Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-06-18

come out of it, for, after a short
silence. the crunch OF his boots, fol-
lowed by the others, came on up the
branch. The steps were across the
branch, upon the less broken hide.
Opposite the cliff where the fugitive
lay, the steps stopped. "
whats hat hole up there.?"
1t was the gruff and heavy voice
that asked. thick still with the fare
of temper that had not yet cooled.
Wolf den, more'n likely" answer
ed one of the Others.
"Wolf den!' snorted the heavy
voice. You fe)lers couldn't find tn
Red Mask if he'd "a putt up sign
boards fer y'u t. folier.' i
"S'posin' you answer ysur questions
y'urse'f, then" the other rejoined. -
The gruff voice made no answer.
The heavy boots came hopping from
stone to stone across the stream. The
others followed, The Pearlhunter
heard them clawing at the foot Of the
cliff. and their boots scfaping the
rock, Feeling for a foothold. His fin
gers unconscieusly closed. around the
them back. Noise would be danger
Gus. Yet-he, must not be taken. The
fingers went back to the revolver. He
must have one more night of liberty.
Everything depended upon that-one
more free night. "a. , III r.
There were some loose chunks Of
shale lying about in the scar. His
eye happened tosfall ON them He
took his hand back from the revolver
the larger chunks. After all. they
would probably come. n at q time.
the blacksmith first. In all Likelihood
they were armed, with rifles, which
would have to be left at the foot Of
the clf.-He had formed a, bold plan
to seize the first man that appeared,
choke him into unconsciousness. and
risk stunning the other two with
chunks Of shale before they could
that. Well, there were .withes in
the woods as strong as new rope. and
doubtlSss many a snug place in. the
fox den where three men, safely
bound and gagged, could lie unseen
until another day.. I
But the scaling Of that. cliff, was
not a job for b~lacksmiths and wood
choppers. 1t was a task for, men of
long reach, of wiry joints, and thewa
scraping after a while; the three men
stood muttering n breathing hard
upon the ledge against. which the wa
ter curled. ~
IF we wus UP tn blun across there
furnist the hole, we could see. in*'
suggested a voice. the one that had
first come out of the silence down
The other voices srunted; and the
back across the stream heard them
clawing their way Through the
tangled dnderbrush up the opposite
bluff. The scar i'm 3 which he lay
dipped slightly toward the rear. He
rolled back as far as possible, so as
TO have the protection afforded by
they slightly higher edge; stretched
himself on his right side: and waited
for them<to come into view.
Morelike boys beating up q >thicket
for rabbits than men hunting the
most dangerous d~esperado ever
known along the Wabash. they storm.
ed up the opposite bluff. After what
seemed a long time to the listener
their heads finally came into view, thu
burly blacksmith leading. Fortunate
lly the sun hit their side Of the gorge.
and the Pearlhunter could see them
well. while,i being on the shady side.
they could got see HIN at all. He
could have killed them all. and with
quick ease, the diStance>in a direct
line from face to face OF the gorge
being even less thsaa osdilary pistol
The three Of thsuGArsa st6sstherst
consultation. The Pearlhunter could
not make out their words. hut the
manner in which they handed their
rifles, which they had managed, To
drag up with them, indicated only too
Ilainly the general drift of what was
being. said. $sAasA
With q mai nod ALI roiuHnd, they
laced the pocket. and the blacksmith
raised bis rife. The PeArlhunter
knew It would come . tha4; they
were men of just that caliber. The
bullet struck the roof Of -the scaa Just
I'm front OF him. sleyering Yhioa with
dust and bits of siA1e. The second
fired. The bullet parsed close 10 Ms
feet and lost Itself far back In the
|crevise where the two strata OF shaie
conyersed;Th ey seeraed ~ baye
fre at the middle And one At either
end. IL. was now the third pne..a. turn.