The Arizona copper camp., 1920-08-28

I'll, no! amt no such walker
as all that. Come over yere; keep yer
head down; now look out between
these two rocks. Do yer see them
cow-ponies hitched ter the rack along.
side o the Red Dog? Well, they've
been thar fer matter o. three hours,
| reckon, an their riders amt liable
ter leave as long as thar's any ex.
citement in town. They're XII men,
and mostly drunk by this time. It's
my aim ter get leg over one O. them
animals. Here's my scheme, an l
reckon it'll work. Naturally Lacy will
think We'll try to get away-make
break fer it in the dark. He'll have
both them banks guarded, an ther fell
fers will have orders ter shoot. He'd
rather have us dead than alive. But,
TO my notion, he won't expect us ter
try any getaway before midnight.
Anyhow, that's how I'd figure if 1 was
in his place. But my idea is to pull
one off on him, an start the minute
it gets dark enough so them lads can't
see what's goin' on out yere.''
"We'll fight our way through?"
"Not a fight, my son; wen make
it so softly that not son-of-a-gun will
eyer know how it happened. When
they wake up we'll be twenty miles out
in the desert, an still a goin'. Thars
big log clinging ter the upper end o.
tn rock. / saw it when I fust come
over; an bout an hour ago 1 crept
back through that gully an took a
good look. A shove will send it floatin'.
An with good pair o. legs to steer
with, thar amt nuthin' to stop it this
side the curve, an / don't calculate
any O the rife brigade will be down as
fur as that. It sounds blame good ter
me, jim; what dye say?"
Westcott's hand went out, and the
fingers of the two men clasped silent
ly. There was no need for more
speech; they understood each other.
The night closed down. swiftly, as it
does in the West, the purple of the
hills becoming black as though by
some magic. There was a heavy
cloud hanging in the Western sky, con.
stantly sweeping higher in pledge Of
a dark night. The banks of the stream
became obscured, and finally vanished
altogether: while the water ceased to
glimmer and turned to an inky black
ness. Lights twinkled in the distant
shacks, and the front of the Red Dog
burst into illumination. /, Brennan
chuckled, and pointed his finger at
the glare.
'sLacy amt fergettin' the profit in
all this" he whispered hoarsely. "The
boys are goin' ter be dry, an he'll sell
'em all they want-wouldn't mind if
had some myself. Is it dark enough.
mateY'
'''The sooner the better!"
'Thats my ticket. Come on then,
but don't make sound them lads are
more liable to- hear than they are to
see us. Let me go first"
The log was at the other end Of the
little island, but there was a consider.
able rift in the rock surface, not deep,
but of sufficient width to permit the
passage of body. The Jagged stone
made the way rough in the dark, and
w CSLSOLt 1OuAO at tllC uppCA
extremity, gashed and bruised by the
contact.
Brennan lowered himself into the
water, assisted in the downward climb
by some low, tough bushes whose ten
drills chung tenaciously to the smooth
rock. Westcott followed silently, and
found footing in about three feet Of
water, where it sWirled around the
base Of the island. Brennan put his
lips close to his companions ear.
SCOT yer cartridges tied up? That's
all right; hand 'em over. You hang
on to the outside an I'll push off. #
yer have ter paddle ter keep in the
current, don't let yer hands er feet
come TO the face-understand?
"Certainly."
"All right then; are you all set?
Holy smoke, this is going to be some
yacht ride"
The log did not even CRATE as it loos-
ened its slight hold on the rock, and
began the voyage downstream. The
current was swift enough to bear