The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1914-12-19

him; and Judith sat her horse calmly,
smiling sweet insolence into the exae-
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
PLAT contrived to persuade tb7 bandit
that Judith had been. at least indl.
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 to head the fugitives off be-
Il
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 Il
now II 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
brink OF 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.
We're going to tip that over or
your friends, Miss Judith" Marrophat
replied, with smack of relish in his
voice. 'Simple-neat-efiic
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 over-shoulder.
Hopi Jim and Marrophat, ignoring her,
were straining themselves against the
boulder without budging II an inch
for all its apparent nicely of poise. For
an instant a wild hope flashed through
| her mind. but IL was Immediately ex-
orcised when Hopi Jim stepped back
| and uttered few words of which only
two-"dynamite" and "fuse"-reached
| 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
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 80 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. a trey O. hearts, and with the
stub of pencil scrubbed three words
on it's face--"Danger! Go back"
Then finding small, fiattish bit Of
rock, she bound the card to 1t 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 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-
| tachad tho card and shOwpd IA tn them