The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-11-26
When Lightning Strikes Twice
By Kenneth Carlyle Beatson.

from Mister Bill Zeigler, and youth
get the rest you've sure enough
earned"
He made certain Of the direction
OF the light, and then started for it.
At first he thought the short rest
had done his mount worlds of good,
for the animal started off at a lively
gallop. In a very few minutes,
however, the gallop dwindled into a
trot-and not much of a trot,
either.
The Pickering light drew slowly,
very slowly, nearer and nearer, Kir-
by's horse was doing its best; but
that best, Kirby feared, would never
get him to that campfire. The ami
NAL was stumbling every second or
so, and Kirby had to keep his feet
free Of the stirrups so that he would
be able to get loose in case Of a
fall.
And then. just as Kirby was be-
ginning to lose all hope, he rounded
the edge of a low little mesa and
came almost upon a second camp
fire, around which sprawled half a
dozen cow-punchers. AS they were
in the circle Of light thrown out by
the campfire they could not see him.
but he could see them plainly. He
jerked up his horse and turned to
hear that clump, clump back of him
and when he heard it he almost
gasped from establishment. He knew
that the Sheriff had been making
better time than he, but
He amt morn a quarter of a
mile back!" he muttered. II amt
got time to get a horse; 1 couldn't
say more'n a dozen words to these
punchers before he gets here!"
Acting wholly on impulse, he
turned his horse about and rode
back around the edge of the Mesa,
out OF sight of the camp fire. And
it was a good impulse that prompt
ed him to do this. No sooner was
he back of the mesa than that cloud
slid away from before the moon,
and the desert became brightly light
ed again. The light Of no camp fire
was ever as bright as the moon
light; the punchers would surely
have seen him had he still been on
the mesa.
AS soon as the strong light came
on. Kirby flashed a look back of
him. After a moment he saw a
horse and rider come up into view
on rise a short way back, and then
disappear in a wash.
"That settles it," Kirby rode his
horse into the shade of a great heap
of rocks. 'TIl have to wait for him.
If he's following me close all 1 can
do is to pot him. I don't think he
is, though, or he couldn't be SO dog
gone close behind. He musta cut
off from my trail away back there
and struck out for this camp fire.
He could see it from back there
when | couldn't from where | was.
Louder and louder sounded the
clump, clump of Zeigler's horse, and
presently the horse and rider came
into view not two hundred yards
away. Kirby took out his gun and
held himself ready; but he might
have spared himself the trouble, for
the Sheriff galloped straight past
him and around the edge OF the
mesa.
"He wasn't following my tracks,
that's plain" decided Kirby. "And
If | amt mistaken he's due to be
d%oggone sorry he didn't follow EN-"
He put back his gun and tied up
his horse. Then he crawled around
the edge OF the mesa, lodging quick
ly from shadow to shadow. exposing
himself as little as possible. Pres
entity he came to where he could
plainly hear and see all that was
going on at the camp fire, and there
he stayed.
Zeigler was leaning down from his
saddle, talking earnestly to the
punchers. The punchers had all
stood up and were grouped about
the Sheriff's horse.
Give been following this Kirby
since morning." the Sheriff was ex-