The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-02-14

II we pull this off right. Dug's gonna
pretty near be laughed out, the
country"
Keep Il quiet only three OF MS
necd 20 know t. You stay at the
well to keep nehie's gang back Il
We slip up. III give the signal. and
the third man viii fire tho fuse.
Buck Byington will be here pretty
soon. IN set him 60 set of the
fonrth.otJuly celebration. He's a
regular clan--wont ever say word
about this"
when you hear her go OFF. you'd
better bring the men down ON the
jump"
hyington came up the road halt
an hour later at cowpunoher's jog
trot
After dusk had fallen they made
their preparations The three men
men Slipped away from the bunk
house into the ehaparraL hob car,
RED a bullying gannysacix. Dave q
lantern. a pick. a drlil. and ham
mer. None OF them talked uil they
had reached the entrance to the can,
yon.
We'd better get busy before it,
too dark" Bob said I'VE picked this
spot Buck. suit your
RylnEton had been a hArd-roek
Colorado miner In his youth. lie
examined tho dam and came back "a
the place chosen. After taking OF
his coat he picked up the hammer
Leg start The sooner the quicker. :
Dave soaked the gunnyaack IN
water and folded II over the top OF
the drili 10 ,deaden the sound. Buck
welded the hammer and Bob held
the drill
After Il grew dark they worked by
the light OF the lantern. Dave and
Bob relieved Buck at the hammer
They drilled two holes. put In the
dynamite charges. tamped thesn
down. and fiiicd In again the holes
The nltroglyceriBo. too. was prepared
and set for the explosion.
Hart Esraighfcned stif1y and
looked at his watch Time TO move
back 70 camp. Dave business rnay
get brisk soon now. Maybe Dug mas
set In a hurry and start things
earlier than he Intended.
Don't miss my signal. Buck. Two
shots. one right after another said
Dave.
I'm promise you TO -~nf back twc
shots a heap louder. You sure wonf
miss 'ena.- answered Buck with q
grin.
The younger men left him at the
dam and went back down the trail
to their camp
No report yet from the iaas
wntchin' the arroyo. l expect Dux's
waltin' till he thinks we're all anlner
except the night tower whispered
the man who had been lcf, In charge
by Hart.
Dave. you better relieve the boys
at the arroyo suggested Bob. Fire.
works soon now. expect
Sanders crept thru tho heavy chm,
parrnI to tho live oaks above the
arroyo. shaking his way among enc.
tus and mesquite over the sand
Dave was left alone.
A twiF snapped IN the arroyo In
distinct movements OF blurred rnaanru
were vsHlble. The figure OF a man
detached itself from tn. gloom and
erept along the sandy wash A $50
ond and A third took share. The dry
bed became filed with vague motion.
Sanders waited no longer. He
crawied back from the Lin Of ths
ravfnc a DOZEN yards. drew his re
voivcr and fired twice.
His guess had been that the attack
Ing PARTY, startIed AZ the shots. would
hesitate and draw together for I
whispered conference. This was Ell
lactiy what occurred.
An explosion tore 20 shress ths
stiffness Of the night. Before IN.
first had died away a rccond ons
doomed out. Dave heard showei
Of falling rock and concrete. II,
heard too a roar growing every mo
men, IN volume. n swept down III,
walled gorge like railroad trair
making. nm lost time
Sanders stepped forward. Tn.
gully. lately n wash OF dry sand am
lbaked adobe was fuu of a fury O
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