The Bolivar County Democrat., 1921-02-12

| amon- The cottop-woods that fringeu
the stream. He clutched Gardiner
arm.
"S-s-sh," he cautioned. "Jim's Jusi
behind the bank. !'n sure | saw --iin.
an he heard you, too
Good" sal, Gardiner. quite undis-
turbed. "Now we can 90 on" They
reined up their horses and plunged into
the swiftly-running water. "YOu see.
said Gardiner, as the horses took the
opposite bank with great strides their
wet hoofs slipping on the round bonl-
dprs that fringed the stream-"fou
see knew Jim was there all the time.
Those remarks were intended for his
benefit.
ITS all quite simple. Jim will hurry
back to the ranch. .addle his horse.
and follow us. BY the way. | didn't
tell him borrowed his revolver. That
may delay him some. But he 81 ould
arrive at the shack in time to be TAX
ing a few stealthy Observations just
about the moment the Harrises re
hunting for their money bag. hope
Allan doesn't use that sh tgun on him
A shotgun makes an awful hole in a
man. Riles."
Riles' experienced an uncanny feel
ing up his spine.
We'll" continued Gardiner. 81 prom
ised to lay the whole plan before you.
when we were safe on the road with
no possibility of any strange ears
cooked for what a man might happen
TO say. It's all easy sailing now. The
big thing was to get them on the road
with the coin. That's what ! needed
YOU for. Rifles. And you didn't do too
bad. had to prod YOU along bit. but
you'll thank me for it when it's ali
over.
Now this is how it Will work out.
to a r. The two Harrises will get up
to the Shanty about dark. They'll pitch
camp there and begin to wonder when
we'll be along. Well, we won't be
along until it's good and dark, even II
we have to kill time on the road. lf
Travers catches up on us We'll just let
him make one of the party. which will
be sort of embarrassing for jim. But
he won't catch up. Well, when ii $
good and dark-there'll be no moon till
after midnight-and they're both
sleeny with their long drive in the high
altitude we will arrive near by. You
will go up TO the door and take look
on the quiet. will 90 up to the win
dow and do the same. There's no
glass in the window. and there's no
size up things inside, particularly the
location of the coin. Then you show
Yourself Tell 'em have the owner Of
the mine out there in the trees, but the
old fellow wont come in until he has
talk with them. Tell 'em they better
not show the money until they chat
with him few minutes. Likely they'll
fall for that as they don't seem to
have the slightest suspicion. But IT
they bak at leaving the money let
them bring it along. Once out in the
dark the rest will be easy But | fig
ure they'll leave the money in the
shack-it'S Just fer Il few minutes, you
know-and they'll reason that it's safe
enough with no one but ourselves with
in miles. Well, you lead them off
down through the bush. AS soon as
YOU do that III slip in through the
window. gather w the long green and
cache it somewhere in the scrub. You
won't be able to find me at first, but
when you do I'll say that the old fell
low wanted to 20 up to the shack him.
self to meet them. and let him go.
Then We'll all go back to the shack,
and find both the money and the old
man-the mine owner. you know
missing. Then Wen start a hue and
cry and all hit into the bush. You and
will gather up the spoil and make a
quiet getaway for the night. OF course.
we'll have to turn up in the morning
to avert SUSPICION hut we cal. tell them
we got on the robbers trail and fol-
lowed it until we lost ourselves in the
bush. In the meantime the HarriSes
will be tearing around in great excite
ment. and they're almost sure to run
on to TraverS. Harris recently fired
Travers. and Allan had Il fight with
him. if you told me right. so it's not
likely they'll listen to any eXplana-
tions. They'll turn him over to the
police, and as it's the business of the
police to get convictions. they'll have
to frame up a case against him or be
made to look stuDid-and that's the
last thing policeman likes. Tlcn
yor and | will quietly divide the pro-
ceeds of our investment, and you can
go back to your farm, if you like, and
live to ripe old age and get write
up in the local paper when you shuf-
file off AS for me-I'm not that ,yre,
Riles, and I'll likely find some other
way to spend my profits.
tTO BE CONTINUEp)