Phoenix tribune., 1920-10-02
%On footY'

Ell, mol / 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,
l 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 1
reckon it'll work. Naturally Lacy will
think Wen try to get away-make a
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, ne won't expect us ter
try any getaway before midnight.
Anyhow, that's how I'd figure il 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
W "h0t sum OA Oul yCICs
swell fight our way through?"
'Not fight, my son; we'll make
it so softly that not son-of-a-gun will
ever know how it happened. When
they wake up Wen be twenty miles out
in the desert, an still goin'. Thar's
big log clinging ter the upper end O.
th' rock. l saw it when 1 fust come
over; an bout an hour ago / crept
back through that gully an took
good look. A shove will send it foatin'.
An with a good pair O. legs to steer
with, thar amt nuthin' to stop 1t this
side the curve, an 1 don't calculate
any O. the rifle brigade will be down as
fur as that. 1t sounds blame good ter
me, jim; what dye sayi"
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 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.
'Lacy 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' mind if I
had some myself. Is it dark enough,
mater?
'The sooner the hetter"
THAT'S 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 60 first"
The log was at the other end of the
little island, but there was 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
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 clung 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. If
yer have ter paddle ter keep in the
currsnt, don't let yer hands er feet
come to the ace-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 1oos-
ened its slight hold on the rock, and
began the voyage downstream. The
current was swift enough to bear