Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1924-10-03

came down, Bud Lee grunted and
cursed under his breath. For there
had been another flash out Of the
thickening night, this one from the
refuge toward which they were run
ming. A third man was shooting from
the shelter Of the cabin walls. And
Lee had felt stinging pain as though
a hot iron had scorched it's way along
( the side Of his leg.
Hurt much?" asked Judith quickly
Without waiting for an answer, she
pumped two shots at the fash by the
cabin.
"NO," grunted Lee. "Just scared
And now what? 1 want to know"
Bud Lee, in the thicker darkness
sat with his back against the rocks
while he gave swift first aid to his
wound. He brought into requisition
| the knotted handkerchief from his
throat, bound it tightly around the
calf of his leg and said lightly to
Judith:
"Just fool scratch, you know. But
I've no hankering to dribble out a lot
of blood from it."
Judith made no answer. Lee took
up his rifle and turned to the spot
where she had been standing mo-
ment ago. She was not there.
Gomez he grunted, frowning into
the blackness hemming him in. "Now,
what do you suppose she's up to?
Tainted, most likely"
He got up and moved along the low
rock wall, seeking her A squirt Of
flame from the east corner of the
cabin drew his eyes away from his
search and he pumped three quick
shots in answer.
Again he sought Judith, calling soft
ly There was no answer. Once more
came the squirt of flame from the shell
ter of the cabin wall. Then fifty
yards off to Lees right, some fifty
yards nearer the cabin, another shot.
The first suspicion that one of the
men from the cliffs had made his way
down to join issue at close quarters,
was gone in a clear understanding.
That was the bark Of Judith's rife;
she had slipped away from him with
out an instant's delay and was creep
ing closer and closer to the cabin.
"D-n the grill" cried Lee angrily.
"Shell get her fool self killed"
But as he ran forward to join her,
he realized that she was doing the
right thing-the only thing if they
did not want to lie out here all night
for the men on the cliffs to pick off
in the morning light He knew that
she could shoot; it seemed that she
could do everything that was a mans
work and which a woman should
know nothing about.
Frowning into the night, he thought
that he could make out the dim blur
of Judith's form. The girl was stand
ing erect; snOoung too, for again the
duel of red spurts Of flame told where
she and her quarry stood.
Meanwhile Lee ran on, changing his
original purpose, swerving out from
where Judith was moving forward,
turning to the left, hopeful to come
to close quarters with their assailant
before she could go down under that
sharp rifie-ire or could bring down
the other. For certainly, if she kept
on that way, the time would come
when some one would stop hot lead.
Lee shifted his rife to his left hand,
taking his revolver into his right.
From the cliffs came a shot and he
grunted at it contemptuously. 1t
could do nothing but assure those be-
low that there was still some one up
there.
"Three of them to our two" he eS-
timated, counting the two jaspers on
the cliff Two of US to their one,
counting what's down here. And
that's all that counts right this
minute"
A shot from Judith; shot from the
cabin two shots from the cliffs. The
two shots from above brought fresh
news; not only were they closer to-
gether, but they indicated the men
up yonder were coming down. Lee
hurried.
Then, at last, his narrowed eyes
which he sought Close to the cabin,
low down, evidently on his knees was
the most important factor to be con-
sidered now. Still Lee was too far
away to be certain of a hit and he
meant with all Of the grim determina-
tion in him to hit something at last.
He ran on, drawing the fire away from
Judith. rifle ball sank close to his
side, another and another. He lost the
dim shape of the kneeling man, who,
he thought, had risen from his knees
and was standing, his body tight
pressed to the cabin.
"Why the devil doesn't he run for
it?" wondered Lee.
But evidently, be the reason what 1t
might the man had no intention of
running A bullet cut through Lees
sleeve. At last Lee answered. He
ran in closer as he fired and, running,
emptied his revolver jammed it into
his waistband dubbed his rifle
and realized with something of shock