The Little River news., 1920-07-17

ildSlC, lAC SWil SlauSCS SilOl DChihu him, the appalling dread that made his nerves ragged delayed his speed by dissipating the singleness of his ener- gy. His face and hands were torn with catclaw, his knees bruised by a slip against sharp jut of quartz.
 When he reached the top he was panting and shaken. Before he had moved a dozen steps man came out of the brush scarce seventy-five yards away and called to him to surrender. He flung his rife to place and fired twice.
 The man staggered and steadied himself. A shell had damned and Blackwell could not throw it out. He turned to run as the other fired. But he was too late. He stumbled, tripped and went down full length.
 The man that had shot him waited for him to rise. The convict did not move. Cautiously the wounded hunt CT came forward. his eyes never lifting from the inert sprawling figure. Even now he half expected him to sprin~ ,np. life and energy in every tense D > Not till he stood over him, till W the careessly flung limbs, the ssafh twis, to the neck, could he belrcve that so sligh, d crook of the finger had sent swift death across the plateau.
 The wounded man felt suddenly sick. Leaning against rock. he stead jed himself till the nausea was past. Voices called to him from the plain be- low. He answered and presently cir cled down into the gulch which led to the open.
 At the gulch mouth he came on a little group of people. One glance told him all he needed to know. Kate CullisOn was crying in the arms sf rang within to tell hir1 she was so near and in such fearful need of him.
 Twice during the morning did the refugee attempt to slip down into the parched desert that stretched toward Sonora and safety. But the cordon set about him was drawn too close Each time loose-seated rider lounging in the saddle with a rife in his hands drove them back. The second attempt was almost disastrous, for the convict was seen. The hum of bullet whistled past his ears as he and his prisoner drew back into the chaparral and from thence won back to cover
 Kate. dropping with fatigue. saw that fear rode Blackwell heavily. He was trapped and he knew that by the Arizona code his life was forfeit and would be exacted of him should he be taken. He had not the hardihood to game 1t out in silence. but whined con- plaints. promises and threats. He tried to curry favor with her. to work upon her pity, even while his furtive glances told her that he was wondering wheth- CT he would have better chance if he sacrificed her life.
 From gulch to arroyo. from rock cover to pineclad hillside he was driven in his attempts to break the narrowing circle of grim hunters that hemmed him. And with each failure. with every passing hour. the terror in him mounted. He would have vel comed life Imprisonment. would have sold the last vestige of manhood to save the worthless life that would soon be snufRed out unless he could evade his hunters tll night and in the dark ness break through the line.
 He know now that 1t had been fatal mistake to bring the girl with him. He might have evaded Bolts posses, but now every man within fifty miles was on the lookout for him. His rage turned against Kate because of 1t. Yet that he must cling to her as his only hope of saving himself. He had made another mistake in lighting a camp fire during the morning. Any fool ought to have known tha: the smoke would draw his hunters as the smell of carrion does buzzard.
 Now he made a third error. Dou- bling back over an open stretch of hill side, he was seen again and forced into the first pocket that opened. It proved to be blind gulch, one offering no exit at the upper end but stiff rock climb to a bluff above.
 He whipped off his coat and gave 1t to Kate.
 "Put 1t on. Quick"
 Surprised. she slipped 1t on.
 ''Now ride back out and cut along the edge of the hill. You've got time to make 1t all right before they close in If you travel fast. Stop once-just once-and I'll drop you in your tracks. Now git!"
 She saw his object in a flash. Wear ing his gray felt hat and his coat, the pHrsuers would mistake her for him. They would follow her-perhaps shoot her down. Anyhow, 1t would be di- version to draw them from him. Meanwhile he would climb the cliff and slip away unnoticed.
 The danger of what she had to do stood out quite clearly, but as a chance to get away from him she wet comed 1t gladly. From the lip of the gulch she swung abruptly to the right Her horse stumbled and went down just as bullet flew over her head. Be fore she was free of tho stirrups strong hands pinned her shoulders to the ground. She heard . glad, startled Wy. Tho nouRh hand1 hacnmn impne.