New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-12-09

deal for him!" the bandit declared.
What are you going to do?" Judith
demanded, refining her horse in beside
Marrophat as the latter dismounted.
A gesture drew her attention to a
huge boulder poised insecurely on the
very lip of the chasm.
We're going to tip that over on
your friends, Miss Judith" Marrophat
replied, with smack of relish in his
voice. "Simple-neat-efi cient-eh?
What more can you ask?'
She answered only with an irrepress.
ible gesture of horror. Marrophat's
laugh followed her as she turned away.
For some moments she strained her
vision vainly, endeavoring to pene.
trate the turbulent currents of super.
heated air that filled the valley. Then
she made out indistinctly the family
marked line of the lower trail; and
Immediately she caught a glimpse of
three small figures, mounted, toiling
painfully toward the point where death
awaited them like bolt from the blue.
Hastily she glanced over-shoulder:
were stTaining themselves against the
boulder without budging it an inch,
for all its apparent nicely Of poise. For
an instant a wild hope flashed through
her mind, but it was Immediately ex-
orclsed when Hopi Jim stepped back
and uttered few words of which only
two-'dynamite" and "fuse"-reachec
her ears.
Kneeling beside the boulder he dug
busily for an instant, then lodged the
stick to his satisfaction, attached the
fuse, and breaking off, edged on his
belly to the edge of the cliff and
looked down, carefully calculating the
length of the fuse by the distance of
the party down below from the spot
. where the rock must fall.
But while he was so engaged and
harrophat aided him, all eager inter
est, Judith was taking advantage of
their disregard of her.
Hurriedly unbuttoning her jacket,
she whipped a playing card from her
pocket, trey O. hearts, and with the
stub of a pencil scrubbed three words
on it's face--"Danger! Go back!",
Then finding a small, f1attish bit of
rock, she bound the card to it with
bit of string; and with one more
backward glance to make sure she
was not watched, approached the
brink.
Hopi Jim was meticulously shorten.
ing the fuse, Marrophat kneeling by
his side.
In the canyon below the three were
within two minutes of the danger
point.
It was no trick at all to drop the
stone so that it fell within dozen
feet of the leading horseman.
She saw him rein in suddenly, dis.
mount, cast look aloft, then dismount
and pick up the warning.
AS the others joined him, he de.
tached the card and showed it to them.
At the same time Hopi Jim and Mar.
rophat jumped up and ran back. each
Selling and holding his horse by nose
and bride.
Constrained to do likewise lest she
lose her mount, Judith waited with a
lghtened heart
The explosion smote dull echoes
from the tanks of the Painted hills
all browsing in the MONDAY hush:
the boulder teetered reluctantly on the
brink, then disappeared with tear.
ing sound followed by rush Of earth
and gravel; wide gap appeared in
the brink of the trail.
Leaving Marrophat TO hold the two
frightened horses whi'c "'>~ girl
gOOthei her own. the b.. AAA ruA iet. t.,
he edge, threw himself fiat and swore
bitterly, with an accent of grievance,
rs he rose.
From the canyon below dull noise
Of galloping hoofs advertised too plain
" the failure of their attempt.
And Hopi Jim turned back only to
find Judith mounted, refining her horse
In between him and Marrophat, and
prepared to give emphasis to what she
had to say with an automatic pistol
that nestled snugly in her palm.
Zone moment, Mr.. Slade," she sug-
gested evenly. "Just moment before
you break the sad news to Mr.. Mario
PLAT. I've something to say that needs
your Observation-Disclosures, your respect.
u Is this: / am parting company with
you and Mr.. Marrophat. l am riding
on toward the west, by this trail. II
either of you care to follow me"-the
automatic flashed ominously in the
sun glare-'it will be with full knowl-
edge of the consequences. Mr.. Mario
phat will enlighten you If you have
any doubt Of my ability to take care Of
myself in such affairs as this. II you
are well advised, you will turn back
and report failure to my father"
She nodded CURLY and swung her