Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-07-29

new lead pretty soon.", He could not
repress a sour smile. "Since the old
rate of wages has been restored I
guess you and I 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 a package of blueprints and men,
oranda.
"Going tt move?" suggested Wilker-
son.
I'm going for a trip, and l 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
Vale Vista or Silent Valley With the
motor truck.
The superintendent Of the Master
Key" belonged to the type that is cat
like in its quickneSs Of action. based
on intuition rather than on reason.
While Ruth Gallon was carefully con
cealed, it was more than possible that
Dorr would Sc 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 60
to San Francisco.
But how to prevent him? Wilker.
son pondered this problem till his dark
face was suffused with angry blood.
There was no way but the way of VIC
lence. Among his appetitea
was none for blood, but he nerved HIM
self to his task and shortly after mil
day called for his horse and rode out,
stating that he was going across the
divide to see about a fresh supply Of
wood. In the saddle scabbard he car.
ried a short saw.
Spanning an arroyo between two hills
halfway to Silent Valley was a short
bridge Of considerable height 1t was
midafternoon when Harry Wilkerson
threw the bride rein W. his pony'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 so 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 a stabbing breath. Then he saw
che truck emerge from the cut and com
mence to rumble heavily down the
slope. John Dorr was driving. With
him 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
one side and then plunge downward
to the rocks below. Before the sound
Of that crash could reach his listening
ears he saw 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 a dull boom.
MY God!' whispered Wilkerson tc
himself. THE gasoline tank exploded
and the car is IN fret 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
u Of this catastrophe, and John
Dorr would not go to San Francisco.
Instinct told him to flee the scene.
But a stronger passion overcame 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
over and lay broken and smoldering
across the waterworn powders. Viii
kerson could not see two forms; all
he discerned through the eddying
smoke vas the body Of John Dorr
flung some distance from the truck
his pallid face turned to the blazing
sky.
Dead" muttered Wilkerson, chilled
with the horror Of the thing he had
done. 1t bit into his very soul, that
scene, until he could not stand 1t longer
and rode furiously away toward the
other side of the divide. He must &C
On his supposed errand about the wood
and know nothing Of this.
On the crest Of the mountain he halt,
ed and looked back. Far below him a
thin curl of gray smoke marked the
site Of the murder. Knowing that be
was safe, Wilkerson experienced a tire.
mendOuS reaction.
He raised himself exultantly in his
stirrups. He was now master Of the
master Key" mine.