The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-09-07

SldHClls Dullcl IlluSIHS Win lHt
scream of the woman.
As the driver fired he writhed in his
scat, expecting the blow of ball from
the other road agents rifle. But it did
not come, so he swung about and fired
again. whereupon the stranger. who
had seemed numbeu by an unaccount-
able paralysis. swayel gropingly out
over the bank and slid Imply down
into the road amid a rattle of gravel
and stones. Bart snatched up his rifle
and leaped to cover behind the boul
lers of the hillside. moving With the
quick litheness Of a panther or man
accustomed to the spat of rifle bullets
He was yankinc vainly at the ejectol
of his Winchester.
"I've smashed its stumnlicll" yellel
shorty eleefu1ly. firing mt each eN
posture OF the retreatin5 hsne. i've
spiked his gun
As the bandit lodged ont Of range he
leapel down.
Here: get inside. quick" he called
to the Girl, and size hung herself into
his arms
Oh, the indescribable sweetness Of
that moment, Shorty had held Il Wo
mana real. regular wonap-on his
breast. The boys would swear he was
liar il he ever told.
Thrusting her inside, he ran forward
to the figure that lay in the road by
the heads OF the snorting horses, but
as he did SO the man raised uncer
tainly upon one elbow, the mask, a
bundanna kercllief, still hiding his fea-
lures. Blood tricklel from thin cash
over one ear.
Just creased him, | reckon. SO
much the better said he and snatched
the long Heckcloth from his own throat.
He rolled the man roughly on his face,
drew his arms together and knotted
,, his wrists at the back. He worked
| with fury, @lancn@ up the mountain
| side, where on the bare ridge he saw
; the figure Of Black Bart running west.
Ward along its crest, paraIeling the
direction they would take.
He's making for the cut off. Shorty
yritted. This fight amt started vet
and if I turn back he'll get me sure
Knowing the mountains like a book.
Bart was racing for a sheep trail
which led down from the "hog back"
and intersected the wagon road at the
far side of a great bend where it hug.
gcd the hill before debouching upon
the fiat at the forks. Gaining this
point ahead Of the stage, he could lie
in wait with the certainty of getting
his man with his side arms.
Disregarding his victims groans, the
dwarf swung him over his great shoul-
llers and rushed at the stage Hurting
him abruptly in upon the girl. he slam
med the door, shouting. "Hang on lit.
tie woman. an keep yonr head in
Then he mounted to his perch and
dashed his horses down the dizzy trail.
while above and far to the right he
saw the vanishing outlaw Pickering
through the scattered pines.
The team, frenzied by the smell of
raw blood. fed madly, their driver
holted to his seat, yelling words of en-.
coura2 cement Other furious drives had
Shorty made down this road. but never
such a racing, sWaying, drunken fight
as this He eripped tine .'forty-fiye
between his knees, driving with one
hand. While he elected and reloaded
with the other.
As they roarei down the mountain
side he intoXication of tile chase rose
in him till he shouted hoarsely grea1
bellows of defiance. The presence be
bind him stirred ilniehtly depths in his
soul of which he had never dreamed
and be ached with a desire for sacri
,itial offering-a passion for immola
tiol.
AS they rocked around the nose o.
the last bluff he yelled again. for ahea(
of him and midway down the zigZas
sheep trail WAS Black Bart. literally
dropping off the vertical cliff. 1t wa
evident he would be within range.
Hope he gets me stead of horse.
thought the driver. IF he drops ont
If them We'll go over the mountain
side like rocket,
The animals were stretched fatty il
the foam hnclsel delililim OF Il runaway
their rafting hoof roll thunderin
above the hubbub of the iolting, JUMP
ing coach.
Bart knet, resting his weapon owe
the crook of his folded arm. The spin
ters bit off from the seat at Shorty
side. Then they both fred but tn
heave of a winded painting man is a
bad for the aim as a perch on the sun
lnit of careening stage.
"Thank God, he amt tryin' for tn
team" thought the dwarf; then, as tn
two drew together, he beheld the OIL
er's face and saw that rage riote
there SO savagely that it blinded hi1
to his surer revenge. His mask wa
gone, and Shorty knew that he alon
had seen the features Of the myster
GUS road agent AS the team tore u
abreast of the outlaw his gun belche
again, and Shorty felt the -paralyzin