Evening star., 1923-09-26
CONTINUED from Yesterdays stAr.)

as NOAI2G was no 1OHBSI M
terrupted. and even before the dark
nsss gave si@ng Of breaking he found
nlmselt once more on ground he
Knew. ana with savage triumph ra-
risd along the guloh, toward the
Dead Horse Mine, whose lights al
ready seemed to be high up at the
very head of the gulch.
so close were the lights, he could
even hear the sound of workmen
anout them, shouting orders and call
ing 10 others as though they were In
greups apparently at some distance
mine must be AZ least five miles away.
As he examined the lights closely he
observed that what seemed to be one
cluster at first now appeared seps-
beSSd se othsr Str rsnrsI spe sp
pearance puzzled him. and he tried to
think what they could mean. Even
as he watched them they seemed to
move, TO come toward him. The
shouting of men, too, came down upon
him with the lights. Twice he even
heard sharp cracks, like the swapping
OF whips above the sound of yeices.
seeking vantage point by the side
OF the trail. which in spite OF the re-
cent storm showed plainly its course
waited
He had not long to remain there
him the lights assumed definite pro-
portions, and he msde out five heavily
iaosn sleds, hitched together one be-
hlno the other. Two horses, also in
single hle, pulled them. AS they came
OF them carrying rines siung loosely
In the hollow of their arms, trotting
along Ia front of the horses, while
beside each sled other men hurried
group-prebably four in ali. With
side arms dangling from their belts.
The grim significance of the thing
came TO Pete at once. 1t was the ex
GRE rich in all probability beyond any
thing that had ever come from the
gulch! The moment of triumph
that should belong TO Hawkins
Of night by % Vicious IT thieves. as %So. Ui.e
under cover of darkness, hur-
ried their ill-gotten wealth out
OF the mountains! Pete cienched his
INST ana cursed bitterly in the dark.
The loud voice of Demons sounded
above all the others as he urged men
ana horses on, and Pete found IL
necessary to hurry back to the trail
ana make hasty retreat in order
that he could collect his thoughts
and make q plan of action before the
ore train left the defiles of the gorge,
de ran fast, outdistancing the
horses and men by fully a hundred
to brisk walk. Suddenly Voice
even louder and more commanding
than that of Demons sounded from
the rear.
some one ahead" II shouted
Pete heard the drivers order their
animals TO halt, and saw the lights
cluster above his tracks in the snow.
one coming in. and one going out.
same tracks. He's seen u.s." It was
Demons shouting now
Then two lights left the ethers, and
came at rapid pace toward the
spot where Pete stood-waiting.
Putting all the energy he could
into the effort, he rushed wildly
About-making tracks here there and
everywhere, running trails first to
one side and then 10 the other, hop.
ing thus to give his trackers the inn
preston that he was not alone.
Then. whipping his guns from his
belt, he fired twelve times up the
trail. well over the heads OF his pur-
causing the jagged fiare from his
i. guns to zpieFcA the darkness from as
many points as Possible. Almost in
stantly an answering yoiley came
crashing down the guIch from the
one side of the trail, crouehing low
from the screaming lead above him.
But even as he did so he observed
the light that led the rest flicker and
heard sroan! as though from q man
badly hurt
The men continued firing In the
darkness, first one and then the other
shouting commands and challenging
each other in utter confusion. Hear
ing the turmoil Pete made the most
of his lone chance, and raced Just
off the trail directly toward the sleds,
where the horses reared and plunged
in the semi-darkRess. Drawing near,
nhcArvAd fx1yA ms a. ha
bits, and cursing the horses between
shouts to the men ahead
Gasping for breath, Pete Joined the
struggling men and shouted, Hurry,
back to the mine"
In the wild confusion the ruse
worked, and the men came near up
setting their precious loads as they
wheeled the prancing. snorting horses
about Pete. crowding close as
though to help, watched for his
chance, and brought down the butt
of his gun with sickening thud on
the head of the nearest teamster.
Quickly taking the gun from his limp
victims belt. he crouched between.
naming man. Taken completely un-
awarea the struggle lasted but q
moment, and the man crumpled be-
side his fallen mate.
Pete was none too quick; already
the men down the trail had ceased
their firing, and once more the loud
voice of Demons seemed to prevail
upon them.
With sweeping Iashes of the team
ster's whip, Pete started the horses
on q wild run back toward the Dead
Horse Mine. No sooner were they
under way. however, than Demons
and his gang discovered the stunned
tearnsters and started in angry pur-
suit, firing from rifles and guns at
the fast-disappearing sled. The ore
had been strapped on well, ana In
spite OF the swerving, rolling course
OF the sled, the heavily loaded sacks
held their places, and Pete sooH
swept beyond the danger OF nytng
bullets He knew by the slope OF
the trail that he was several miles
from the mine. His heart beat In
wild exultation 40 he thought OF the.
precipitous gorge along which the
trail ahead skirted, and. as soon az
he passed beyond danger OF hytnG
bullets, he Gained the runaway
horses as beat he could and made
ready for 1t.
recovered from their early fright.
the horses strained evenly at their
harness as the first incline was
reached. Time and again Pete found
it necessary to ply the whip as the
horses seemed stalled in their tracks;
hut they made the grade, sticking
cfoea To the wall as they picked their