The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-08-29

brought wheel and bucket. By
means of an ak and spikes found with
In the building he made the wheel Sc
cure to a second trunk. reeving the lar
lat through the wheel, and thus obtain
Ing the leverage of a one-sheaved pull
ley.
By means of this contrivance and
their combined strength they sprung
the sapling down until 1t became a
mighty bow, capable of hurting horse
through the air. Then blocking the
pulley so that 1t could not run loose,
by means of the third lariat they fas-
tened the tree firmly In its bent posi-
ton. Next going within the shack
they securely bound the drugged vic
tim to the stationary bunk. and fasten-
ing the moose of the first lariat to his
neck, left him there as they made
haste to take the last step necessary
to the completion of their fiendish plan.
Gathering a few handfuls of dry
leaves and bark. they scattered them
about the lariat that held the tree In
its bent position. after which they
sprlnkled quantity of loose powder
over the mass. Lighting the infiamma-
Bile material at its outer edge and walt
ing but long enough to make sure that
the blaze would spread quickly. they
threw themselves upon their horses
and went galloping off into the gray
light of morning, cursing the senseless
one they had left behind as they rode.
Nor ever before had John Davis been
in such mortal peril of terrible death.
For when the oncreeping fire should
reach the rope which restrained the
sprung tree, released from its fetter,
would leap to its upright position with
gigantic strength. tearing the man
apart as In days of old victims were
rended limb from limb by wild horses.
At almost the same moment that
Morgan was preparing the drugged cof-
fee In the dead hour of midnight Ethel
Carr suddenly awakened from her
sleep. Unaccountably restless from
some cause and unable to again resume
her slumbers, she lighted her lamp and
picking up a copy of Aesop's Fables
from the table read until she came to
the tale of the man who found an adj
der perishing from the cold. and hav-
ing warmed it at his bosom was stung
to death by 1t as his reward. Warned
by some subtle presentiment that
Johns life was in danger. she hurried
ly ran to Bridget's room.
81 have an awful feeling that some
thing terrible is happening to john"
she cried. "We must go and learn
what it is" In an instant the good
Irish woman was fairly flying into her
clothes.
"Pll get the Injun while ye dress.
He'll be more use to ye than l could
be-" Off she rushed to summon Rain
face, while the girl dressed with fran
tic haste.
Side by side she and the old Indian
went laundering along the trail of the
three men. Just as the first blush OF
down came over the mountain tops,
Rainface, with a pull upon his bit,
brought his horse back upon its hooks.
AS Ethel followed suit her companion
pointed at the ground.
"See tracks here where they turn Off.
Old shack up that way and mebby we
find them there" Again squirting their
horses forward they dashed on, a mo-
ment later coming to the carcass Of the
dead animal which had been ridden by
John at the time of the exploding Of
the spring gun.
bad medicine" grunted Rainface.
Better hurry heap fast" With si-
lent prayer arising from her lips that
they might be in time. the girl once
more frightened her reins and leaned
forward in the saddle.
Already the fire had reached the
larlat that bound the death-dealing sap
ling down. Another minute more and
John Davis would be torn apart and
half his body thrown afar among tina
rocks for the vultures and wolves.
(END OF SIXTH EPISODE.l