The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-03-07

NV WAN ANNAAN AnNAn - Nh8 ANAAhNA
gate. The moon still poured unbroken
brilliance upon that desert world OF
sandy stretches tufted with salt bush
and erratlcally overgrown with scrub
The shadow Of the gate was as anoth-
er gate lying ready to be hung; for
each particular wire In the fence there
was thin black stripe upon the
ground. The three passed through
and came In quick time upon the edge
OF that scrub in which the crime had
been committed. And here the chief
called n halt.
"The two to nail him must he on
| foot" said he you can creep upon
him on foot as you never could with
horse. But / win remain mounted in
the road and ride him down if he
shows fight"
So the pair in the pugarees walked
one at either stirrup Of their crooked
chief, leaving the two horses tethered
to a tree, until Of n sudden the whole
party halted as one. They had round
ed a bend in the road with great eau
ton, for they all knew where they
were. But only one Of them was pre-
pared for the position of the light
which flashed into their eyes from the
heart of the scrub.
Il was n tiny light, set low upon the
ground, and yet It flashed through the
forest like a diamond i'm a bundle Of
hay. 1t burnt at no little distance
from the track, for at a moment it was
lost, but 1t was some hundreds Of
yards nearer the station than the
scene of the murder. The chief whs-
pered that this was where he had found
the buried booty, and over half the
distance he led the way, winding I'm
and out among the trees, now throw
ing a leg across his horses withers to
avoid a bole, anon embracing its neck
to escape contact with the branches. 1t
was long before they could discern
anything but the light itself amid the
trunks and branches of the scrub.
Suddenly the horseman stopped,
reckoning with his free hand to the
pair afoot, pointing at the fire with
the one that held the reins, and as
they crept up to him he stopped in the
stirrups till his mouth was close to the
sergeant's ear.
He's sitting on the far side of the
light, but you can't see his face.
thought he was log. and | still be-
lieve he's asleep. Creep on him like
cats till he looks up, then rush him
with your revolvers before he can draw
his, and I'll support you with miner
Nearer and nearer stole Cameron
and Tyler. The rider managed to coax
a few more noiseless steps from his
clever mount, but dropped the reins
and squared his elbows some twenty
PAGES from the llght-a hurricane
lamp now in the sharpest focus. The
policemen crawled some yards ahead
All three carried revolver in hand
But still the unsuspecting figure sat
motionless, his chin upon his chest,
the brim of his wideawake hiding his
face, little heap Of gold and notes
before him on the ground Then the
superintendent horse flung up its
head Its teeth champed upon the bit;
the man sat bolt upright, and the light
of the hurricane lamp fell full upon
the face of Hardcastle the squatter
Rush him, rush hlml That's the
man we want"
But the momentary stupefaction of
the police had given Hardcastle his
opportunity. The hurricane lamp few
between them, going out where it fell.
and for a minute the revolvers spat
harmlessly in the remaining patchwork
OF moonshine and shadow.
Get behind trees! Shoot low! Don't
kill him" shouted the chief from his
saddle. Now on to him before he
can load againI That's it! Pin him!
Throw your revolvers away, or he'll
snatch one before you know where
you arel All, thought he was too
strong for you! Mr. Hardcastle, I'll
put a bullet through you myself II
you don't instantly surrender
And the fight ended with the bent
man leaning in his stirrups over the
locked and swaying group as he bran
dished his revolver to suit deed to
word. 1t was a heavy blow with the
long barrel that finally turned the
scale. In a few seconds Hardcastle
stood prisoner, the handouts fitting
his large wrists like gloves, his great
frame painting from the fray and yet
a marvel of monstrous manhood in its
stoical and defiant carriage.
"FOr Gods sake, Cairns, do what you
sayv' he cried. "Put three bullets
through me and divide what's on the
ground between your
81 half wish we could for your sake"
was the reply. But it's idle to speak
OF It, and I'm afraid you've committed
a crime that places you beyond the
reach OF sympathy"
THAT he has, cried the sergeant,
wiping blood from his gray beard.
tits plain as a pikestaff now. And to
think that he was the one to come and |
fetch us the very night he'd done It! !
But what Hicks me more than any
thing is how in the world you found |
him out, sir"
The hunchback looked down upon
the stalwart prisoner standing up TO |
his last inch between his two captors.