Omaha daily bee., 1914-10-18

to wax into fury: Judith What do YOU mean
by this? Has It indeed come to this that my own
daughter dedes me to my face7'
Apparently" she shot back with a short laueh
Judge for YOURSELF"
Have you forgotten your vow to me?s
No. But take IL back and cancel It: that n
my privilege, believe. Silencel" she stormed
as he strove to gainsay her. "snence-do you
hear?-or It will be the worse for you'll"
AS well command the sea to still IT'S voice: her
father ragged like the mailman that he was for the
time being Invested of his habitual mask OF frigid
heartlessness.
And seeing that there was no other way of quiet
ing him, the girl turned to the third man
Nov. Jimmyi" she said crisply into that car
and be quick about it--and gag himl"
If you do" her father foamed 'I1l have your
life"
A flourish Of her weapons gained instant obedi-
ence
She stepped up on the running board and shot
quick, searching glance at the face Of the chauf
feur.
straight ahead, my mani" che said Make for
the nearest pass through those hills yonder and
don't delay unless you're anxious for trouble. ON
you goi"
The car began to move. She swept the three
men In the desert mocking bow, jumped into the
body Of the car and slammed the door
They made no effort to plead their cause and Sc
cure passage even far the edge of the desert.
doubtless they knew too well the utility Of that
she thought, as she settled back in a seat chuck
ling with the memory Of those three masks Of dis
may unmiugated.
1t was not until i've minutes later when she
Strengthened up from making Alan comfortable that
she realized what had made them so content to
abide by her will
Then she heard their voices lifted together in
long, shril howl that was quickly answered hy
fainter yells from distant quarter Of the desert
then by pistols popping and flashing some two
miles away, then by growing rumor OF galloping
hoofs.
The night glasses in the car Afforded her flashes
of a body Of several horsemen--some six or seven
she judged-making at top speed toward the spot
where Marrophat, Hicks and Jimmy waited beside
beacon which they had built and lighted
Half q dozen sentences exchanged with the chauf-
feur advised her that these were horsenen from
the town OF Mesa who had charged themselves with
the duty of avenging the death of nopi Jim slade
sardonic chuckle from within Trines gag goad-
ed the girl into sullen fury
Exacting his utmost speed from the chauffeur
under penalty of her dispeasure, she set herself
to revive Alan.
as the caS carried, this was quickly enough ac-
complished
strangling with an overdose Of brandy too little
diluted with water, Alan sat up, grasped the con-
ditionslin q hash, and gained further information
as he devoured sandwiches and emptied a canteeu
The mountain pass was now he Judged a mile
distant The light the hillside, according to the
chauffeur, was that Of prospector who had camped
there temporarily. There nothing, then to be
feared from that quarter but solely from the raar
where the horsemen, having picked up Mario
PLAT and his companions had instituted hot pur-
suit and we're now strung out in a long Struggling
line. three horses carrying double the farthermost
perhaps mile and half away-one with sin.
gle rider the nearest, well within threequarters OF
mile.
Nobly mounted this. last came on like the wind
gaining the motor car with every stride for hia
horse was trained to such going. whereas the car
at best could only labor heavily in dust and sand
None the less, It had won to a point within a
quarter OF mile from the pass before the horse
man got within what he esteemed the proper range,
and opened fire.
He fired thrice. His first shot winged wide. his
second by ill-chance ripped through rear tire OF
the car, thus placing upon It an additional hand
cap while this third sought the zenith as his hands
new up and he dropped from the saddle drilled
through the body by Alans only shot
lons7range pistol duel in progress. before
the car had covered half the remaining distance to
the pass.
BY the time It entered this last, which proved
to be narrow ravine with towering sides Of
crumbly earth and shale and broken rock. the pur.
suit was not hundred yards behind while the
firing well-nign~ continuous.
Two hundred feet above the tran two men were
working with desperate haste At some mysterious
business-though none noticed them
Only the chauffeur was aware OF woman run
ming down the hillside at angle to intercept the
pass.
AS IT drew near the spot where she paused, wav-
ing both arms franticaly the head Of the pursuing
party swept into the mouth OF the ravine.
At the same time the chauffeur noticed that tie
two men on the hillside were following the woman
pellmell, throwing themselves down the slope With
gigantic leaps and bounds
And then great explosion rent the peaceful
hush of night-that till then had been profaned
by the pattering cracks OF the revolver fusiIlade
) As the roar OF dynamite subsidized the entire side
OF the hill shifted and slid ponderously down. chok-
ing the rayine with debris to the depth OF some
thirty or forty feet, burying the leaders of the
pursuit beyond hope Of rescue.
Only an instant later the motor car jolted to a .
halt and Alan pulled himself together to find that
Rose and Barcus standing beside the door
and jabbering joyful greetings. mixed with more or
less incoherent explanations OF the manner In
which they had come TO seek shelter for the night
IN the prospector's shack and reused by the noise
Of firing and recognizing Alan in the car by the
aid OF night glasses had with the prospectors aid
hit upon this scheme OF shooting q landslide ia
between the pursuit and its devoted quarry
lTo be eontInued9