Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-01-26

background Of red, and in front Of
them leaped out small tongues of fire.
Ladd's .405 began to "spang" with its
beautiful sound Of power. Thorne
was firing, somewhat wildly, Gale
thought. Then Jim Lash pushed his
Winchester wei the rim under a
choya, and between shots Gale could
hear him singing: ''Turn the lady,
turn-turn the lady, turn! l..
Alaman left! Swing your pardners!
Forward an back /.
Turn the lady, turn" Gale got into
the fight himself, not so sure that he
hit any of the round, bobbing objects
he aimed at, but growing sure of him
self as action liberated something
forced and congested within his
breast.
Then over the position of the rang
ers came a hail of steel bullets. Those
that struck the lava Kissed away into
the crater; those that came biting
through the choyas made a sound
which resembled a sharp ripping Of
silk. Bits of cactus stung Gales face,
and he dreaded the flying thorns more
than he did the flying bullets.
Hold on, boys" called Laid, as he
crouched down to reload his rifle.
"Save your shells. The Greasers are
spreadin' on us, some goin' down be-
low Yaqui, others movin' up for that
high ridge. When they get up there
I'm id if 1t won't be hot for us.
There amt room for us to hide here"
Laid raised himself to peep over
The rim. Shots were now scattering,
and all appeared to come from below.
A volley of shots from a different
angle was followed by the quick ring
of steel bullets striking the lava all
around Gale. His first idea, as he
heard the rrojectiles sing and hum
and whine away into the air, was that
they were coming from above him. He
looked up to see a number of low,
white and dark knobs upon the high
point eff lava. They had not been
there before. Then he saw little, pale,
leaping tongues of fire. AS he lodged
down he distinctly heard a bullet strike
Ladd. At the same instant he seemed
to hear Thorne cry out and fall, and
Lash's boots scrape rapidly away.
Ladd fell backward still holding the
400. Gale dragged him into the shell
fer of his own position, and dreading
to look at him, took up the heavy
weapon. 1t was with a kind of say
age strength t%lat he gripped the rifle
and it was with a cold and deadly in
tent that he aimed and fired. The first
Greaser huddled low, let his carbine
go Gathering down. and then crawled
behind the rim. The second and third
ierked back. The fourth seemed to
flop up over the crest of lava. A dark
arm reached for him, clutched his leg,
tried to drag him up. 1t was in vain.
Wildly grasping at the air the bandit
fell, slid down a steep shelf, rolled
over the rim, to go hurtling down out
Of sight.
"Shore-Tm d-n glad-them Greas,
ers amt us'n' soft-nose bullets"
6rawled a calm voice.
Swift as lightning Gale whirled.
daddy! thought you were done
for" cried Gale, with a break in his
voice.
The rangers blouse was open at the
neck, and on his right shoulder under
the collar bone was a small hole just
beginning to bleed.
"Sure it's high, Laddy," replied Gale,
gladly. Event clear through, clean as
a whistle !"
He tore a handkerchief into two
parts, made wads. and pressing them
close over the wounds he bound them
there with Ladd's scarf.
daddy, I'm afraid Thorne's done
for" whispered Gale. "He's lying
over there in that crack. 1 can see
part of him. He doesn't move"
81 was wonderin' if I'd have to tell
you that. Dick, he went down hard
hit, fallin', you know, limp an soggy.
1t was a mortal cinch one of us would
get it in this fight; but Cd! I'm
sorry Thorne had to be the man."
daddy, maybe he's not dead" re-
piled Gale. He called aloud to his
friend. There was no answer.
Ladd got up, and, after peering
keenly at the height Of lava, he strobe
swiftly across the space. 1t was only
a dozen steps to the crack in the lava
where Thorne had fallen in head first.
Ladd bent over, went to his knees,
so that Gale saw only his head. Then
he appeared rising with arms round
the cavalryman. He dragged him
across the hole to the sheltered corner
that alone afforded protection. He
had scarcely reached it when a car
bine cracked and a bullet struck the
finty lava, striking sparks, then sing
ing into the air.
Thorne was either dead or uncon-
scious, and Gale, with a contracting
throat and numb heart, decided for
the former. Not so Ladd, who probed
the bloody cash on Thorne's temple,
and then felt his breast.