Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1921-01-06

them, for he knew where they were
going, and, in a measure, at least.
about who they were. Shelby had
never been in that strange sink known
as Wolves hole. but he had talked
with a mar who had. An immense
hole in the Bad Lands, through which
flowed q branch Of the Cottonwood, 81
strange malformation Of nature, so
completely concealed as to be invisible
until the surprised traveller stood On
it's very edge, and stared down into
the gloomy depths below. The walls
were precipitous, impossible except
on foot by daylight, and at only two
points could the sink be entered on
horseback; from the west beneath the
protection Of a cataract, where the
stream plunged headlong over a high
ledge of stone, and from the other
extremity down a narrow ravine
through a tunnel scooped out by some
torrent in long-past ages. Originally
discovered by wandering trappers.
who camped there out Of the winter
storms, it had later become the head
quarters for an Illicit Indian trade in
liquor, and finally the rendezvous for
criminals of all kinds, eager to get
beyond the reach Of the law. It was
rumored that there was actually a
town there, with ONE Of a class,
with a certain rude attempt at gov
eminent by a few se1f-constituted au-
thorities.
Shelby visioned all this in his men,
ory, questioning his chance Of Y e
successfully invading such a spot with
out arousing suspicion. It was plain
ly proven by their testimony that
Macklin was taking his captive to this
SPOT for safe hiding. He and his In
dian accessories had ridden on, anx-
fous to reach this security with as it,
tie delay as possible. But would Shell
by dare to follow? To be sure. except
to the Kid, he was unknown, which
might make him welcome. Yet the
danger Of detection was great.
Apparently, there was no other
feasible way in which he could hope
to serve Olga. He weighed this, with;
no conscious thought Of himself, cold
" and deliberately counting the
chances, and decided to make the at
tempt.
Convinced as to his duty, and urged.
to it by the personal interest he felt In.
the girl. Shelby cast all hesitaney-
aside. He would make the attempt;
fortune had surely favored him thus
far, and might again. he went back
to where the buckskin waited, mount
ed the animal. quiet enough by this
time. rode down to the edge Of the
stream, and sat silently in the saddle
while the beast drank. 1t was a dark
clear night, the stars overhead like
lamps in the sky, the air cool and
fresh. He turned the pony up the val
ley, making no effort to hurry the ami
NAL, DESTROYS only at present of keep
ing well in the rear Of the two horse
men ahead. He knew the course they
would take, must take, up the valley
Of the Dragon as far as the great
bend, and then across the plateau uiE-
til they reached the Cottonwood. He
would simply follow cautiously until
daylight, then search for the trail to
make sure, and endeavor, from some
elevation, to pick them up with his
field glasses.
The grass in the valley vas thick,
but not long. It presented no obstacle
to travel, but the horses hoofs made
no noise. Finding the rider undemon-
strative, the buckskin lowered his head
and moved forward steadily at a rapid
walk. Shelby swaying in the saddle,
half asleep, yet keenly awake to any
unusual sound.
Hour after hour passed, the valley
narrowing as they advanced, the hills
On either hand growing darker and
more sharply defined, and the ribbon
of the sky above constantly contrast
ing. The man ~endeavored to think,
but found it useless; there was little
he could plan in advance-only con
tinue on and trust to fortune. his
mind leaped from point to point, yet
settled upon nothing. He knew where
he was in a vague way, recalling to
memory the outlines Of this country
as traced upon the map, but by this
time he was well beyond the range
of his own cattle, or any region he had
ever hunted over. All about stretched
the desert of the Bad Lands; he
could picture in his mind the scene
presented from those bluffs, either of
broken, rocky country, or dismal
desert, white with alkali. 1t was a
land devoid ever of animal or bird life,
waterless and %forlorn, avoided even by
Indians except for concealment. In
all those hours Of darkness he heard
no sound of life except the distant
how of a coyote.
The first faint gray of dawn gave
him glimpse of his surroundings, and,
on a slight ridge of land, he finally
drew up his tired mount. and gazed
curiously about. He dismounted. and.
after a few moments scrutiny Of the
ground, decided that he was still safe
~ on the trail of those travelling
ahead. There were two races suff-
GENTLY defined to indicate the passage