The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-12-25


the horse that had been shot under |
him; and Judith sat her horse calmly,
smiling sweet insolence into the exas-
perated countenance of Marrophat.
Incidentally the fugitives disap-
peared round bend in the road that
led directly into the wild and barren
heart of the Painted hills.
In the brief interval that elapsed be-
fore his return with Hopi Jim, Mario
phat contrived to persuade the bandit
that Judith had been, at least indi-
rectly, responsible for the catastrophe,
with the upshot that, temporarily
blinded to her destinations by the gilt
ter of nineteen thousand dollars in the
near distance, Mr.. Slade maintained
his distance and deaf ear to her
Establishments. The only information
as to their purpose that she was able
to extract from either man, when the
pursuing party turned aside from the
main trail, some distance from Mesa,
was that Hopi Jim knew short cut
through the range, via what he termed
the upper trail. by which they hoped
to be able 10 head the fugitives of be-
fore they could gain the desert on the
| far side of the hills.
Only at long intervals did they draw
rein to permit Hopi Jim to make re-
connoissance of the lower trail that
threaded the valley on the far side OF
the ridge.
Toward noon he returned in haste
from the last of these surveys
scrambling recklessly down the noun
tain-side and throwing himself upon
his horse with the advice:
We've headed 'em-can make 1t
now If we ride like all get-out!"
For half an hour more they pushed
on at the best speed to be obtained
from their weary animals, at length
drawing rein at point where the trail
crossed the ridge and widened out
upon a long, broad ledge that over
hung the valley of the lower trail, with
a clear drop to the latter from the
brink of good two hundred feet.
One hasty look back and down into
the valley evoked grunt of satisfac-
tion from Hopi Jim.
Just in time" he asseverated. Here
they come! Ten minutes more :"
His smile answered Marrophat's
with unspeakable cruel significance.
Texas will sleep better tonight
when he knows how I've squared the
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 insecurity on the
very lip of the chasm.
Were going to tip that over on
your friends, Miss Judith" Marrophat
replied, with smack of relish in his
voice. -efficient-eh
What more can you ask"
She answered only with an irrepress-
ible gesture of horror. Marrophats
laugh followed her as she turned away,
For some moments she strained her
vision vainly, endeayoring 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:
Hopi Jim and Marrophat, ignoring her
were straining themselves against the
boulder without budging it an inch
for all its apparent nicely of poise. Fol
an instant wild hope flashed through
her mind, but it was Immediately ex
orcised when Hopi Jim stepped bach
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 anC
looked down, carefully calculating the
length of the fuse by the distance O.
the party down below from the spo
where the rock must fall
But while he was so engaged anC
| hailOPhdt dAdCd hlhib Gil CdSCi AhLCA
est Judith was taking advantage o
their disregard of her.
Hurriedly unbuttoning her jacket
! she whipped playing card from he
. pocket, trey O. hearts, and with the
stub of pencil scrubbed three words
on it's face-"Danger! Go back"
Then finding a small, fiattish bit o
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 thu
brink.
, Hopi Jim was meticulously shorten
ing the fuse. Marrophat kneeling b.
his side.
In the canyon below the three were
within two minutes of the danger
point.
1t was no trick at all to drop tn,
stone so that it fell within a dozer
feet of the leading horseman.
She saw him rein in suddenly. dis
mount. cast a look aloft, then dismount