White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1918-05-05
5frAIrR. o Ns<;ssI

pine which had slipped over the
brink years before. The top rested
on the ledge, forming a natural lad
der of which the outlaws were quick
to take advantage.
Blake. seated near the mouth of
the shaft ives resting after his battle
with Black Jacks men and schem-
ing how to escape from the trap in
to which he apparently had climbed,
when a violent shaking of the pine,
whose trunk projected over the cliff
a dozen feet away brought him TO
his feet. At the same instant Bes-
sic cried ont a warning and he turn
ed to see an outlaws head and
shoulders over the cliff, his rifle
resting along the trunk of the tree.
Blake was on the man before he
could fire. wrenching the rife from
his grasp and hurting him back
whence ne A half dozen men
were then in the branches climbing
upwards. urged on by Johnson who
stood on the ledge waiting for a
shot at Blake. The latter placed
his shoulder against the root and
aided by Bessie slid it along the edge
of the cliff until il slipped over in
to space, carrying a number of
Haines's men with it. Their leader,
being well down in the tree, was
able TO leap safely onto the shelf
with the remainder of his compan-
ions.
Black Jack and survivors of his
gang. barred from ascending the
shaft by the rock Bessie had
hurled down into it, ~retreated to the
tunnel mouth where they were short
ly joined by Johnson. Thoroughly
angered by their double defeat at
the hands of Blake and the girl, the
leaders determined on a divided as
sault on the mountain peak, with
orders to the men to kill Blake at
any cost but to spare the girl.
We've got EN- anyhow" growled
Haines." There's only one way they
can escape-the Devils Slide
He then instructed johnson to I
take mis- men up the Slide side OF the
mountain, while he would again at
tempt to ascend by the shelving :
rock. I
Starting from a point further up {
the mountain than the shaft open :
ing and passing not far from its en-
trance was an old fiume, filled with /;
water from a dammed-up spring, I
despite the decay from age of its {
boarded sides and bottom. For a {
distance down the mountain it rest {
ed on the ground, then was carried U
on a trestle until ii curved from v
view. a
Blake and Bessie approached this a
flume, drinking the cold, clear water
and bathing their faces. This done, v
she turned to her husband with the
inquiry in her eyes where now?" F.,
Down the Devils Slide to the 9
lower level" answered Blake, as to- 5
gether they scrambled over the flume 7
and FASTENED to the head of the $
Slide. s
Toiling upwards from the tunnel
mouth johnson and his followers ,
passing beneath the trestle carrying 1
the fiume were drenched with water. /
They halted long enough to note a {
wide break in the fiume at one of It's
highest points. Meantime, Black
Jack had led his men to the shelv-
ing rock, where by much exertion
they scrambled to the top of the
peak.
Blake stood at the head OF Devils
Slide. studying carefully the descent
when he felt a clutch of his arm.
Bessie was at his side, a fresh terror
in her eyes.
Look" she whispered. The
outlaws" |,
Following the direction of her ex-
tended arm, he caught sight, far be-
low leaping from rock to rock. of
Red johnson and his men ascending
the very path he had picked for their
escape. Drawing back quickly, he
retreated with Bessie to the fume,
gaining its shelter at the very in
slant Black Jacks gang, rifles in
hand, scrambled into sight over the
tree trunk. Caught between two
forces of the enemy, escape seemed
impossible. Blake glanced at his
rifle. but a battle In the open then
would spell suicide for them both.
There was one chance-and only one
the fiume.
Already Black Jacks men we're
prararaH 20 CHANGE d0mp nm than