Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-05-27
THE CHASE OF
THE HOLD-UP MAN
By KENNETH CARLYLE BEATSON

lWarQ the NORWAY. L "dhtd Sct ian
started after me. I don't see no fur
in pulling of a hold-up IL nobody
gonna come after me and make 1t In
teresting.
Reaching the door he stepped ou
on the platform and walked over t.
where his horse stood. He fastened
the package of gold to the rear Of th'
saddle and mounted.
He reasoned that it would take a
least ten minutes for the sheriff to b'
warned and get started in pursuit
This, he unused, was exactly as M
wished it. He could, without the leas
trouble, lead the sheriff some distance
out of town, then dismount and en-
gage him in the kind Of best-man
come -out- f-it-alive fight that to jim
was the greatest sport on earth.
Presently, when he thought suftici
ent time had elapsed to enable TIT
sheriff to have started, he mounted
little knoll and looked back along th'
trail. At first he saw nothing but
thin cloud Of dust that seemed IL bt
moving toward him. He fixed his gaze
on a little rise in the trail over which
he knew his pursuers must ride, ane
which was just a little ahead Of the
approaching dust cloud. AS he watch
ed, a rider suddenly appeared. H'
leaned forward. his gaze intent; ther
suddenly sat up stifi with a muftiec
curse. Following the first man to ap'
pear on the rise, fully eleven others
had come into view.
All thoughts Of a stand flew from
Jim's head. He could fight one man
possibly two or three-and have the
time Of his life, but twelve men
That was not to be thought Of, ever
by Jim.
BLAZER, old horse" he muttered
patting his mount on the neck ane
heading him around, II reckon We
gotta beat the doggone bunch to the
pass. That's all the HI there Is to 1t
We can beat them, all rightly. They
amt got a horse in the outfit that car
keep the pace we're gonna set"
Jim's knowledge OF horses was ex'
tensive, to say the least. This knowl
edge enabled him to know that ar
hour and a half Of hard riding through
a country as rough and broken as tha
through which led the trail he follow
ed would be something more thar
could be expected Of an ordinary
horse. The horse he rode, however
he knew to be far from ordinary. ano
felt certain could be relied upon tc
cover the entire distance to the pass
at a speed which those following
would find hard to duplicate.
For an hour he urged his horse
along, now forced to proceed at a walH
because Of the rocky trail, now able
to spread into a jogging trot, now gal
Looping gaily along level stretches. Al
the end Of that time he began to look
for signs that would indicate that his
pursuers, or part Of them, were drop
ping behind. He had paid them lit.
tie attention SO far, but had given his
whole attention to his own riding. On
a rise he paused to gaze back for
moment. With great satisfaction he
saw that all of those following but two
had dropped behind. These followed
at a distance Of about a mile and a
half. The one whose horse seemed
to be the stronger he surmised to be
the sheriff, although at that distance
he could not be certain.
They'll give out pretty soon, all
rightly" he assured his horse. This
trails sure to get them. There ain'
but one horse in Arizona can take this
trail full tilt. Not by whole lot"
Squirting his horse he swung round
The horse started forward at a trot
stumbled suddenly, pitched forward
then floundered to it's feet. Jim leaned
over in the saddle and looked at the
right front foot.
With an oath he leaped from his
seat to the ground. and lifted the foot
between his hands for a closer In
spection. Hurt bad. too," he thought
There amt no chance now. He
couldn't go another mile"
He Strengthened up and looked over
the country ahead. For several Sec
onds he stood looking, then he finally
saw something, something off to the
right of the trail, that sent a new
hope through him.
"a ranch house." he muttered. "Say
I oughta be able to get a horse here
Casting one short glance back to see
how much his pursuers had gained
by the delay, he swung into the sad
die and urged the crippled horse on.
The horse limped painfully. but he
made good progress He was the
sort of beast that will give everything
in him, and then keep going.
The house was nearer than Jim had
judged. Coming out Of little draw
he found himself almost upon 1t. A
girl, a young and pretty girl. was out
by the chicken yard feeding flock OF
fowl. She ceased scattering wheat and
looked up in surprise as she saw him
approaching.
"Howdy, ma'am," he greeted, as soor
as he had dismounted.
"Why-how-how do you do" she
|stammered.
You don't know who I am, I reck'
on" said Jim, but maybe you mights
heard of me. I'm Tom Stevens, sher-
iff Of Coconino county. I want you
to do little favor for me, and I'm
in an awful hurry. I wanta get
horse. Have you got one right
hardy?"
The girl was reading him open
eyed. The flush that came into hel
face made her seem prettier.
"Why-I don't know" she hesi'
tated. We've got several horses
but"
well, ma'am. I wish you would gel
me one," said Jim. "I'm after a mar
who's hitting the trail for Mexico, and