The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-04-11

i
like turtle? burden says Wild Goose
looks fine. There's gold up there
heaps of 1t"
Let it stay there, then. I amt
going. That's fat" Holt turned to
adjust the damper Of his stove.
"Oh, don't know. I wouldn1nSaY
that" drawled Bill insolently.
The man at the stove caught the
change in tone and turned quickly. He
was too late. Macy had thrown him.
self forward and the weight of his
body flung Holt against the wall. Be
fore the miner could recover. the other
two men were upon him. They bore
him to the floor and in spite of his
struggles tied him hand and foot.
Big Bill rose and looked down deri-
sively at his prisoner. "Better change
your mind and go with US, Holt. Well
spend quiet month up at the head
quarters of Wild Goose. Say you'll
come along"
"What are you going to do with
me?" demanded Holt.
II reckon you need church to fall
on you before you can take a hint.
Didn't I mention Wild Goose creek
three or four times?" jeered his captor.
Holt made no further protest. He
was furious, but at present quite help
less. However 1t went against the
grain, he might as well give in until re-
bellion would do some good.
Ten minutes later the party was
moving silently along the trail that
led to the hills. The pack horse went
first, in charge of George Holway. The
prisoner walked next. his hands tied
behind him. Big Bill followed, and
the man he had called Dud brought up
the rear.
Macy had released the hands of his
prisoner so that he might have a
chance to fight the mosquitoes, but he
kept wary eye upon him and never
let him move more than n few feet
from him. The trail grew sleeper as it
neared the head of the canyon till at
last 1t climbed the left wall and
emerged from the gulch to an uneven
mesa.
The leader of the party looked at
his watch. "Past midnight. Well
camp here. George and see If we can't
get rid of the 'skeeters''
They built smudge ores of green
wood and on the lee side of these an
other one Of dry sticks. Dud made
coffee upon this and cooked bacon.
While George chopped wood for the
fires and boughs of small frs for bed
ding, Big Bill sat with rifle across
his knees just back of the prisoner.
"Gid's a shifty old cuss, and amt
taking any chances" he explained
aloud to Dud.
Holt was beginning to take the out
rnge philosophically. He slept peace
fully while they took turns watching
him. Just now there would be no
chance to escape, but in few days
they would become careless. The
habit of feeling that they had him se-
curely would grow upon them. Then,
reasoned Holt, his opportunity would
come. One of the guards would take
chance. 1t was not reasonable to
suppose that in the next week or two
he would not catch them mapping once
for short ten seconds.
There was, of course, just the pos
sibility that they intended to murder
him. but Holt could not associate Self
ridge with anything so lawless. The
man was too soft of fiber to carry
through such program, and as yet
there was need of nothing so drastic.
No. this kidnapping expedition would
not run to murder. He would be set
free in n few weeks, and II he told the
true story of where he had been his
| foes would spread the report that he
| was insane in his hatred of Macdonald
| and imagined all sorts of prosecutions
They followed Wild Goose creek all
| next day. getting always closer to Its
headwaters near the divide. On the
third day they crossed to the other
side of the ridge and descended into
n little mountain park.
The country was so much primeval
| wilderness that big bull moose
stalked almost upon their camp before
| discovering the presence of u strange
biped. Big Bill snatched up rifle and
took shot which sent the intruder
scampering.
From somewhere in the distance
| came faint sound.
"What was that?" asked George,
sounded like shot Mebbe it was
an echo" returned Dud.
"Came too late for an echo" Big Bill
said.
Again family from some far corner
Of the basin the sound drifted. 1t was
like the pop of a scarcely heard fire.
cracker.
The men looked at one another and
at their prisoner.
"Think we better break camp and
drift?" asked Dud.
"No. We're in a little draw here
as good hiding place as we'd be like
ly to find. Drive the horses into the
brush. George. Well sit tight"
Dud had been busy stamping out
the campfire while Holway was driv-
ing the horses into the brush.