Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1916-04-07


Jones; but he broke on with smile.
Very WE'LL he amended. If things
work out as figure them. that will DO.
And" he added, dropping into his sig
nihcant drawI and looking the doctor
fatty in the eye. don't you-er-bank
on my-er-not understanding your
ner-and-er-you."
Average Jones bought ticket for
Yuma
Disseminating at the Yuma station
three days later, Average Jones
blinked in the harsh sunlight at
small, compactly built, keen-eyed man.
roughly dressed for the trail.
I'm Captain Funcke," said the
stranger. His speech was gentle. slow,
even hesitant; but there was some
thing competent and reliable in his
bearing which satisfied the shrewd
young reader of mems characters from
the outset Your wire got me two
days since and came right up"
ANY tracer"
Left here two days ago."
Three OF them?"
Yes. F1at-bottomed. narrow-beamed
boat. slooprigged pretty light"
Know anything of the mem"
only the big one Calls himself
Colonel Richford. Had fake copper
outfit in the mountains east OF Ala
mo-"
Where do you think they're headed
for?"
Probably the widest country they
can find. if they want to get rid of
young Hoff," said the other, who had
been apprised of the main points OF
the situation. THAT would be the Pin
to range, to the southwest of the Lag
una"
Suppose it's the Pintos. then. How
do we get there?"
''Hard-ash breeze" returned the
other succinctly. Our rowboat is out
fitted and waiting. Sixty miles to the
turn of the Laguna. There's a four
mile current to help. They've a scant
two days start, and well catch up
some"
All that day and all the night the
two men swung at the oars; swung
until every muscle in the young east
erner's back had turned to live nerve
fiber and the flesh had begun to strip
from the palms of his hands.
Meantime. between spells at the
oars, Average Jones had outlined the
case in full TO Funeke. After long and
silent consideration the captain gave
lis views.
1T isn't bunco. It's hold-up. They
| get him of in the mountains, out of
| sight of the lake, so he'll have no land
mark to go by. Then they scare him
| into signing co-partnership papers,
and make him turn over those certified
checks to them. All they'd do then
would be to quit the boy while he was
asleep. A tenderfoot would die of
thirst over there in short time.
is there no water?"
There's tenaja-rock-basin holding
rainwater explained the hunter. IF
they find the tenaja empty they'll have
| barely enough in the canteens they
pack TO get them to the next water,
the Tenaja Poquita, around behind the
mountains and across the desert into
the next range"
"Get me to young Hoff. then, cap
| tain. You're liz command from the mo-
ment we land"
pushed softly into the muddy bottom
Of long. shallow arm OF the lake.
Captain Funcke rose, stretched the
kinks out of his back, and jumped
ashore.
You say I'm in commando" he in
quired.
Absolute"
Then you roll up under thai mes
quite and fall asleep. I'm going to cast
about for their trail"
To the worn-out oarsman, it seemed
only few moments later that an in
sistent grip on his shoulder aroused
him.
1--WE found their boat" said Captain
Funcke. THE trail heads for Pintos.
They're travelling heavy. don't be-
lieve they're twenty-four hours ahead
Of us"
Average Jones stumbled to his feet
I'm ready" he said.
Its case of travel light" The
! hunter handed over a small bag OF
food and large canteen full of water.
He himself packed much larger load,
including two canteens and a powerful
field-gIass. Taking shotgun from the
boat, he shouldered it and set out at a
long, easy stride.
/ To Average Jones the memory of
that day has never been wholly clear.
Sodden with WEAKNESS. dazzled and
muddIed by the savage sun-glare, he
followed, with eyes fixed, the rhythmic
ally. monotonously moving feet of his
leader through an interminable desert