Evening journal., 1914-12-24

guess you and may have to do with
out our salaries for awhile.
John looked up and caught himself.
He was In no position to quarrel with |
this man. PAY the men first. OF |
course he said. He proceeded TO get |
into package OF biueprints and mem
oranda.
..Going 10 mover" suggested Nvilker-
son.
I'm going for a trip. and l tN'ught
I'd look over my notes in the Nean-
while" was the response.
Wukerson said no more. He went on
the alert. From Bin Tubbs he learned
that Dorr was going to run into either
Vale Vista or Silent Valley with the
motor truck.
The superintendent Of the master
Key" belonged 20 the type that is cat.
Ike in its uuickness Of action. based
on intuition rather than on reason.
While Ruth Gallon was carefully con
cealed. It was more than possible that
Dorr would so stir things up with the
aid Of Everett that MI plans to seize
control OF. the mines stock would be
futile. He must not be allowed TO go
| to San Francisco
But how to prevent himf Wilker-
bon pondered this problem till his dark
face was suffused with angry blood.
There was no way but the way Of vio-
lence. Among his sensuous appetites
was none for blood. but he nerved him
self to his task and shortly after mid
Say called for his horse and rode out
stating that he was going across the
divide to see about fresh supply OF
wood In the saddle scabbard he car
ried a short saw.
Spanning an arroyo between two hilii
halfway TO Silent Valley was a shor
bridge OF considerable height II wa
midafternoon when Harry Wilkersoi
threw the bride rein over his pony
head and climbed down the hill slop
till he was directly under the bridge
Then he pulled the little saw out of h
shirt bosom and began work. Fiftee
minutes later he climbed up to th
. read, broke the saw In two, aung th
pieces into the brush and rode ava,
He did not go far.
From his place OF vantage halfwa
u up the hill he waited The hour tn
L elapsed before he heard the coughir
of the motor seemed an endless succe
sion Of deadly seconds, each mark'
n by a stabbing breath. Then he sa
"a the truck emerge from the cut and col
's mence to rumble heavily down q
Iu slope. John Dorr was driving. Wi
y him was one Of the hands.
p The heavy truck bumped upon I
~ bridge. and in the desert silence {
u man on the hill saw it quietly sway
one side and then plunge downwa
~ to the rocks below. Before the sou
- Of that crash could reach his listeni
&c ears he saw a sudden burst of tiaI
~ shoot up a dense swirl Of smoke. The
~ like the faraway cracking OF a fl
came the noise Of the yielding timbe
~ followed by a dull boom.
my Godw whispered Wilkerson
himself. "The gasoline tank explod
=. and the car is on FIRE" He crouch
~ in the brush, waiting to see whetl
any one emerged from the gulch.
one did. The bridge burned fierce
At least no one would ever know
=" cause OF this catastrophe and j
~. 80 Dorr would not go to San francisco
Instinct told him to fee the see
ryv.4 d, .,frovrr,,. r,ocofor, ovarao r11a n
= he must see for himself what had b
l. pened. He mounted his horse and r
4A swiftly down the slope.
8N The truck had turned complet
aN over and lay broken and smolder
al across the waterworn powders v
Il kerson could not see two FORMS
VA he discerned through the eddy
a& smoke was the body Of John d.
W. flung some distance from the tn
8n his paid face turned to the blaz
kN sky.
f "Deadr muttered Wilkerson, chi
t with the horror OF the thing he
~ done. 1t bit into his very soul,
M scene, until he could not stand II Ion
va and rode furiously away toward
WI other side OF the divide. He must
sEN on his supposed errand about the W
- and know nothing Of this.
On the crest Of the mountain he b
!. | !. ] ] (. {. : !. . !. !. !. !. ! !. =. !: :: :" ! .
n ed and looked back. Far below hi
thin curl Of gray smoke marked
site Of the murder. Knowing that
was safe, Wilkerson experienced a
mendOus reaction.
He raised himself exultantly In
stirrups. He was now master Of
nj master Key" mine.
Hlll %HhpTEp "