Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-11-24

instant they were in the darkened
room. Bruce stood up, once moro
wholly master of himself.
You're not hurt badi" she asked
quickly.
mo. Just deep scratch in ths
arm muscle near the shoulder. Bullet
just must have grazed me. But It's
bleeding pretty bad"
''Then there's no time to be lost"
Her hands in her eagerness went
again to his shoulder. Don't you
see-heIl be here in minute. Wen
steal out the back door and try to
ride down to the courts before they
can overtake us
In one instant he had grasped the
idea; and he laughed softly in the
gloom. 81 know. I'll snatch two
blankets and the food. You get the
horse"
She sprang out the kitchen door
and he hurried into the bedrooms.
He snatched two Of the warmest
blankets from the beds and hurled
them over his shoulder. He hooked
the camp ak on his belt, then FASTENED
into the little kitchen. He took up
the little sack containing a few pounds
of jerked yenison, spilled ont few
pieces for Elmira, and carried it
with a few pounds of fiour-out to
meet Linda. The horse still stood
saddled, and with deft hands they
tied on their supplies and fastened
the blankets in long roll in front %
the saddle.
"Get on" she whispered. "T7l get
up behind you"
She spoke in the utter darkness;
he felt her breath against his cheek
Then the lightning came dimls and
showed him her face.
mo, Linda" he replied qcietly.
you are going alone"
She cut him off with a despdiring
cry. "Oh, please, Bruce-I won'tI
I'll stay here, then"
Don't you see?" he demanded.
''You can make it out without me-
I'm wounded and bleeding, and can't
tell how long can keep up. We've
only got one horse, and without me
to weigh him down you can get down
to the courts"
And leave you here to be MUIR
dered? Oh, don't waste the precious
seconds any more. / won't go with
out you. l mean it. II you stay here,
do, too. Believe me if you ever be-
lieyed anything"
Once more the lightning revealed
her face, and on it the determination
of a zealot He knew that she spoke
the truth. He climbed with some diff
Guilty into the saddle. A moment
more and she swung up behind him.
The entire operation had taken an
astonishingIy short period of time
Bruce had worked like mad, wholly
disregarding his injured arm. Just
beyond, Simon with ready rifle was
creeping toward the house.
(which way?" Bruce asked.
1.-The out-trail-sround the noun
tain," she whispered. "Simon will
overtake us on the other--hes got
magnificent horse. On the mountain
tra1 Wen have better chance to
keep out Of his sight"
She spoke hurriedly, yet conveyed
her message with entire clearness.
They knew what they had to face,
these two. Simon and whoever of the
clan was with him would lose no time
in springing in pursuit. They each
had a strong horse, they knew the
trails, they carried longrange rifles
and would open fire at the first glimpse
of the fugitives. Bruce was wounded;
slight as the injury was, it would seri-
ously handicap them in such a test as
this. Their one chance was to keep
to the remote trails, to Turk unseen in
the thickets, and try to break through
to safety. And they knew that only by
the doubtful mercy of the forest gods
could they ever succeed.
Linda took the reins and pulled out
of the trail, then encircled a heavy
wall of brush. She did not wish to
take the risk of Simon seeing their
forms in the dimming lightning and
opening fire so soon. Then she turned
back into the trail and headed into
the storm.
Simon had clear enough memory OF
the rife fire that Linda had opened
upon the clan to wish to approach
the house with care. 1t would be
wholly typical Of the girl to lay her
lover on his bed. then go back to the
window to wait for a sight of his
assassin. She could look straight
along rifle barrel A few moments
were lost as Young Bill and himself
encircled the thickets, keeping out CT
the CLEAN of the smoldering tree. It's
light was almost gone; it Kissed and
glowed in the wet snow.
They crept up from the shadow,
and holding their rides ready, opened
the door They We're somewhat sur
Drised 20 find it unlocked. The truth
was IL had been left thus by design;
Linda did not wish Them 10 encircle
he house 70 the rear door and dts
,0yer Bruce and herself IN the act 81