The Arizona copper camp., 1920-12-25

with her-that fellow yer told me
about likely"
"Fred Cavendishi BY Jove, it would
be like him: Say, boys, I'm going down
and take hand in this game"
The marshall gripped him.
"Not yet, jim 1t amt dark enough.
Wait a bit more an I'm with yer, old
man. It'll be blacker than HI
down there in fifteen minutes, an then
We'll have some chance. They'd pot
US now sure afore we got as far as
that cedar. What is the gang up to
now, Matt?'
There goin' ter bust in the door,
and Moore craned his head farther out
over the edge in eagerness to see. 81
reckon they didn't git no answer that
pleased 'em. See OF Mendez hoppin
abouti Lord he's mad 'nough to eat
nails. Thar comes the f0g-say, they
hit that some thump; thar amt no
wood that's goin' ter stand agin them
blows long. Do yer hear"
They did; the dull reverberation as
the log butt crashed against the closed
door was plainly audible. Once, twice,
three times it struck, giving forth at
last the sharper cracking of splintered
wood.
The door crashed in; there was a
fusillade of shots, the Spits of fire
cleaving the dusk, and throwing the
figures of the men into sudden bold
inf 1oo oil
and the others leaped forward, yelling
wildly and plunging in through the
broken doorway. An instant later three
muffied reports rang out from the in
teriOr-One deep and booming, the 9TH
ers sharper, more resonant-and the
invaders tumbled backward into the
open, seeking shelter. Westcott was
erect, Brennan on hands and knees.
Oh met" CALCULATED the latter,
his excitement conquering restraint.
"Whoeyer they are, Jim, they're givin'
OIL Mendez his belly full. Did yer hear
them shots? There's sure two of 'em
in thar-one's got shotgun an the
other revolver. I'll bet yer they
punctured some O. those lads. hord
They come out like rats"
Westcott's teeth gripped.
I'm going down." he said grimly, "if
/ have to go alone"
Brennan scrambled to his feet.
"Just a second, Jim, an I'm with
yer Moore, get up yere. Now, what
do yer say? Can we count you in on
this shindig?"
"Sure; didn't just tell you so?''
Brennan wheeled about.
"Give him his gun, Jim, and the
belt" he commanded briefly. 81 don't
send no man into fracas like this un-
less he's heeled. Leave yer coats here,
an take it slow. Both of yer ready?"
Not until his dying day will Westcott
ever forget the moment he hung dam
Cling over the edge Of that pit, follow
ing Moore who had disappeared, and
felt gingerly in the darkness for the
narrow rock ledge below.
At best they could only creep, feel
ing way blindly from crag to crag
clinging desperately to every projec.
tiOn, never venturing. even the slight
est movement until either hand or foot
found solid support. Moore led, his
boyish recklessness and knowledge of
the way giving him an advantage.
Westcott followed, keeping as close as
possible, endeayoring to shape his own
efforts in accordance with the dimly
outlined form below; while Brennan,
short-legged and stout, probably had
the hardest task Of all in bringing up
the rear
There was nothing but intense black
ness down there-a hideous chasm Of
death clutching at them; the houses,
the men, the whole valley was COM
pletely swallowed in the night. Twice
Westcott had to let go entirely, trust
ing to ledge below to stop his fall !;
once he travelled yard, or more, dan
Cling on his hands over the abyss, his
feet feeling for the support beyond !;
and several times he paused to assist
the shorter-legged marshal down to a
lower level. Their progress was that
of the snail, yet every inch of the way
they played with death.
Fifty feet below, just as Moore
rounded the dead cedar, the guns be-
gan again, the spits of red fame light
ing up the outlines of the cabin, and
the dark figures of men. It was as
though they looked down into the pit,
watching the brewing of some sport of
demons-the movements below them
weird, rotesque-rendered horrible by
those sudden glares of light. This fir
ing was all from without, and was un-
answered.; no boom Of shotgun replied,
no muffled crack of revolver. Yet it
must have been for a purpose, for the
men crouching against the cliff, their
faces showing CHASTITY in the flashes Of
powder, were able to perceive a mass
ing of figures below. Then the shots
ceased, and the butt of the great log
crashed against something with the
force of catapult, and yell rolled
up through the night.
At last Moore stopped, and waited