The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1914-12-18
(Chapter Thirty-Eight Continued,

For half an floIr 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 long, broad ledge that over
hung the valley of the lower trail, with
a clear drop to the latter from the
brink of a good two hundred feet.
One hasty look back and down into
the valley evoked grunt Of satisfac-
ton 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 a smack of relish in his
voice. 'Simple-neat-effic
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 filed 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 overshoulder:
were straining themselves against the
boulder without budging it an inch,
for all its apparent nicely of poise. For
an instant wild hope flashed through
her mind, but it was Immediately ex-
orcised 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
Marrophat aided him, all eager inter-
est, Judith was taking advantage of
their disregard of her.
Hurriedly unbuttoning her jacket,
she whipped playing card from her
pocket, trey O. hearts, and with the
stub of a pencil scrubbed three words
on its face-'Danger! Go back!"
Then finding a small, fiattish bit of
rock. she Ibound the card to it with
a 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.
1t was no trick at all to drop the
stone so that it fell within a dozen
feet of the leading korseman.
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
Ightened 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 while the girl
soothed her own, the bandit rushed to
the edge, threw himself fiat and swore
bitterly, with an accent of grievance,
as he rose.
From the canyon below dull noise
of gallopiug hoofs advertised too plain
ly 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.
"One moment, Mr.. Slade," she sug-
gested evenly. Just a moment before |
you break the sad news to Mr.. Mario |
phat I've something to say that needs |
your Observation-Disclosures your respect. |
1t is this: l am parting company with |
you and Mr.. Marrophat. l am riding |
on toward the west, by this trail. If !
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 >plighten you if you have
any doubt - my ability to take care Of
myself in such affairs as this. If you
are we'll advised, you will turn back
and report failure to my father"
She nodded CURLY and swung her
horse round.
"And what shall ! tell your father