The Prescott daily news., 1915-07-01

have news for him in few days. This ! meant that she and George Drake had done their part. But he wondered why 1t was that John Dorr, who must cer- tainly be anxiously awaiting word from Ruth, neither said anything nor displayed q sign of tmpatience.
 It did not escape him that Tom Kane and the young engineer were in con sultatIon several times. What were they planning? He determined to probe boldly. When Dorr came into the office in the afternoon and began to clear up his desk Wilkerson asked quietly, What's the news from San Francisco? Has Ruth wiredT'
 John had been expecting this per fectly natural question and was ready with his answer:
 "Everything seems to be all right
 "Goodr said the superintendent dry ly. "I'd like to get started on that new lead pretty soon." He could not 1 repreSs a sour smile. Since the old rate of wages has been restored l guess you and I may have to do with | out our Sdldr1eS TOT uWule
 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 a package of blueprints and mem oranda.
 Going to moveY suggested Wilker- son.
 "I'm going for trip, and 1 thought I'd look over my notes in the mean while" was the response. Wilkerson said no more He went on the alert. From Bill Tubbs he learned that Dorr was going to run into either valle Vista or Silent Valley with the motor truck.
 The superintendent of the "Master Key" belonged to the type that is cat like i'll its quickneSs of action, based on intuition rather than on reason. While Ruth Gallon was carefully con. cealed, Ii Has more than possible that DOrr would so stir things up with the aid of Everett that all 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 him? Wilker son pondered this problem till his darlF 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 day called for his horse and rode out. stating that he was going across tn? divide to see about q fresh supply oy wood In the saddle scabbard he car. ricd short saw
 Spanning an arroyo betwen two hills halfway 10 Silent Valley was short bridge or considerable height, 1t was midaftcnoon when Harry Wilkerson threw the bride rein over his poRy's head and climbed down the hill slope till he was directly under the bridge. Then he pulled the little saw out of his shirt bosom and began work Fifteen minutes later he climbed up to the road. broke the saw in two, flung the pieces into the brush and rode away He did not go far
 From his place of vantage halfway up the hill he waited. The hour that elapsed before he heard the coughing of the motor seemed an endless success sion of deadly seconds, each marked by stabbing breath Then he saw the truck emerge from the cut and com. mence to rumble heavily sown the slope. John Dorr was driving With bim was one of the hands.
 The heavy truck bumped upon the bridge. and in the desert silence the man on the hill saw it quietly sway to l one side and then plunge downward to the rocks below. Before the sound of tbat crash could reach his listening cars he s0w a sudden burst of flame shoot up a dense swirl of smoke. Then like the faraway cracking of a fire came the noise of the yielding timbers followed by dull boom.
 My Godr whispered Wikerson tc himself "Fhe gasoline tank exploded and the car is on fire" He crouched in the brush. waiting to see whether any one emerged from the gulch. Nc one did The bridge burned fiercely At least no one would ever know the cause of. this catastrophe, and John Dorr would not go to San Francisco.
 Instinct told him to fee the scene But stronger passion oyercame him; he must see for himself what had hap pened. He mounted his horse and rode swiftly down the slope
 The truck had turned completely