Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-10-31

OF the bank or over on the butte when
| we first came along"
Have 1t your own way-only toss
me bottle of beer, that's a good girl.
I'm dry as fish,"
Recklessly he sat up and looked at
ner, his small mouth curving in smile
under the neat mustache. A bullet
Wnlzzed close over his head. ''There I
| They've spotted your position. Come
| away!" Her voice quavered with con-
Germ for him.
The girl did not wait for him to reach
her. Satisfied as to his safety, she
went up the gulley to the blackboard
and drew canteen from the box under
the seat. Her father glanced down
and saw what she was doing. His face
was powdered with dust. He spat and
| beckoned to her.
Good! Bring it up. Bullet hit the
edge Of the bank"
The girl climbed nimbly up the gull
| ley side with the canteen. Her father
spat again, took a deep drink, and said !:
Better git the ponies round behind the
blackboard. Unless Charlie gifts back
soon, we may have to leave the ore and
make break FOR the agency"
"All right, Psre," cheerfully respond
ed the girl. There haven't any of
them been hit so far, guess. They
may be willing to let us off with a big
scare"
I'll give them scare and something
more when the police come" declared
the young man, who had taken new
position in the opening of the gulley.
mo, you WON'T" demonstrated the
| girl as she started down to him with
sent in word that he'd call it quits over
the shooting of Nogen's killer, he meant
| it. But this time you fired the first
shot, and if you kill one of them, it will
mean blood feud, if not an uprising"
The young man snapped his fingers.
Il don't give that much for the whole
pack of coyotes"
Don't forget the mine, Mr.. Van,"
protested the older man.
"Yes, and how about me?" asked the
| girl as she held out the canteen.
THAT settles it," he replied. ITO
please you, Tll-what do you say?-
I'll call it quits" Shaking a gush of
water out over the spout, he lifted the
canteen in gallant salute and carried it
to his lips.
Better hurry with them ponies. Ma
RE-" called her father.
She did not wait for the canteen, but
walked swiftly up the gulley to the
FESTIVE ponies. AS she led the two
saddle horses around to the rear of
| the blackboard, the young man called
up to her: ''Shorten my stirrups. That
pinto is the best runner in the bunch"
"Can you make it bareback" she
| asked.
HE can hold on to the harness."
said her father. "Tie the tugs so they
won't drag"
Eyes, guess can hold on. I'll try
the calico mare"
amy sign on the butte?" she in
quired, her supple gloved fingers deftIy
freeing the harnessed ponies from the
| blackboard.
Nothing yet" answered the young
man. "Tm expecting bullet soon."
"This amt no joke, Mr.. Van," COM
planned the other man. He glowered at
the butte. Suddenly his trained eyes
| caught sight of an object moving up
the steep slope of crag. He clapped
his rifle to his shoulder, sighted 1T,
paused-and lowered the weapon, with
an astonished oath.
Perez cried the girl. "What is
it"
"Wait!" he replied. eff it is-by Gar,
if it is! Git ready, Mr.. Van. Only
don't shoot unless they rush u.s."
The report of a rifle came down from
the butte crest. The young man low
cred his rifle and peered over the
edge of the gulley. At the same moment
whirl of yelling horsemen swept
down the coulee bank opposite the
butte. and went flying away up the val
ley in wild race for the nearest grove
of cottonwoods.
From the butte several shots cracked
, in rapid succession. The fugitive In
dams yelled at their ponies in frenzy
of urgency, and dug their heels into
the TANKS of the straining beasts at
every jump. The rifleman on the butte
was firing towards them, not towards
the party in the gulley.
Hold on, Marie!" said her father,
jumping down the bank to her. We'll
hitch up again, and cross over to meet
hiIn'
"Who" asked the girl.
She had been too intent on her task
to see what was happening.
"The man who ran away" he an
swered. 1.-THE jokes on you Mr.. VAN"
"How?"
Her father grinned as he bent to re-
fasten tug. ''You took him for a quit
ter. He had the nerve to run their ire
ag'in-and you thought he was heading
back for the railroad"
The girl flushed. Hes not the man
on the butter"
yep. Jumped the whole bunch, hrst
shot. We better hustle. It'll look good
for us to cross over TO meet him."
Marie says he's an army officer,
added the young man. ut will be as
well TO get TIE ore off the reservation.
There's no telling what he has come
for"
CHAPTER II.