The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1915-01-25
Copyright. 1914. BY Louis Joseph vance
Continued From Last Saturday,


thwart the land, the party came quietly
into the town Of Mesa, riding slowly il
order that the noise of their approach
might not warn the fugitives, who
HOpi asserted confidently would still
be sound asleep in the accommoda
tions offered by the towns one hotel.
1t was to be termed town only In
courtesy, this Mesa: struggling
street Of shacks, ramshackle relics OF
| what had once been a promising com
immunity. the halfway station between
1.-THE railroad and the mining camps
fsecreted in the Businesses of the Paint
led hills-camps now abandoned, their
livery names almost faded out of the
memory of mankind.
Midway in this string Of edifices the
hotel stood-a rough, Imprinted, wood
en- edifice, mainly veranda and bar
room as to it's lower floor.
jealousy Judith watched the win
dows of the second floor: and she
alone of the four detected the face that
showed for one brief instant well back
iii the shadows beyond one of the bed
room windows face that slimmered
momentarily with the pallor of a
ghosts against the background Of that
obscurity, and then was gone.
Her eyes alone, indeed, could have
recognized the features Of Alan Law
in that fugitive glimpse.
Two sentences exchanged between
- Fol
whom he reused from sodden slumbers
behind the bar sealed their confidence
with conviction: the three fugitives
were in fact guests of the house, oe-
cupying two of the three rooms that
composed it's upper story.
In the rush that followed up the
narrow stairway, Judith led with such
spirit that NOT even Marrophat sus-
pected her revolver was poised solely
with intent to shoot from his hand his
own revolver the instant he leveled
it at human target.
Closed and locked doors confronted
them; and their summons educed no
response; while the first door, when
broken in by a whole-souled kick, dis
covered nothing more satisfactory
than an empty room, its bed bearing
the imprint of a woman's body, but
that woman gone.
From the one window, looking down
the side of the house, Texas announced
that the woman had not escaped by
jumping out.
So it seemed that the three must
have had warning of their arrival,
after all; and presumably were now
herded together in the adjoining room,
which looked out over the veranda
roof, waiting in fear and trembling
for the assault that must soon come
and in fact immediately did.
But it met with more stubborn re-
sistance than had been anticipated.
The door had been barricaded from
within - REINFORCED by furniture
placed against it. Four minutes and
the united efforts of four men Gnclud-
ing the bleary loafer of the barroom)
were required to overcome its inert re-
sistance. But even when it was down,
the room was found to be as empty as
the first.
Only the fingers Of two hands grip
ping the edge of the veranda roof
showed the way the fugitives had
flown; and these vanished instantly as
the room was invaded.
Followed swift rush of hoofs down
the dusty street, and chorus of bias
phemy in the hotel hallway: for Ju-
dith had headed the concerted rush
for the staircase. and contrived to !
block it for full half minute by pre-
tending to stumble and twist her
ankle.
In spite of that alleged injury, she
never limped, and wasn't yard be-,
mind the first who broke from the
lotel to the open, nor yet appreciably
behind him in vaulting to saddle.
Well up the road cloud of smoky
lust half obscured the shapes Of three
who rode for their very lives.
The pursuit was off in a twinkling
md we'll bunched-M arrophat's mount
eading by nose, Judith second, Hopi
i'm and Texas but little in the rear.
And in the first rush they seemed to
ain; moment by moment they drew
~ on the flying cloud of dust
Judith heard an oath muttered be-
ide her and saw MarrOphat jerking a
evolver from it's holster. The weapon
wept up and to a level; but as the
ammer fell, Judith's horse caromed
cavity against the other, swinging it
alf dozen feet aside, and DETECTING
ne bullet hopelessly.
The shock of collision was so great
lat Marrophat kept his seat with diff
Guilty. He turned toward Judith
ace ivid with rage.
Simultaneously, as if taking the shot
8 the signal for a fusillade, Judith
NV Alan lean back over his horses
imp and open fire.
An instant laterhis companion, Bar
is, initiated his example.
In immediate consequence, Texas
Popped reins, slumped forward over I
le pommel, wabbled weakly in his
lddle for moment, then losing the
irrups, pitched headlong to the
'Ound. while HOni inns horse