The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-10-28
CHAPTER xIIL-continued.

awake and on guard until midnight, |
and the other was to go on duty from |
midnight until dawn. The second |
watch, with which was the factions |
leader, had nightcap Of the yitriolic |
whisky, flung itself sprawling on the
ground and straightway went to sleep. |
The first watch sat around the |
cracking Drushwood fire and played
cards for chews of tobacco, cartridges
and pocket knives, sang strange and
outlandish songs and drenk more
whisky. One very drunk Torrey gam
bled away all his tobacco, all his cart
ridges, his knife, his rife and his belt,
his coat and his hat, his boots and his
shirt-and offered to bet his trousers
and his ea.s on the turn of a single
cardl II was funny, and 1t was dis
Kasrin2, too. II was all the work Of
whisky, which Eli Dale had always
hated because II made men fools, made
Them mouth their secrets and made
them commit murder. -.
After some two hours Of these worse
than bacchanaIJan orgies the first
watch, heavy with drink, stopped play
ing cards and singing outlandish
songs, forgot all orders and began to
nod. Then 1t was that Dale thought
of the man who had been his faithful
guardian for many days, the lanky
BY Heck. Why hadn't he thought of
Heck before? He wondered If Heck
had followed him to the trap, if Heck
/ was near him even then, If Heck had
gone for help.
BY Heck had not followed Bill Dale
60 the little basin. But he had fol-
lowed Henderson Goff, and Henderson
Golf had followed Dale to the little
basin. Golf had returned to the Big
Pine Mountain country only that day
and he knew nothing of the plans of
the Ball Torrey faction until he wit
messed the mockery of a trial. Golf
was now crouching in the darkness on
the low line of cliffs to the eastward
behind him, well hidden in the black
taurels, watching him and watching
Bill Dale, crouched By Heck.
Dale's guardian had not gone for
help, because he feared to leave Dale
utterly unprotected in the hands OF
the gang of cutthroats. He believed
that he could rescue Dale himself
more drowsy, he would steal up be,
hind the tree and cut the cotton rope
Then he realized that Golf had dis
appeared entirely. He crept forward
silently, his eyes alert, and moment
later he saw Golf stealing toward the
walnut tree. He climbed noiselesslJ
down over the face of the cliff ant
8 Goff's hands touched the tree, BY Heel
was within ten feet of it. Heck made
sure his rifle was ready and took an
other step forward, watching, listen
ing.
The shyster coal man leaned arount
the tree to the left. In the glow o
the low-burned fire the blade Of
small knife In his hand cleaned dull
red. He whispered cautiously:
you're in a fix, Dale, And it
none of my doing, either. Give M
your word that I'll get that coal prop
erty for fifteen thousand, and I'll slasl
the rope. How about itf Sick o
this country, aren't your"
There came few seconds of silenc
save for the lusty snoring of the sleeE
ers and the musical tinkle of the littl
creek, after which Golf muttered dis
appointedly:
'Well, then, hangi"
And Heck knew that Dale had re
fused to sell the Moreland coal for
song even to save his life. As Col
stepped backward, the muzzle OF tn
tall hillman's rifle went against tn
small of his back, and the tall hillma
whispered hoarsely, through teet
lightly clenched:
"Slash at rope, DIN yore soul
Slash at rope, or l wisht may dra
dead eff don't shoot yore backbon
into four thousand pieces, igod Slas
It I"
Golf Strengthened in surprise. tn
rifles muzzle went harder against hi
back and he knew it for exactly wha
1t was. He moved hand upwart
then downward and the cotton rop
was severed In half dozen places.
"Stiddy thar, now" whispered B
Heck, and he began to back ava.
Come along wi me, We dadslastet
banjer-bellied skunk Bill he'll fcller
The three of them hurried into ii
deeper shadows Soon Heck halle
Con- and turned TO Dale.
"S'arch him TO gun, Bill, old boy
Dale lifted from Henderson Golf
right-hand coat-pocket a blued an
etub-nosed magazine pistol.
"Dang my eyes and blast my TO
rard r Heck exclaimed in a muffle
voice. He's plumb death on the
little popguns, amt he? Say, Col
ef ever We shoots me with thing lii