The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-02-10

arm. A few seconds more and, safe
behind the huge stone, he slowly edged
his hat above the top. The ancient
ruse drew a shot. Instantly he scram-
bled obliquely upward towards another
bowider. 1t was a desperate move. A
bullet grazed his thigh as 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-
sim 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 a faint CLINT of metal in the
deepening shadow. Without a mo-
ment's hesitation Hardy aimed and
fired. The mOuntainside rang with a
shrilI yell. The bullet had found its
mark. Hardy leaped to his feet and
dashed up the mountain-side, keeping
behind shelter where it 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
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 a cu1-de-sac. Dusk was
now deepening into night. He came
out and into steep ascent between
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 at last he
| reached the top of the cleft and clam
bered up on a ridge crest. But the sky
was clear, and the starlight enabled
him to see the outlines of the noun
tainS that cut the skyline. A star lower
down than any of the others caught
| his eye. He peered at it ixed1y. The
little twinkling point of light was
not start was a fire, two or three
miles away across the intervening val
ley. Hardy took his bearings by the
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 going
unexpectedly easy. Almost from the
first ne had lost sight of the fire and
at no time did he see any trace of the
trail to the mine. OF to the left he
heard the diminutive roar of a noun
| tain rill dashing down a ravine to join
| the main stream in the valley.
At last he came up over the edge OF
| the ridgetop, or terrace, on which the
| rin headed. The moment his eyes
cleared the low underbrush below the
few scattered pines he perceived the
flicker OF the fire for which he was
looking. He could make out the ap-
pearance of the dark forms around the
fire, but their number and the half
dozen white tepees grouped around the
fire told him that he had not found the
camp of his party.
He had no more than made this dis
covery when a number of yelping,
| snarling mongrel dogs rushed out at
him ike a pack Of wolves. He met
their attack by swinging his rifle bar
rel around in q circle. The cowardly
ours closed about him, but were afraid
to leap in within reach Of the club. He
had not stopped his advance. Nor did
he pause or hesitate when over the
heads of the leaping, yelling pack he
saw the Indian women and children
scurry to the tepees and the bucks
spring up with their bows and guns.