The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-02-01

arm. A few seconds more and, safe
behind the huge stone, he slowly edged
his hat above the top. The ancient
rusc drew II shot. Instantly he scram-
bled O~bllquely upward towards another
bowlder. II vas Il desperate move A
bullet grazed his thigh rs he flung
himself behind the bushes beside the
second bowlder. Hardy waited.
The twilight was fast fading. Still
Hardy waited, his gaze scanning the
cleft and the rocks on either side. 1t
was time for the police to come creep.
Ing around on the flank of the asSas-
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 II faint CLINT of metal in the
deepening shadow. Without n mo.
ment's hesitation Hardy aimed and
fired. The mountalnside rang with n
shrlll yell. The bullet had found It's
mark. Hardy lcaped to his feet and
dashed up the mountaln-slde, keeping
behind shelter where IL was available,
but in places boldly rushing up over
open spaces.
There, on the spot where he had
seen the CLINT, he found a 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
one of the many clefts on the far side
Of the gap he thought he saw some
| thing move among the powders. He
sprlnted 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 q cul.de-sac. Dusk was
now deepening into night. He came
ont and into a steep ascent between
| Ovcrhanging lodges. This certainly
was not the way by which he had en-
tered, but lie kept TO II, eager to es'
cape out of the maze.
Night had fallen when at last he
reached the top Of the cleft and clam
bered up on II ridge crest. But the sky
was clear, and the starlight enabled
him 10 see the outlines of the noun
tains that cut the skyline. A star lOwel
down than any of the others caughI
his eye. lie peered at 1t fixedly. The
little %twinkling point of light wa
miles away across the intervening val
ley. Hardy took his bearings by thu
stars and started down the mountain
side directly toward the fire.
Once clear of the rocks Of the shat
tered mountain top, he found the goinl
Unexpectedly easy. Almost from tn
first he had lost sight of the fire AN,
at no time did he see any trace Of tn,
trail TO the mine. on to the left III
heard the diminutive rOar of n noun
tain rlll dashing down n ravine to jolI
the main stream in the valley.
At last he came up over the edge o
the ridgetop, or terrace, on which tn,
rlll headed. The moment his eye,
cleared the low underbrush below tn,
few scattered pines he perceived tn,
flicker OF the fire for which he wa
looking. He could make out the ap
pearance of the dark forms around tn,
fire, but their number and the half
dozen white tepees grouped around tn
fire told him that he had not found tn
camp Of his party.
lie had no more than made this dis
covery when n number of yelplnl
snarling mongrel dogs rushed out a
him like a pack of wolves. He Inc
their attack by swinging his rifle ban
rel around in n circle. The coward
ours closed about him, but were afrai
to leap in within reach of the club. III
had not stopped his advance. Nor di
he pause or hesitate when over tn
heads of the leaping, yelling pack Ii
saw the Indian women and childre
scurry to the tepees and the buck
spring up with their bows and guns.
HlApTEp VI