Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-03-10

the horse that had been shot under
him; and III dith sat her horse calmly,
smiling swe ct insolence into the exas-
perated courtenanee 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 the bandit
that Judith had been, at least indi-
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 a 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 a short cut
through the range, via what he termed
the upper trail, by which they hoped
to be able to head the fugitiyes off be-
fore they could gain the desert on the
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 Tecklessly down the noun
tain-side and throwing himself upon
his horse with the advice:
We've headed 'em--can make 1t
now If we ride like all getout!"
For half an hour more they pushed
on at the best speed to b. obtained
from their weary animals, at length
drawing rein at a 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
a clear drop TO the latter from the
brink Of a good two hundred feet.
One hasty look back ana down into
the valley evoked a grunt o. satisfac-
ton from Hopi Jim.
Just in time" he asseverated. Here
they come! Ten minutes more :"
His smile answered MarrophaG's
with unspeakable cruel significance.
Texas will sleep better tonight
when he knows how I've squared the
deal for him." the bandit declared.
"Whas 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 Judithi" Marrophat
replied, with a smack of relish In his
voice. Supplemented
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, endeavorng to pene-
trate the turbulent currents of super.
heated air that filled the valley Then
she made out indistinctly the family
marked line of the lowei 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,
we're straining themselves against the
boulder without budging 1t an inch,
for all its apparent nicely of poise, For
an instant a 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"--reached
her ears.
Kneeling beside the boulder he dug
busily for an instant, then lodged the
stick to his satisfaction, attached the
belly to the edge Of the clin 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 a playing card from her
pocket, trey o. hearts, and with the
stub Of a pencil scrubbed three words
on its face-"Dangerl Go back"
Then finding a 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 kneellng 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 horseman.
She saw him rein in suddenly, dis
mount, cast a 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 a
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