Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1918-05-16
LILLIAN rfacLEOD RAINE
CHAPTER XIV.



side his horse with one arm thrown
carelessly across it's rump. He was
about to start for Seven Mile Creek
camp with 81, 700 in the saddebags to
pay the men there.
Diane was talking with him. "She's
young and fine and spirited. OF course
1t was great shock to her. She had
been idealizing you. But I think she
is beginning to understand things bet
ter. At any rate, she does not hate
you any more. Give the girl time"
You think she WILDE reasonable?"
81 don't know. But I'm sure of one
thing. She'll not be reasonable, as you
call 1t, unless you are reasonable"
You mean-Elliot?'
Eyes She likes him very much. DO
you know that when the Indian woman
came he urged Sheba not to listen to
her story?"
Sounds likely-after he had spent |
his good money bringing her here"
sneered the mine owner.
HE didn't. Gordon is a splendid fell |
low He wouldn't lie." answered Di- /
ane holly. "And one thing is sure-if
you lay a finger on him for this. 1t will
be fatal with Sheba- She will be
through with you"
Macdonald had thought of this be-
fore 1t had been coming to him from
several different angles that he could
not AFFORD to crafty his desire to wipe
this meddlesome young official from
his path He made a slow, sulky
promise.
"An right I'll let him alone Peter
can tell him."
Swinging to the saddle, he spurred
his horse and cantered away. His
mind was full of the problem that had
come into his life. He rode abstract
eddy. so that he was at the lower ford
of the creek almost before he knew 1t.
bilberry thicket struggled down to
the opposite bank of the stream on
both sides of the road.
The horse splashed through the ford
and took the little rise beyond with a
rush. Just before reaching the brow
of the hill. the animal stumbled and
fell. AS it's rider went headlong. he
caught a glimpse of a cord drawn taut
across the path.
Macdonald shaken by the fall, began
slowly to rise. From the shadows OF
the bilberry bushes two STOPPING fig
ures rushed at him. He threw up an
arm TO ward off the club aimed at hi:
head, but succeeded only in breaking
the force of the blow. As he staggered
back stunned, a bullet glanced alons
his forehead and ridged a furrov
through the thick hair. A secon
stroke of thu club Jared him to tn
heels.
Though his mind was not clear. hi
body answered automatically the in
stfnct that told him to close with hi
assailants. He lurched forward an
gr1pped one, wrestling with him TO
the revolver. Vaguely he knew by th
sharp, jagged shoots of pain that til
second man was beating his head wit
clnh The h1Ond drinnp
through his hair and blinded his eye
Dazed and shaken, he yet managed
get the revolver from the man who ha
1t. But 1t was his last effort. He ws
too far gone to use it. A blow on IL
forehead brought him unconscious
the ground bleeding from a doze
wounds.
On his way back to Seven Mile Gre,
camp Gordon Elliot rode down to- Il
ford. In the dusk he was almost up
them before the robbers heard hi
For a moment the two men stood ga
Ing at him and he at the tragedy /
fore him. One of the men NOV
toward his horse.
"Stop there J" ordered Gordon shat
ly, and reached for his revolver.
The man-it was the miner Nor
rup-jumped for Elliot and the .ft
agent fired Another moment and
was being dragged from the sadd
What happened next was never Gle
to him. He knew that both of
bandits closed in on him and that
was fighting desperately against cd
The revolver had been Knocked fir
his hand and he fought with bare Fl
just as they did.
They quartered over the ground,
Gordon would not let either of tn
get behind him. They were lar
than he, heavy, muscle-bound gia
of great strength but he was far m
active on his feet He jabbed
sidestepped and retreated. More Il
once their heavy blows crashed
his face. His eyes dared not wan
from them for an instant but he
working toward definite plan. AS
moved his feet were searching for
automatic he had dropped
One of his feet, dragging over
ground, came into contact with
steel. With a swift side kick Cor
flung the weapon a dozen feet to
left Presently, watching his chal
he made a dive for it.
Trelawney, followed by North
turned and ram One OF them eau