The Ordway new era., 1917-06-22
Hardy waved to him imperativcIy.

v.
"Go on" he shouted. "Gunrd Miss
Dupont. May be more of them. Send
the police around to flank"
Nandcrvyn's pinto leaped out of
sight. shot grazed the mares with
ers. In flash he flung up his rifle
and fired at the down-peering deyilish
face. 1t vanished as he pressed the
trigger.
Swift as puma. he sprang around
the mares head and dashed up the
slope, keeping n large bowlder in line
between himself and his enemy. A bull
let came pinging down over the bowl
der and passed under his upraised
arm. A few seconds more and, safe
behind the huge stone, he slowly edged
his hat above the top. The ancient
ruse drew Il shot. Instantly he scram-
bled Obliquely upward towards another
bowlder. 1t was desperate move. A
bullet grazed his thigh aS he flung
himself behind the bushes beside the
second bowlder. Hardy waited.
The twilight was fast finding. Still
Hardy waited, his gaze scanning the
tltll anu lothS ol tItItl Sllt. IL
was time for the police to come creep
ing around on the flank of the assus-
sin. A little more and the dusk would
render close shooting difficult. Yet
the precious moments slipped by, and
no sign of the police.
Over on the far side of the cleft
there was faint CLINT of metal in the
.,I,a
ment's hesitation Hardy aimed and
fired. The mountainside rang with n
shrill yell. The bullet had found its
mark. Hardy lcaped to his feet and
dashed up the mountain-side, keeping
behind shelter where 1t was available,
but in places boldly rushing up over
open spaces.
There, on the spot where he had
seen the CLINT, he found n trace of
blood. The wounded man had crept
away up the cleft. For several yards
Hardy followed the trail by the splash
es of crimson on the leaves and rocks.
Then the traces ceased. But over in
cne of the many clefts on the far side
of the gap he thought he saw some
thing move among the powders. he
sprinted down the slope and across the
gap, his face flushed with eXertion,
but his eyes still cold and hard.
Among the heaps of broken rocks in
the bottom of the gap Hardy lost sight
of the cleft for which he was heading.
When he started to return along what
he supposed to be the passage by
which he had entered he soon found
himself In cul-de-sac. Dusk was
now deepening into night. He came
out and into steep ascent betWeeh
overhanging Lodges. This certainly
was not the way by which he had en-
tered. but he kept to it, eager to es-
cape out of the maze.
Night had fallen when Mt last ne
reached the top of the cleft ana clhlh-
bered up on ridge crest. But the SKY
was clear, and the starlight enabled
him to see the outlines of the noun
Trims that cut the skyline. A star lower
down than any of the others caught
his eye. He peered at 1t hxedly. Inc
little twlnkling point OF nght was
NOT a star-it was fire, two or three
miles away across the Intervening val
lev, Hardy took his bearings Dy the
stnrs and started down the mountain
side directly toward the fire.
Once clear of the rocks of the shat-
tered mountain top, he found the gong
Unexpectedly easy. Almost from the
first he had lost sight of the ire 'ano
ot no time did he see any trace OF the
tratl to the mine. or to the lett he
heard the dIminutive roar Of noun
thin rlll dashing down rnvihe 10 JUL
the main stream in the valley.
Az last he came up over the edge Oh
the ridgetop, or terrace, on wnich .ne
r,ll headed. The moment MS eyes
cleored the low underbrush below tne
few scattered pines he perceived the
flicker of the fire for which ne was
looking, He could make out the up
nanrnnce of the dark forms around tne
Are. but their number and the nun
dozen white tepees grouped around the
Are told him that he had not 1ouhu '"e
camp Of his party. al.
He had no more than made tnis u
covery when number OF yelplns,
snarling mongrel dogs rushed ou. "a. a.
him IKE a pack Of wolves ne ns.
.ha,r attack by swinging his rine DAT
~, .-ound in a circle. The cowaroly
c,,r. nj closed about him., but were afrsiu
% leap in within reach q tne caGo. t,S "a
~ not stopped his advance. Nos -. =.
g pause or hesitate wnsn sv