The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-10-23
c,y~sA. ,sfs. s, Nsss

| tho broad chimney. then loosenins
piece Of mortar dropped u Info tbs
ssnoldering nre below. Awakened b,
the noise and nylns ashes. Ratnfses
bent forward to see whence the dbs
| turhance had come. As hia head snd
shOuiders appeared within the rHaee ~
vision Of the dOwnpeering one IN 11se
roof Morgan swiftly dropped ~. boop
of his riafa sh0ut the others fosso
and drew u faut. Rainface. teyksd
upward so thnf his toes barely touched
the floor. WAS fairly satght, hut eOss-
pretending the meaning Of u ~ bs
squirmed unfIl he managed 70 dsSw
forth ting plan TINT he had hitl3eN ID
his hosOm. With a lnss ~fTOri NJ
dropped II upOn the conls and tDSe gss-
ler. old and dry. burst into haze.
With n twist Of the rope aDsput the
chimney. Morgan leaving his virstsW ~
curely trusSpi up. came rlahDA<5fng
down and entering the ratsin Swtfssy
!, searched the Indians clOthpA p101.
Ing nothing and filled with FDKe No
stepped hnck Just ~ Rnlnface With
conclusive kick upset the fRble. apspssRg
Its contents clRttering upon t1se 0av's.
Quick Ms the dnrt Of wesHes ~
prowier left the room.
Attracted hy the nois~ NJ the fvDWng
objects Ethel and John rushed Into sSse
room. The suspended body ~ Rs'w
face needed no explnnntion md whip
ping knife from his Tsn.kes -pskW
slnshed fhe imprisnn.'h NM frse. RAsnS
fNce. sinking tn rhniv q,itskly svss~
them NIL
ME not know who he wrs tsts0
hnve n handkerchief rcro~S h's fns~.
hut wear old cont ~ mn~f-r Anyway
me burn tho map" S''rnfiy he rsrsessvs
nj the few hntv nsh.s urssW ~ ~wopab
"Snme prowiinr thief thns wse us-ss-
Ing thi. way" snid Jrhn lightly -tee
won't come ag,,in. All we cnn ~ ~ 70
hark tn sleep little girl For the nm
time renl'ziny thar she wRa "soehr1
only n. abe slept the girl turned sD0
fed from the room.
The d.,or of the harness rsusrm Nknfh
opened md once mOr~ Hawk ASssrEre
entered Hts fare was dnrk With saxev
and disappointment -ffnr mn hss ~s-
forts proved urnvnIling In fftni nss sssSO
hnd been found and cierchinx his MT
IL. sl,s,uk II In the slivr~tiOn ~ t1sg
cnhin.
"Ill ret you vet. thvts and theW tse
fortune md fhe girl win ne Wsssse.
Hts glnncp fell upon . h"nvy hOwse
knife TINT hing In It's ehensh m sSse
wall md fnkinn u down he sersed IN
edge. Then with n nash ~ his teeth he
picked up n hny nike frnm the fps~sg
and severed II I,,st behind the wsssirw
pronrs. Then with lenfher ssrsr ~
bound the hnnd'e ~ the Knife fam ~ II
and crepi ont 'nin tn" night. his sss'~ss-
" lmnce firmly gr'ppest tatbke Ne
crcpt toward the rnh'n.
Within the ienn-to John. wh" h"d
hecn reaslIng ny the light of Iswss'
upon the shelf Ind fmllep nslrep whw
the glow ssiIr fnfi'ng over him I'M
hunk WIS ngninst the iowprs sts)e NJ
the lenn-to. and in or,ler that ~ slekssf
he rendy for instant acsion nas0uba sse
mysterious prnwfer return NM vpss0ved
only his cnnt. ve~s and boota A hssp-
ket was thrown partly over him end
his revolver lay upon the table - hss
side.
Carrying q wooden horse to the sevSs
Of the iean-to and carefully placing u
In position. Morgan ngnin mounted 70
the roof. With hnschet he prSe6 -
the weather strip and looked thrUaeD
the crack between the shrunkeD bHassy
and gnxins down mpon the exVose0
breast Of the sleeping man. Csutscue'
~ he pointed the lance down thsUugD
the opening.
Slowly, silently the mursSerwGR w9e-
pon descended. inch ~ bnch dvaven9
nearer to the heart of the sseepsng -.
A moment more and u w0uyd he~s
been buried In the recumbeut fbsa,
hut nt that moment the guavdea0 @Ose
which no often watches over - - ~
helpless moments. lntervene0 - aevo
life. Through the crack ah(ve Gxae
snowflake sitting down fen 'Dpoo ~
check of the sleeper. anf nj ~ ~
Impact. John opened his eysA Ano
though the thrust NJ Morxas was -
quick m the sarike ~ = ssSpeDe, ~
movements Of Jnhn were even Vae1oeT.
One upward sweep ~ NM heON aD0 ~
had grnsped the lnnee 1ust abOvs ~
murtierous knife. 81 S-> 80
Now ensueti Mlent stT0&E5e ~.
tween the would-he aRaNssin upSa M
roof md the One WIN WAS AGfsfInG s"r
his life below. TsA<p ~ n sesvs1DS
disadvantage. rro~tr~te upon hSs hses
md with nothing hut his naked hnsssss
with which to ward or death Jss'H
Davis struggled fo$ Ms MSe. 7hy.'c
times the srrrihHr wenroM sHstf
wrenchesi frrm hts gvs~p: T,un9sss sssrse
into the hunk hut ssscl, time by = seEr-
y,erate twist nf hin arms ansr h"siy ''.'
7itvprtpri n ~ that ,he keen Isr''''
eaerced nothing btn thr b'hrsves Vet
Il Nd not neem sh,n liz sr'nHr risTf
longer avoid sntni thrust, A. NY