The Holly chieftain., 1923-09-06

looked at him ealculatingiy. HAhA
could not ride. But be wouldn't die
for a while. To leave him here wherU
the raiders would md 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"
"I1l not be coming out" said Hahn
huskily. But It's 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 ont Of
tHe OOOf, dHnu IOIIOWlnR.
Hahn's horse was standing there
obediently with pendent reins anchor
Ing I'll Blaze and Plimsoil's black
were nipplng grass in the little corral
where they had been placed. Blaze
whinnied at the sight, or the scent,
Of his mistress. Plimsoll turned into
cleft. stopping at rock whose al
most fat surface was level with his
feet. great mass of granite that
some freak Of weathering or convul-
sion Of earthquake had split almost
In half. Into the crevice q wild
grapevine had rwined. and died.
"Can you make 1t, Hnhnr' he asked.
The dealer nodded and knelt, using
hfs sound arm to aid himself by the
tough flbers, bracing with his knees.
Down some ten feet in the crack he
looked up, his ghastly face pallid in
the shadow, with an attempt at a grin.
"Good-by, Plim," he said. Good
lucki What do do with the girlr
Keep her from calling out. She's
gagged but she might try II. Make
her nurse you. Do anything you d-n
please with herl"
Hahn dropped ont of sight. Plim-
soil did not wait, but picked Molly
up from where he had deposited her,
helpless bundle, on the rock.
"The bottoms soft down there" he
said. "Sand. It amt more than nf-
teen feet. Down you 60. you HI cati
They'll have q hne time locating you.
And you've got dying man for com
pany. He'll bs a dead one before
morning."
He lowered her. feet down, released
her and watched her disappear. He
swung about and ran back to the
corral. his hurt arm throbbing with
his exsrtion. He flung himself into
the saddle Of the black horse, once
leader Of slickear herd Of wild mus
tangs, magnificent for speed and sym
metry, worthy better master, and
galloped out Of the corral, out Of the
side-ravine, Into the open park. Tho
rough towel about his arm was bscom-
ing soaked. Every Jump Of the black
horse seemed to increase the bleed
ing. The squirt of fictitious energy
that had carried him through since
the arrival Of Cookie was dying away.
But he was on a mount that none
could match. he was going on a trail
that was hard to follow, practically
unknown. Unless he was headed oil
he could break through. At Nipple
peaks he could rest. attend to hh
wound.
A shout. bullet whistiing past that
nicked the stallion's ear and sent him
plunging and bucking, warned him
that his enemies had found the way
in and were after him. He did not
look back. but bent forward In his
saddle and sunk the spurs Int the
blacks TANKS. The half-tamed mus
tang's indignant bounds spoiled the
aim Of the marksmen. and, though the
steel-nosed missiles hummed like bees
about them. they gained the shelter
Of the same trees that had covered
Cookie. Belly almost to ground, the
black swept over the cropped turf at
racing speed, the drum Of his hoofs
like distant thunder. crest high, Grim.
son-satin nostrils haring, mad at the
SUNG OF tne req notch In his ear.
Round the elbow Of the Hideout.
with Brandon's men distanced, Into
tha gorge at the south end. A wild
scramble up q steep slope and the
way to Spur rock was clear. PlimsolI
smiled grimly. '.D-n them, I'll beat
them yetl' For second he was sil.
houetted against skyline. then ha
plunged down. Fresh droppings told
him that Reynolds had won clear, He
was safe from pursuit. II the wound
he should have cauterized 1t. But
He refined in for a moment The
sound Of shout rang In his ears. Il
was an echo. he fancied, it must be
an echo. flung back from the noun.
tain walls ahead. But It could mean.
nothing else than view-halloo. Some
one had glimpsed him disappearing