The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-11-25

NtNcs ON tnt tuhiu tTuit. iou tvuiuh
90 straight, but would have ter circle
out an travel mostly behind that ridge
O. sand thar to the left. Coin that
away nobody's likely ter get sight o.
yer on foot. You couldn't take no
boss, though. Here'd be my plan:
Lead this yere outfit o. mine an your
ponies back inter them sand dunes
whar nobody ever goes. They're tired
'nough ter stand, an there amt any
thing fer 'em to Craze on. Then we
kin hoof It over ter the place I'm tell.
in yer about, an yer kin sorter size
II up fer yerselves. That's fair, amt
itf"
They went at II with will. The
team was driven into the security OF
the sand drifts and unhitcbed. The
saddles were taken from the backs OF
the ponies. and what grain Moore had
In the wagon was carefully appor-
toned among the four animals. Salts
fed these would not stray, the men
looked carefully to their supply Of
ammunition and set forth on their
tramp.
This proved a harder journey than
either Brennan or Westcott had an
ticipated, for Moore led Off briskly,
taking a wide circle. until a consider
able ridge concealed their movements
from the south. At last Moore turned
sharply and plunged into what resem-
bled narrow ravine through the
ridge. Here they struggled knee deep
in the sand, but finally emerged on the
very rim overlooking the valley.
SO perfectly was 1t concealed they
were within ten feet of the edge be-
fore the men, their heads bent in the
strenuous effort to advance, even real
lied Its immediate presence. Moore
grlnned as he noted the surprise de-
picted on their faces, and waved his
hand.
"Yer better lie down an crawl up
ter the edge" he advised. "Some
hole, amt itT'
~ should say so," and Westcott
dropped to his knees. 81 never
dreamed of such place. Dan, amt
this an eye-openerT
1T sure is" and tho marshal crept
cautiously forward. "Only it's devils
who've got possession. What's that
down below. Matt? Houses. by lingo
Well, don't that beat h-l?-all the
comforts of home"
1.-TWO big cabins" explained Moore,
rather proud of his knowledge. Cart
ed the logs In from oil Baldy, more'n
forty miles. Creep up bit an I'll
show yer how the trail runs. Don't
be afeerd; nobody kin see yer from
down below"
"All right, son; where Is lt?"
ut starts at the foot o. that bowl
der" indicating with his finger, "an'
goes along the shelf clear to the end
then thars a drop ov maybe five feet
to that outcroppin' o. rock just below
It's wider than II looks to be from
yere. After that yer can trace II
quite spell with yer eyes, kinder
sidlin' ter the left, till yer come tO
that dead root ov a cedar. Then
thar's gap or two that amt over
easy, an slide down ter another
shelf. Yer can't miss 1t. cause there's
no other way ter CO."
"And what's at the bottom?"
"Them huts, an the mouth of a biz
cave just behind 'em. reckon it's ID
the cave they've got the gal; there's
places there they kin shut up, but
don't know what they was ever mad
fer. l asked Lacy wunst. but he onlJ
laughed"
The two men lay fiat, staring down
1t was almost sheer wall, and the
very thought Of climbing along the al
most impossible path pointed out by
Moore made Westcott dizzy. 1t was
such a sheer, preclpitous drop, patti
If path H. could be called-so thick
ly studded with danger the mind ac
tually recoiled In contemplation.
They were still sitting there cross
legged in the sand when the silence
Vas suddenly punctuated by the sharI
report of revolver. The sound bare