Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-13


Wnen ne awoke the sun was well UP
diong the heavens and Banner was oner-
ing him piece of dry bread and some
Jerky, spiced and smoked and as dry
and sweet as anything he had ever eaten
in all his life
They're comin'," said the man |;
thar's five comm from down along tn
wall at tn south--thatll be Jameson.
| Hill and Thomas an some others-an'
see about ten or twelve, near's can
make out, driftin In from up toward tn
Pomo settlement. Thar's dust cloud
movin UP from tn Bottle Neck. too.
furdest"
And they were, a grim. silent group
of men, determined, watchful, bent on
the second step of the program to which
at Lasts Holding. Tharon was there.
too, and with her Bent Smith on Golden.
IL was a goodly number who left their
horses In charge of Hill and DIXON at
the blind mouth and entered the long
black cut. They climbed in low spoken
quiet, their voices sounding back upon
them with an odd dead effect They
| went faster than Old Pete was wont to
ltravel, for they meant to reach the spot
Of the tragedy before the early shadows
| world above. Tharon went eagerly, her
eyes dilated.
Always she had dreamed of the Can
yon Country. Always she had wondered
what II was like.
When she left the mouth of the black
] rooted cut and came out into the mar
Z row rock-walled canyon with It's painted
faces reaching up into the very skies,
head she could see the endless cuts and
| cross-cuts, the standing spires and
narrow wedgelike walls that made n
labyrinthian maze.
Billy. close beside her, as always
watched her with pensive sadness.
And so the Vigilantes went in and
up along the lower ways. There were
those among them who had been here
before. who from time to time had ac-
nightly trips just for the curiosity Of
the thing. These several men, among
whom were Albright from the Pomo
settlement--a squawman-tools the lead,
and Albright. keen as hound on trail,
at a running walk
And so It was, that. while the sun
was still shining on the high peaks
above and the canyons were filled with a
red and yellow faces of the rock. the
Vigilantes came suddenly to a halt, for
Albright had stopped.
~, Here's where II happened" he said,
there's blood-sign." And he pointed
to, the wall at a spot about breast high. |
A thin dark line no wider than a blade |
or grass and about as long, spraying
out to nothing at tho upper end. leaned
along the rock like a native marking. |
n NO t,onsa 0,mer eye % hsd seen IT, Not one In
GOOD said Kenset, you're the man
TOT more or this"
IheX crowded around and examined
'ne telltale spray.
Not one among them hut kneu ~ N,
the stain of blood
From that they spread out and back
to search the sliding heaps Of dust-like
powdery rock.slide that lay everywhere
lyn ta
II took Albright five minutes by Ken
sets watch to find the disturbed and
ciumsily smoothed dump which held all
that was mortal Of the snow-pacl<er.
Miss Last" said Kenset as the man
began to dig with the spades brousht
along Tor the purpose. ''you had best
step PACK Bit"
But Tharon pushed nearer.
This Is my work. she said with
dignity II started this, / think. W."
1t was pitiful job that Service and
Rolled head first into a abailoY aete'
nc, no doubt with Jest and iaushter~it w ho,Sm was
his booted foot which first car,o 20
view. sticking grotesquely up throueS
the loose slide-stuff.
r ~ was brief work and grim worI, that |
toiIowed; and soon the weazened form
pent and stiffened into something bardiw
human. lay I'm the soft pink iight On tbs
canons foor.
jim Banner knelt and examined n
carefully and minutely. then every man
IN the group did likewise They found
Old Pete had been shot squarely from
behind little to the left.
The bullet had undoubtedly pierced The
heart-a great gaping hole in the LEFT I
its course.
Here" said Albright, coming back
from short distance down, beneath The
spray on the wall. heres where some.
IN la l
blood he lost, I make no doubt
-. "Gentlemen-Miss Last" said Kenset.
Il move we all move back and leave
the ground to Albright. There is fine
With one accord the mass moved back.
clearing goodly space.
In the immediate vicinity there was
little chance OF doing anything. for Sery-
over the soft floor until ali original
traces OF the murder were blotted out.
Albright looked around and seemed N :
hesitate.
me alone?" he asked. Gimme Dick
Compos, there"
Done" said Kenset
A tall, silent half-breed stepped for.
ward and without another word the two
began to scan the walls, the floors, the the
heaps of rotted rock the loose and
tumbled boulders, not vet decomposed,
that lined the cut on both sides.
They stood in their tracks and looked.
and the concentration in their eyes was
akin to that In the eyes of a wild AMI
NAL hiding, hard.pressed. and looking
for loophole for life.
The Vigilantes watched them In
silence.
Presently Dick Compos stepped for
ward, leaned down and searched the wall
at the left. Then he went forward. bent
over. scanning each inch. He looked
above and below, the height of a mans
shoulders his hips his knees. ''
Then he crept back, stopped at a par-
ticuiar unstandinp niece NJ stpna