The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-09-19
CHAPTER V. The Deserts TaIre

His first surprise having evaporat- ed, Reedy started climbing after me on his pony's back. Buddy, yo're haidin' toad a bad finish" he called out.
 His persistence got on the raw of my nerves at last. I turned my pony halfway round, and drew a small muzzled revolver. The moon came out just then, and Gibbs must have caught the gleam of the barrel. for he stopped.
 said
 The jack miners good nature van. ished. "Al right, have it yo, way" he said in an ugly tone. "Go lose you' life.''
 Anyway, I was shut of the man. It took me 8 good half-hour to reach the first fringe of trees on the ,p. iands- Then there came a crack and -plng-a steel-jacketed slug, missing my pack-horse by an inch, thuddel into the tree-trunk just ahead. some real business had started. I ran my ponies into a shallow gully on the left just as another shot cracked out. I got out my rifle from It's leather scabard beside the saddle. and, crouching low, watchful1v crept back down-hill was all to the good, because hidden in the shadow, I could scan the moon1feht hliislde' without being seen myself An, there he was. Gibbs had swung off his bronco and turnne.1 pehlnd a tree, waiting for my move. had him flanked without his knowledge. Drop that gun!" | cried, and sent g. shot that nipped the hat clean off his head. He turned like a flash and caught my location and the sight of my 1 r1fle-barrel at the same time He dropped his weapon, held up his arms, and backed out into the open. "Yo're talkin' gun-ta1k, buddy" he | exclaimed in, protest. 'tI meant yo' no ham. Lemme explain" Now, Gibbs was no coward. He l showed the earmarks of a neryy man But he was trying his hand at some thing which was past me, and I didn't have time to figure 1t out.
 His pony was standing near hy. h1tched to a tree, his ears attentive 10 what was going on. I turned my | rifle and sent two bullets whizzins close to the bronco's head. One of them nipped the bridle-rein. The | scared pony reared, tore itself 1oose and dashed down the hillside. Reedv Gibbs was going to do some tall
 hustlfng the next fifteen minutes or so trying to catch his mount
 Hey, boy, what are yo' doing?''
 shouted the jack miner. But bis
 words already came to me iron, . distance, because was running back
 through the gully as fast as my leo. could travel
 Three hours later I reached Echo
 Pass, and being numb tired. camnad In the woods. The next morning T
 started down the eastern slope of the mountains, and headed north for oYf af
 looking for landmark, and think.
 Ing l. was lost, when suddenly l Jerked up my ponies heads and n1 hand went for the rifle in its sheath : through the bushes I saw "a. mau
 running stealthily along, watching me
 with pair of snakelike eyes. was plumb mad enough to shoot
 10 Kill, because I felt I'd heeu
 tracked down. The man stopped as I'd done. His hair was white. and his suit almost in rags. His high cheek-bones and tawny skin sent a
 thought chasing into my mind. ..I. that you Hosey?'' I asked
 'Hosey," he repeated.
 | My heart gave a jump of relief
 The storekeeper in Harrison Ctty
 from whom I'd bought my outfit had told me of a half-breed I could |: trust. The small plateau where he lived was the landmark I'd beer looking for.
 Hosey looked sinister, but at heart he was good fellow, as you shaI
 learn. He listened so sto1idly as
 mentioned the name of his friend, the
 storekeeper, and told him what | wanted. that I. thought he didn'
 understand me, and demanded i'm patiently: Will you do it?
 DO it." was his 1aconic reply | Hosey's yoca bulary was slim b,rf h,
 led me to his shack in the clearing