Evening star., 1923-09-09


as brightly as ever. A bird even had
the temerity to hop up on his very
window sill and peer saucily in, and
as Pete watched it peck about for a
moment or so and then fit merrily
away the strangeness of his situa-
ton came to him in a new light.
Here was a handful of men, and a
woman. thrown together entirely by
I circumstances. Yet one of the men,
{ a simple. clean man of the hills, was
lying at the point of death. and a
woman. lovely to behold. veritable
angel among devils 1t seemed. yet
withal was among them, -Four men
and lady saw you Kill him." AL
gums words mocked and jeered as
Pete thought of the woman. II was
easy for him to visualize crime in
here II seemed wholly unnatural and
awful. If there was a God anywhere,
surely the glistening white noun
tains. dark mysterious canyons. snow
snould know him. Yet in all his
checkered career Pete could not re-
call scene so foul as the shooting
/ OF Hawkins. or a plot so dastardly
as the one In which he was the prin-
! cipal actor. What was the answer to
1t all? A dozen times he asked him
self the question. What were Butler
| Carrots mysterious orders? And the
girl. Tam; why had she written him
/ the note?
! The scene shifted to Frisco. to the
home OF his father. How he must
feel. seeing his only SOM apple of his
/ eye. placarded as common burglar.
ana no denial OF the accusation to
soothe his tortured heart, But all
this was past and gone. still raw and
/ sore to be sure. but an old wound
nevertheless. compared with the om-
nous hour ahead. He walked over
to Hawkins and tenderly held his
still hands. He felt the pulses. and
! noted that they were weak, but per-
sistent. Given half the chance. the
sturdy mountaineer could soon de-
mand an accounting of his enemies
! Pete assured himself.
! While Pete stood thus. Hawkins
opened his eyes and smiled. Not the
weak smile OF sick sman. but the
confident smile of a man who never
loses. be the odds against him what
they may; He motioned desire to
talk. and Pete leaned closely to listen.
! Heard en-" he whispered. Com
pany trick--want Dead Horse Mine
not you. They'll try to bump ME
again"
Did you hear about the fifty
YES"
You're supposed TO say it's back
or Jumbo Point. ten PAGES due east
uIstoNeiE STAKE. theTry Blossom
Claim" Pete spoke softly. watching
both the door and window for pos
sible eavesdroppers.
Hell of place" AS Hawkins
spoke he would have chuckled over
the words. but his face contracted
in pain. and he patted Pete's hand
instead. moment later ne resumed.
| Take week to get there; I'll be
fighting then"
No. you won't. not for month
I'm doing the fighting for both of
us; you're going TO get better first,
and that will take a long time
Coin to fight. just the same" Haw-
kins continued. undaunted. With
| my brains. not my guns. Got a
trick or two myself. just YOU get
me out of here and play easy till I
lead. Pete hung over the words, not
certain if his patient knew the full
plot against them. and wondering if
he should tel him all he knew.
Hawkins lips moved again Com
pany gun crew all here" he Inuttered
waving feeble arms about who
! else?"
! "A woman--lady-girl"
Three OF en- Hawkins raised
his brow
NO. only one
| Nance"