The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-07-27
CHAPTER VI.
A Tiftva Tapuaf racftca

Come up as soon as you pos
sibly can. I've something to tell
you"
That was what Miss Georgia
had written. He read it twice be-
fore he looked up.
you see Peaceful in Hart
leyl" Good Indian asked the
question from an idle impulse;
in reality, he was wondering what
it was that Miss George had to
tell him.
Peaceful. him go far off. On
train. All same heap fat man go
long. Mebbyso Shoshone."
Good Indian started post haste
for the station.
Good Indian talked long with
Miss George, and agreed with
her that, for the present at least.
there must be no violence.
Saunders had disappeared un-
accountably, after a surreptitious
conference with Baumberger the
day before. and it was that which
Miss George had to tell him.
Good Indian was going to the
stable to feed the horses next
morning, when something whined
past him and spatted viciously
against the side of the chicken
house.
He went over to the chicken
house, probed with his knife
blade into the plank where was
the splintered hole, and located
bullet. lie was turning it Gu
riously in his fingers when an
other one plunked into the boards,
three feet to one side OF him;
this time he saw a puff of blue
smoke rise up on the rim-rock
above him. He marked the place
instinctively with his eye, and
went on to the stable.
Inside, he sat down upon the
oats-box, and meditated upon
what he should do. He could not
even guess at his assailant, much
less reach him. A dozen men
could be picked off by a rifle in
the hands of one at the top, while
they were climbing that bluff.
Jack came In with the news
that two of the claim jumpers had
disappeared. and after they had
discussed this and the shooting,
Grant saddled Keno, and rode
away in that silent preoccupation
which the boys called the sulks
for want of a better understand
ing of 1t. He glanced often up
at the rim-rock as he rode slow
ly to the Point o. Rocks, and
when he had almost reached the
level something started up so
close beside him that Keno
squatted almost upon his haunch-
es. His gun was in his hand, and
his finger crooked upon the trig-
ger, when a voice he family rec
ognized called to him softly:
"Yo' no shoot-me no hurtum.
All time yo' frin'." She stood
trembling beside the trail. Bead
ed moccasins were on her feet,
and here eyes were frightened
eyes, with the usefulness of a
timid animal. Yet she did not
seem to be afraid of Good In
dian.
We'll, what is it," Good In
dams tone was not as brusque as
his words. This was a cookbook
ing young squaw he had seen at
the Indian camp. What's your
name?" he asked, remembering
suddenly that he had never heard
it.
Rachel, Peppajee, he my un-
cle." She glanced up at him
shyly. bad mans like for shoot
yo'," she said. Him up there,
all time walk where him can look
down. mebbyso see you, mebbyso
shootum."
81 know-I'm going to ride
around that way and round him
up"
moo, no-o!" She drew sharp
breath. "Yo' no good there! Him
shoot yo'. I watch, take care
him no shoot. Him shoot, mebby-
SO | shoot"
In spite of her pleading, he put
his horse to scrambling up the
first slope, which it was possible
to climb, and spent an hour rid
ing, gun in hand, along the rim
of the bluff. much as he had
searched it the evening before.
But there was nothing alive
that he could discover. When he
was turning back at last toward
Hartley, he saw Rachel for a mo-
ment standing out against the
deep blue sky, upon the very rim
of the bluff. He waved a hal d
to her but she gave no sign.
81 have every reason to believe
that your two missing jumpers
took the train for Shoshone last
night" Miss George made an
swer to Good Indians account of
what had happened since he saw
her. Two furtive-eyed indiyid-
uals answering your description
bought round-trip tickets and had
me flag 16 for them.
And Saunders" she went on
rapidly, returned safe enough.
He sneaked in Just before
closed the office last night, and
asked for a telegram. There
wasn't any, and he sneaked out
again and went to bed-so Pete
told me this morning. And there
has been no word from Peaceful.
and fhn.t "a nj mani I.Ir sraf hail