The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-11-18
NO." answered Ellsworth. ''Ban-
fSz1rbk. JSGS. b E Akaa<, Rs0sz

| 'Bandits?" echoed Morton incredu-
lousy. ST thought that sort OF thing
was all over in California. 1 sup
posed that bandits were confined to
western novels, Sunday supplements,
and motion pictures
''Not by a jugful,'' said Ellsworth.
'"This region has been terrOrized for
more than a year now by q gang of
outlaws who have their headquarters
somewhere in the mountains at the
| back. Their leader is a half-breed
Mexican, named CarriIlO-a very able
| fellow gone wrong, I understand. He
used to be a lawyer down in Arizona
| somewhere, but he was mixed up in
several shady transactions, finally be-
came involved in a cOunterfeiting deal,
killed the United States marshal who
tried to arrest him, and skipped the
country between two days. We hadn't
had any trouble with them, however,
until about a week before your acct
dent. One of CarriIIo's lieutenants,
a fellow named Lopez, with three or
four companions, raided one OF my
camps, killed the man in charge, and
ran off a dozen horses. We struck
their trail within three hours after the
murder and chased them right into the
mountains. We caught Lopez and
strung him up, but his two cOmpan-
| ions got away. A few days later Car
rillO sent me word that he would even
up the ScOre-and he's a man that will
keep his word. That's what I mean
| by saying that when you and Miss
IvanOf are out riding you had better
keep to the valley and not get too
far away from the house."
'Much obliged for the advice" said
Morton lightly.
! Yet so little Importance did Morton
| attach to EIlswOrth'S warning that
when he and Olga took their custom
airy ride the following afternoon, he
| deliberately ventured beyond the
bounds which he knew to be dictated
| by safety. When the setting sun
warned them that it was time to re-
| turn, they found that they were con-
siderably farther from the ranchhOuse
than they had supposed. Turning their
ponies, they were proceeding home
ward at brisk lOpe when they were
| surprised to see a party of hOrsemen
ride out from a canyon which de-
| bOuched into the main valley and come
to halt, as though awaiting them.
ut must be some of the cowboys
| from the ranch" remarked Olga,
waiting to ride back with u.s."
AS they drew nearer however, Nor
ton noticed with some uneasiness that
the horsemen had spread out so far
q form limo FROM, tho
| mouth of the canyon to the river, thus
cutting them off from the ranchhOuse.
There was, moreover, something sus-
piciOus, something peculiarly sinister,
about the riders, each of whom, he
BOW noticed, carried a rife across the
pommel of his saddle.
''Hold up, Olga" he called, the
truth suddenly dawning on him. ''Those
are not our fellows they're
strangers we had better not
go any nearer until we find out who
they are and what they want"
He was not kept long in doubt as
to the strangers intentions, for, as
they pulled up their ponies, a rifle
cracked and a bullet kicked up a squirt
of dust within a yard of Morton.
by heavenI" he shouted, ''it's the
bandits! And they've cut US of from
the ranchI Our only chance is to
reach Number Four camp. There are
half q dozen of EIISwOrth's men there
and If we can get there we will be
safe. But we will have to ride like
blazes to make it."
Suiting the action to the words, he
whirled his pony, drove his spurs into
its TANKS, and, callOuSly abandoning
Olga to her fate, went racing up the
valley in a desperate attempt to es-
cape.
Olga, whose mount was old and
slow, had not gone a quarter Of a mile
before she was overtaken by the BAN
dts and bearded ruffian, leaning
from his saddle, caught her bride and
pulled her horse to a standstill.
Keep quiet and you won't get hurt,
MISS" he said, "but if you try to
get away it'll go hard with you
what do you want of meT" she
demanded, showing no sign of the ter
rOr that she felt. where are you
going to take me?'
Were goin' to take you TO call on
Captain CarrillO, lady," a rat-faced
fellow answered with q Ieer.
Only two of the gang had paused
to capture Olga; the rest had con-
t1nued in pursuit OF Morton, who was
riding up the valley at top speed.
'Stop or we'll shootI" roared the
black-muStached fellow who was evil
IDENTIFY the leader Of the band, raising
his rife, but Morton, panic-stricken,
only rode the harder.
Crack The bandits weapon spoke
and the bullet whined hungriIy past
Morton's head. The next bullet struck
his horse. A moment later the ban
dts swept up in cloud of dust.
Hands up!" sang out the leader,
leveling his rife at Morton, who was
nervously fumbling for his revolver.