosecsioa soosaed ~ The stage -
e.as the fun sweep a she wind ssl
peru. 'fted her head to rest towes -
one arm NO that he could loc .ssxG
more clearly. She mad net evea
noaneA. although he haA m -
breath upoa his face. Onee - stun
basd slightly over seoe sslasa saseA.
aaS farther sloaG . soOt slipped e. .
treacherous stone, but The slioht Doass
died unnoticed in The Night II wss
snrthee TO The gully sAAa - haa sSo
posed: his heart was N hb thvoat
fearing he had missed 1t. half -bsaievta0
the Aspsssstsa failed 10 extea1 - tAs
bsse - sAs blSG. TAea his esot, -
plortAG bIinaly, touched ths sa0o -
the banh. Carefully he laid his bss-
Aea down. plactnG his battered saor
patGa hat beneath her heed. He bent
over her aGain, assuring hiDseh ths3
she breathed regularly. snd then csept
down alone into the shallow Pavine.
His nerves were like steel now, bio
hand steady, his heart beating with
out IN secellerateA thsOs. He knew
the work. and rcjoiced in 1t. This IVES
Why he wss Q soldier. silently. swtft-
". he unbuckled his belt, FefasteninO
II across the straps no ss TO hold can
teen and haversack noiseless, an1
then. revolver In Aahd, began creep
ing down under cover Of the low
banks. He must explore the path Arst
before attempting to bear her saOAG
In his arms; must be sure the passage
was uneuarded. After II swerved To
the right there would be little Danger,
but while 1t ran straight, some caur
tious savage might have chosen II 10
skulk in. To 1eal with such - neeA-
ed 10 be aloae, and free.
He must have cvswlel THIS fee thir-
ty yards, hands anA knees acAins hof-
ribly. his eyes ever peering ever the
edge of the hank, his ears tinGliRg TO
the slightest noise. The tiny glow of
the fire far away to the left was alone
visible In the intense blacknsss; the
wind brought to him no sound OF
found. almost uncanny; as he paused
and listened he could distinguish the
throb of his heart. He was across
the trail at last, for he felt and traced
the ruts Of wheels, and where the
banks had been worked down almost
to q level with the prairie. He crossed
this opening like . snake, and then
arose TO his knees beyond. where the
gully aeepsneA. He remained poised.
motionless, scarcely daring 10 breathe.
Surely that was something else-that
shapeless blotch of shadow, barely
topping the line of bank! Was 1t ten
feet away? Or i've? He could not
tell. He stared. there was no move
nent, and yet his eyes began to dis
cern Aimly the outlines-the head and
shoxlAefs Of . man! The Sergeant
crept 1efward-an inch, two inches, a
foot. rhs Agure aid not stir. Now
- was sure the fellows Aeel wa,
lying fat on the turf. oddly distorted
BY . feathereA war bonnet. The
strange posture, the utter lack Of
movement. seemed proof that the
tired warrior had fallen asleep on
watch. Like . cat Hamlin cfept up
slowly toward him, poised for . spring
stirred the savage into semi-conscious-
ness. ssdde.iy he at Up. gripping the
gun In his hands. Yet even as his
opening eyes saw aimly the Sergeant .
nenacihG sAa1oW. before he could
scream Ais alarm. Or spring upright.
the revolver butt struck with duh
thuA. and ke weat tsnbling backward
Into the ditcA. his cry Of alarm ending
In . hoarse creak. From so0ewhere,
out u TIE Asass Aarknsss IN front Q
voice called, sAafp anl CULTURAL. a. R
lts Owner - beea startled by the
nystertous sosnA Of ths baev. 1t was
the Language u The AraSaAsss, anS
put of his vague ne0ogy u the
tongue. sparrel - recollectioa by the
swift enersency. Hanlin growled Q
hoarss answer. hanging hreathlessly
nbove Tie astioaless 10y until The
"ugh!" Of tie fellows response proved
hin without suspicioa. He waited.
counting tie seoonds. every muscle
strained vitA expectancy. listening.
He had . feeling that some one vas
crawling over the short grass. wig
Cling along hke . snake, but the faint
sound. II sound it was. grew less dis-
tinct- Finally he lifted his head above
the edge Of the bank, but saw moth
ing. not even . dim shadow.
They are closing in. recl-o1" he
thought soberly, and IT isn't "
there will be any r-,ore of these "
as fer back as this: looks as 4 n
this gully turnea west Just befesd.
Anyhow I've got 70 risk it"
He returned rpid1y. lnovf,s
the passage, yet no less e. IN.
finding the unco as girl Is ex-
ectly as ne hao T. As he ci- ped
her form in his her lfr,s 7+- -ai
some incoherent = hat oi ii.--..e i :.
she gave no sisn
- voc : ~ 1ere6 70