The Holbrook news., 1921-04-08
CHAPTER xIII-continued.

hind the falls when the Pearlhunter landed lightly beside him, almost up on him. The passage was dark-dark as the inside of a pistol barrel. It wGs a very reassuring fact. It meant that there was no candle burning far ther ahead in the cave. He was in time Making sure of that very i'm pOrtant fact, he thrust the revolver into the holster pocket at his hip. grasped the sheriff by the collar and hurried up the passage.
 By the same subtle instinct that had served him the night before, he knew when he reached the point at which the passage widened into the cave. There he Ioosed the sheriff's collar and struck a match. The sheriff caught his breath and stared. The horse, the candle in the cranny, the saddle and spurs. the feed-all just as it had been described to him.
 CT never knew there was anything like this under Fallen Rock"
 You're probably the third man that ever did know it. Pick your steps across those sIivers of shale there and get into that pocket behind the hay. Hurry! We mustn't show much light. He's due any minute"
 The one match served. So urgently did the Pearlhunter consider the need of haste that before it was gone they were crowded well back in the pocket behind the hay.
 s-The instant you're convinced I'm not the Red Mask, nudge me, and I'll give your revolver back. And I needn't tell you that when the time comes to act, we've got to act quick"
 The two men had stood in the pock- ct for what must have been half an hour, and the throb of the Pearlhunt- ers wound was becoming almost un- bearable, when the horse grew sud denly quiet. The Pearlhunter sank low in the cover and pulled the sheriff down beside him. A match scraped; a sputtering flame hunted the candle in the cranny; the cave, the horse, the jaunty form of the man they await ed sprang out of the dark.
 He came straight to the horse; the one friend absolutely true to him in all his dangerous world; the one friend who still regarded him as gentleman. The horse reached out his nose to meet him; rubbed his shoulder with his head A moment the man gave to the caress, then hurried to the corn sack, laid three ears upon the rock, and turned to the hay.
 Now was the critical instant. If they escaped his glance now-i But he was totally unsuspecting. Without raising his eyes as far as the pocket. he grabbed up a handful or two of, the brightest straws and turned back to the horse.
 "Short rations tonight. Rocket; and
 He took down from near where the saddle hung a curry comb and brush 1 from another of the numerous cram nies of the cave and proceeded. with i surprising skill and quickness, to groom the horse. The task completed. l he laid back the brush and curry ! comb, and, lifting the feet of the horse, | examined them one by one nail by nail, afterward running his hands ! down the horses limbs and lingering | over each joint, finally summing up | the inspection by listening with no | little care to the animals breathing. It was the work of a master. The in- | spection over, he took the saddle down | from the wall. threw 1t on the horse. | drew the girths. hung the bridle on the | horn. unstrapped his spuHs from the | back of the saddle and buckled them | to his heels.
 "I wish I knew" he muttered. half | to himself. apparently half to his | dumb companion. as he waited for the | animal to finish his supper, whether | that PearIhunter has left. It looks | like he had. And yet, that's not like his breed-to cut out. Still, there's | always a chance" He seemed to | mediate: flung up his head with a bitter grImace and toss of his hand. | 'Chancel" he growled. "What's life without its chance! Lifel Huh! A game of chance-with the cards | stacked, and the devils deal! Rocket, | you'll carry double tonight. Yellow curls, eyes like bluebells and ankles | -! But high headed-she came dev- tIish nigh shootin' me this afternoon | But the harder to tame, the better worth tamin'"
 The PearIhunter was writhing back | in the pocket, his face like the rock | he crouched against; but the sheriff | hadn't nudged him.
 The Red Mask looked down at the fast disappearing provender before the horse. walked back and forth | across the cave a time or two, turned | and stood for a moment or two fum- bling behind the oak root where it had been tied
 HThat sheriff" He strengthened, l threw up his head and laughed bolster ousIy. "He couldn't find a lost ele- phant. let alone a wonderful, wee lit- | tIe drop of distilled witchery like this."
 From the dry clay and shale back Of the oak root he had drawn forth a l small plush box. With the word "this" he blew the dust off, and pushed in | the tStch. The lid dipped up. On the | tiny cushion lay the Blue Moon twlRkIing in the candle-light. not un- like the princess that walked up in the cave of the dragon.
 At last came the sherif's nudge. The PearIhunter quietly passed his re- voIver over. There couldn't have been a sound in the act louder than the drawing of a breath, but somehow it must have reached the man by the