The Jasper news., 1920-07-08


game II out In silence, but whlned COM
plants, promises and threats. He tried
to curry favor with her, to work upon
her pity, even while his furtlve glances
told her that he was wondering wheth-
er he would have better chance II 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 f1t0G And with each failure
with every passing hour, the terror In
him mounted. He would have well
coined life Imprisonment, would have
sold the last vestige Of manhood to
save the worthless life that would soon
be snuffed out unless he could evadp
his hunters till night and In the dark
ness break through the line.
He know now that II 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 It. Yet
even In those black outbursts he felt
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 that the smoke
would draw his hunters as the smell of
carrion does a 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. 1t proved
to be blind gulch, one offering no exit
at the upper end but a stiff rock climb
to blum above.
He whipped of his coat and gave It
to Kate.
Put II 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 It all right before they close
In II you travel fast. Stop once-just
once-and I'll drop you In your tracks.
Now git |"
She saw his object In a fash. Wear
ing his gray felt hat and his coat, the
pursuers would mistake her for him.
They would follow her-perhaps shoot
her down. Anyhow, II would be a d.
version to draw them from him.
Meanwhile he would climb the cliff
and slip away unnotlced.
The danger Of what she had to do
stood out quite clearly, but as a
chance to get away from him she vel.
coined It 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 the stlrrups strong
hands pinned her shoulders to the
ground. She heard glad, startled
cry. The rough hands became imme-
diately gentle. Then things grew
black. The last she remembered was
that the mountains were dancing up
and down In an odd fashion.
Her eyes opened to see Curly. She
was In his arms and his face was
broken with emotions of love and ten
derness.
"You're not hurtY he lmpiored.
"No."
HE dldn't-mistrea your" His
voice was trembling as be whispered
It.
Mono"
And at that she broke down. A deep
sob shook her body-and another. She
buried her head ON his shoulder and
wept.
Without losing an instant the con.
Wet set himself at the climb. His
haste, the swift glances shot behind
him, the appalling dread that made his
nerves ragged. delayed his speed BY
dIssipating the slngleness Of his ener.
gy. His face and hands were torn
with catclaw, his knees bruised by q
slip against a sharp jut Of quartz.
When he reached the top he was
painting and shaken. Before he had
moved a dozen steps a man came oul
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 Jammed and
Blackwell could not throw II out. He
turned to run as the other fired. But
he was too late. He stumbled. tripped
and went down full length.
The mao that had ah0t him waited