Gunnison news-champion., 1913-08-08

IS
s.sss'ss@ uaaO AS n~ ~~ 60
0oso - ~ oav aspuan 90 -
a0eaG sAsss ssuad psueE - -
steAr ~Rsb" o. - hosa oD0Saa1nA
- even those wbo - rseasos1 -
rseollecfsoa Of ksviaG sssn ~ two
lately The Dartenaers asserted shaf
neither man had sses there that ui0hA
ana the dealers above we're seHa11v
D0sisive. The city marshal, saosunr
tered outside. remembssed LMvOat.
and bad seen him st the hotel shsus
hours before. but wss positive the EEL
how had NOT been on the streets since.
Connors he did no: know, but n tAo
HAn was Majos McI1nalds arivue,
then he wss missing oil right, for Co
tain Barrett had 10 enploy . hvssy-
HsAn TO drive Mrs. Dupont back 70 ~
fort. No. there was no lady with has:
he was sure. for he had watches tAs0
set into the carriage.
The troopers were no NOSE ssse1
nate In their rssalts, but had osocssA
ed IN stirring NJ greater saeiss0sae
during their exploration. several tUo1o
iadividsala, roughly aroused 1uU0
sheep. exhibiting fghtins propensities
which had cost one . blackened eye,
and the other the loss Of tooth. B0tA,
however. hal eajoyed the occasioa,
and appeared anxious for more. Eav-
in0 sshaSstsd the pOssibilities 81 tAs
town, the soldiers procured lantssns.
aaA, leaving the horses behind, beOna
EXPLORING the prairie. In this lahss
they were assisted by the nassAal.
eal few aroused citisens hastily ~
Dressed into . posse. The seascA WoD
. thorough one. but the ground nsae
by was 30 cut up by hoofs and whss1o
as to yield no definite results HanIia,
Obsessed with the belief that whstevgs
had occurred had been engineered ~
Dupont. and recalling the fact thst ~
man was once . ranchman oomewhoso
- the southwark. juuSsA - the -
elusioa that the fellow woull natusue
~ heal - that airssetsa, sseking -
0iD1ar sssatsy n vhAsA - ha1s wtG1
~ tws tsseosss Ae pusAs1 - tsWas1
tAs rivss. sAssa1nG tAs uppss issd =
beino The Dsst hhely cAsies - the
fueitivss. The tranpasd nul q the
north bank exhiSitel fresh tracka, but
none he could positively i1sstify
However. . party en- horsebacA had
crossed within . fsw hours. anA, With
out hesitatiOA. ~ WsAeA out Int the
stream.
The sray Of dawn yes IN the shy o.
the three troopers, soaked to the waist,
crept up the south hank and studied
the trail. Behind them the yellow Ian
terms stfll bcbbeA abOut between the
river and town, but there IVES already
suNlcient light TO make visible the
signs underfOOt Horsemen had
climbed the bank, the Aoof marks yet
damp where water had Grained from
dripping fetlocks. and had instantly
broken into q hope. A moments glance
proved this to Hamlin as he crept
back and forth. scrutinisiLg each hoof
mark intently.
Five in the party" he said sober.
ly. Three mustangs and two Ameri-
can horses, cavalry shod. About three
hours ahead of u.s." He Strengthened
up. his glance peering into the gray
mists. Il reckon It's likely our outfit,
but we'll never catch them on foot.
They'll be behind the sand-dunes be-
fore this. Before we 60 back, boys,
we'll see if they left the trail where
it turns west"
The three ran forward. paying little
heed until they reached the edge of
the ravine. Here the beaten trail
swerved sharply to the right Fifty
feet beyond, the marks of horses
hoofs appeared on the sloping bank,
Ham1in sprang down TO where the
marks disappeared around the edge Of
a large bowlder His hand on the
stone, he stopped suddenly with quick
indrawing of breath, staring down at
a motionless figure lying almost at
his feet. The man, roughly dressed.
lay on his face, bullet wourd show
ing above one ear, the back of his
seek caked with blood. The Sergeant,
mastering his first sense of horror,
turned him over and gazed upon the