Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1920-09-25


ORE OF on him. an start the m,nrste
Il gets dark enough so them lads COAT
see WHAT'S goin' on ost we're"
"We'N fight our way through"
Not fight, my SER; well make
II SO softly that not a s0H-0f-a-gun will
ever know how 1t happened. When
they wDke up wen he twenty miles out
in the desert. an still a gczB' Thar's
big log clingfng ter the ripper end o.
tE' rock. saw 1t when + fust come
over; an bout an hour ago ! crept
back through that gully am took
good look A shove will send ir ffoatin'.
an with a good pair o. legs TO steer
with thar amt nGJhin' TO step il this
side the curve, a9 don't calculate
any o the rife brigade will be down as
fur rs that. 1t sounds blame good ter
me, Tim: what dye say?"
WestcOtt's hand went out. and the
fingers of the two men cIasped silent
~. There was no need for more
speech: they understood each other.
The night closed down swiftly. as 1t
does in the West, the purple of the
hits becoming black az though by
some magic. There was q heavy
cloud hanging in the Western sky, con-
stantiy sweeping higher in pledge of
a dark night. The banizs 81 the stream
HAcame obscured. and finally vanished
altogether; while the. water ceased 10
glimmer and turned to. an inky black
ness. Lights twinkled In the distant
staeks, and the front of the Red Dog
bBrSt into illumination. Brennan
chucki2d. and pointed MS finger at
tbs glare.
Lacy amt fergettsn' the profit in
all this" he whispered hOarsely. THE
boys are gOin' ter be dry an hen sell
'em all they waht-wOuldn't mind if |
had some myself. Is it dark enough,
mate?"
THE soOaer the better,"
That's my ticket. Come on then.
but don't make a 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 a body. The jagged stone
made the way rough IN the dark, and
Westcott found himself at the upper
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 II swirled around the
base Of the island. Brennan put his
lips close to his companions ear.
Cor yer cartridges tied up? That's
all right; hand em over You hang
on TO the outside. an III push off. IL
yer have ter paddle ter keep in the
current, don't let yer hands or feet
come to the surface Understand"
Certainly"
"AlI right then; are you all set?
Holy smoke, this is going to be some
yacht ride"
The log did not even CRATE as II l0os-
ened its slight hold on the rock, and
began the voyage downstream. The
current was swift enough 10 bear
it and its burden free from the island.
although II moved slowly and noise
eSsly on its way. The two men deep
~ submerged on either side, with heads
held rigid against the wet bark, were
~. II
or shadow. Brennan gently controlled
the unwieldy affair. and keeping II as
nearly as possible TO the center. by the
noiseiess movement of hand under
water No alarm greeted its progress.
and at last. confident that they were al
ready safely below the extent of the
guard l'ne, the two men, clinging to It's
wet sides. ventured 10 kick out quietly.
and thus hasten its progress. 1t came
ashore at the extreme end of the curve.
and after moment of intent listen
ing. the voyagerS crept up the sand,
anil in whispers discussed the next eff
fort of their escape. The belts were
| unstrapped from about the log. reload.
ed with cartridges. and buckled around
dripping waists. before they clambered
| cautiously up the low bank. The road
was just beyond. but between them
and it arose the almost shapeless form
Of small house, a mere darker
shadow Ia the gloom of the night.
"where are weT' questioned West
colt.
''.Inst back of old Beecher's shack.
He's trucking down Benson way, but is
! liable to have some grub stored inside.
I WIS countln' on this for our COM
missary department. Come on, Jim /;
| time IS money just now
The door was unlocked, and in less
than ten minutes they emerged once
more into the open bearing their spoils
-Wescott. a slab of bacon and a small
frying pan; Brennan paper sack of
corumeal. with a couple of specimens
of canned goods. He had also resur-
rected a gunny sack somewhere. in
which the things were carefully