Lower coast gazette., 1913-08-16

and down the opposite side of the
gorge. Then, with a quickness and
lightness that excited the watchers
admiration, the Indian shifted apout,
slipped v the edge of the p%recipice,
and began to let himself down from
ledge to ledge.
When the Indian had descended
about fifty feet, and was out of sight,
Tommy crept back a few PAGES, and
ran along till he was opposite the
point where his enemy had disappear
ed. Then he crawled to the edge of the
canyon, and thrusting his head out
beside a projecting rock, looked down
into the chasm.
The Indian was almost at the bot.
tom, and vas plainly following, not a
path, but a sort of rocky ladder with
which he was perfectly familiar, for he
swung himself down rapidly and
surely. Upon reaching the level of
the creek, he drank deeply-the sight
was maddening to the thirsty onlooker
-waded across, and disappeared, for
it was impossible to see the foot of the
wall on the east. There was, however,
40 doubt that he had begun to climb
upward.
Tommy was uncertain what to do.
1t would be easy to run away, and
even if the Apache followed him, there
was little danger of his being over
taken; but when he thought of the In.
dams murderous career and skill in
hiding, he resolved to remain where
he was. Never again, perhaps, would
a white man hold the red outlaw at
such a disadvantage.
The Indians ascent was ~noiseless.
Although Clark listened intently, he
could hear nothing. He clutched his
heavy revolver, and waited, with ey-
cry sense On the alert, resolved to
shoot the Indian the moment he ap-
ppeared.
At the point where he lay, there was
a pronounced overhanging bulge in
the wall of the canyon; a few feet to
one side of him a deep crease sepa.
rated the jutting rock from a straight
stretch Of wall. This crease, evidently
made by a ~watercourse, ran doWa di.
agonally nearly to the bottom of the
gorge.
At last, looking along this jagged
%crevice. Tommy saw his foe. The
Apache was climbing rapidly, now
bracing himself with his back against
the rock, now pulling himself up by his
hands to a new resting place.
The cowboy rested the pistol across
the rock, and drew a. bead on the top
of the Indians head, not more than a
hundred feet below him. At such
range he knew that he could not miss.
But somehow his finger could not
press the trigger. It was contrary to
the instincts of his race. He ran to
his fallen horse, hastily detached the
supple leather rope from the saddle.
bow, and hurried back to the edge of
the canyon.
Several of the buzzards few up In
alarm, and Tommy, fearing that the
Indian might havve seen them, exer-
cised great caution in looking down.
1t was we'll that he did so.
The Apache had paused, and was
staring upward. He had shifted the
gun he vas carrying from his back to
his breast, where he could grasp it
more readily, and he now held a knife
III his teeth. For several minutes his
beady eyes continued to search the
edge Of the wall above him; but at
last, when the carrion birds h&d set.
tied down again, he seemed to be re.
assured.
When the Indian resumed the as
cent, the cowboy noticed the distances
about him. He drew up the lariat, tied
one end round the gnarled trunk q a
mesquit, and then held the rope ready.
When the Apache reached the bottom
of the bullying rock, and raised his
arms to climb round it the coil sud.
denly shot down over his arms and
about his waist.
Instantly he dropped his left hand;
but before he could use it to throw off
the rope, the moose pinioned his arm to
his side. The next moment he was
jerked from the crevice and swung
into space.
The rounded rock carried the lariat
so far out that he hung directly over
the bed of the creek, and fully 275 feet
above it.
The captive, although completely
srrnrised, was nndaunted With his
free hand he snatched the knife from
his mouth, and reached up to saw at
the straining rawhide.
"Cut it off if you want to-" Tommy
shouted ,exultantly. "You won't know
what hurt you by the time you hit the
bottom!"
1t is doubtful if the Apache under