The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-08-02

go get him a slug of whisky"
PlImsoll ordered Cookie.
But Cookie, his 'face twitching with
fright, jumped for his own mount and
went galloping down the valley to the
south.
Plimsoll sent curses after him,
reaching for his own pistol before he
remembered 1t was inside, dragging
Hahn's half out of its holster and
then quitting as the fleeing cook tan
gented and disappeared behind some
timber.
The handkerchief about PlImsoIPs
wounded wrist was now q sodden rag,
but the loss of blood had cleared his
brain. He set his left arm about
Hahn and helped him into the cabin.
Molly was stirring and Pllmsoll
scowled blackly at her. He gave
Hahn drink.
"Brace up" he said; "what hap
pened? | know about Reynolds. I
mean at the lockout"
1--WE no more than made the look
out" said Hahn, before six men
came rie.1S along, heeled for trouble
One of them was the black-bearded
guy from California who was here
with that Brandon, first time they
came nosing around. And another
was Wyatt. Wyatt was Just starting
to point 'em out the entrance when
Butch lets him have It. Hits him
smack in the forehead. Before he
could show 'em the way In. He may
have told 'em about 1t on the way M.
But Blackboard must have caught the
shine Of Butch's barrel. He fires
back-they all had their rifles handy
cross the pommel-the bullet goes
plumb through the tree and knocks
Butch down. Went through both hips.
He falls against Inc and show In
the open, sliding on that id slippery
bowlder, sliding inside and out of
range, but they got me.
They'll be through any minute.
Plim. You can't tell how much Wyatt
told 'em on the way up. They've got
me. l can't ride. My lungs are filling
up. Butch is paralyzed-if he amt
dead. h--l Of a wind-up! You can
make 1t out the way Reynolds did.
None of the gang that left with Wyatt
knows about the side-trail by Spur
rock. But you'd better beat 1t. Me,
I've turned my last card. The case
is emptyl"
His head fell forward onto his
arms. A trickle of scarlet came from
the corner of his mouth. Plimsoll
looked at him calculatingly. Hahn
could not ride. But he wouldn't die
for while. To leave him here where
the raiders would find him might
mean a confession wrung from him
that would tell Of the getaway trail
by Spur rock and Nipple peaks. He
shook Hahn by the sound shoulder.
Brace up" he said. you can hide
in Split Rock cave. I'm going to put
the girl In there. Take another drink.
Pick up some grub. There's water in
the cave. You can come out soon's
the coast Is clear"
"Ill not be coming out" said Hahn
huskily. "But It's a good move" He
weakly collected the bottle. some
scraps Of food.
Plimsoll stopped over Molly, coming
out Of her faint, and gagged her
with her own scarf as her eyes
opened and looked at him. He took
on her belt and strapped her arms
behind her back. Then, despite his
wounded wrist, he lifted her easily
enough and strobe with her out of
the door, Hahn following.
Hahn's horse was standing there
obediently with pendent reins anchor
ing It'll Blaze and Plimsolrs black
were nipping grass in the little corral
where they had been placed. Blaze
whinnied at the sight, or the scent.
of his mistress. Pllmsoll turned into
a cleft. stopping at rock whose al
most fiat surface was level with his
feet, a great mass of granite that
some freak of weathering or convul-
sion Of earthquake had split almost
In half. Into the crevice a wild
grapevine had twined. and died.
"Can you make II, Hahn 2" he asked
The dealer nodded and knelt, using
his sound arm TO aid himself by the
tough fibers, braclng with his knees
Down some ten feet In the crack he
looked up, his CHASTITY face pallid In
the shadow, with an attempt at a grin
"Good-by, Plim." he said. "Good
luck What do do with the gIrlr
keep her from calling out. She's
gagged but she might try 1t. Make
her nurse you. Do anything you d-n
please with herr
Hahn dropped out Of sight. Plim-
soil did not walt, but picked Molly
up from where he had deposited her.
a helpless bundle, on the rock. \
"The bottoms soft down there" he
said. "Sand. II amt more than AZ
teen feet. Down you 60, you HI cat
They'll have fine time locating you.
And you've got dying man for com
pany. He'll be dead one before