Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-08-21

two turned a wooded bend and were
lost to view. Roberts heard Dinsdale
call out sharply and spurred forward
to investigate. He found Dinsdale
afoot and trying to lift Webb back on
his horse.
Mag stumbled and threw him.
Never tried to save himself. Landed
like bag of meal, right on his head"
Leave him lay till the coach comes
up and we'll stick him inside. HI
of a guard ~ growled Roberts.
They had gone too far to take him
back to Rapid City and, failing to find
camp Of miners on Spring or Battle
creeks, it would be necessary to take
him through to Custer City on French
creek. The man was unconscious but
breathing in a stertorous manner.
Roberts examined him and pronounced
it to be fracture on top of his head
Dinsdale was more optimistic and said
the skull was not broken.
Disposing of him they resumed their
way, Roberts now riding ahead with
Dinsdale. Heretofore Roberts had
done most of the talking. Now Dins-
dale gestured for him to pay sharp at
tention and began to talk. Roberts
was powerless for several minutes to
speak even when his companion be-
came silent. Again Dinsdale spoke,
CURLY and incisively.
"That's all. Don't ask any ques-
lions. Ride back. Soon we'll come to
sapling across the road"
Pivoting his horse Roberts galloped
madly back to the coach. Dinsdale
dismounted and walked on the right
of his horse, his eyes searching the
road ahead. A quarter of a mile
brought him in sight Of a sapling lying
across the road. He shifted his gaze
to the bush growth just beyond this
and came to stop. From behind him
came the faint throb of racing hoofs,
each moment growing more audible
A masked figure leaped from the
bushes ahead and gently called out
"D-n you, Dinsdalel You've be-
trayed u.s."
AS the fellow spoke up went his gun
and as 1t exploded two shots from the
bushes roared out. The horse went
down, shot through the head Around
spun Dinsdale, his right arm helpless.
He began firing with his left hand and
the man in the road swayed wildly,
but doggedly continued working the
trigger although his lead went wild of
the mark. AS he collapsed a muffled
scream rang out from the bushes, a
howl of rage rather than pain, and
there was crashing in the under
brush as men hastily rode away. Rob-
erts dashed up with half Of the
guards, shooting into the woods at
random. Three men ran to the pros
trate man and pulled off his mask.
Dinsdale forced himself to look. It
was the man known as Easy, and a
red welt showed through the clipped
hair where Dinsdale had struck him
down in the cellar of the horse thieves
rendezvous.
"And Joe said his name was Roach.
Roach Of Crook City," cried Dinsdale
with hysterical laugh. He grabbed
horse by the bride and crawled into
the saddle.
stop! Don't let him gol He's
hurt /" howled Roberts, and he made
dash to seize the bride. But the
horse jumped ahead and tore down the
road.
AS Dinsdale swept around the next
bend he glimpsed figure crashing
into cover on his right, and he knew
the fugitives had crossed the road and
were making for their hiding places
on the divide. He sent his horse
through the alders and hazel and
gained the foot Of a long slope where
the growth was pine and spruce and
more open. One horseman was riding
into a dry gulley Another had elect
ed to take trail leading along the
south bank Of the gulley. AS the man
in the gulley was the easier to follow
Dinsdale turned his attention to him.
He heard the sound of another horse
man crashing through the growth to
the north of him and from the rapid
ity of his advance it was obvious he
was descending, rather than ascend
ing, the slope. This puzzled Dinsdale,
as he did not believe any of the guard
had had time to get above him.
AS he drove his mount into the
gulley he gave last look for the new
conner. Then the bank of the dry
water course shut off all view except
that straight ahead, and the singing
Of rifle bullet from the top of the
south bank warned him Of q double
danger. A bit of smoke on top of the
bank revealed the source Of the shot,
but the marksman, or OF the quarry
ahead, Dinsdale had yet had no
glimpse. He swung in toward the
south bank to get under cover and a
second shot whistled close to his head.
His horse scrambled desperately over
the rough footing, making slow prog
ress; then a gun cracked ahead and
Dinsdale owed his life to the tough
bough that DETECTED the bullet. Slip
ping from his horse Dinsdale ran in
under the bank and, shielded from the
man above, began working forward.
The firing from the bank continued,
and Dinsdale was puzzled until he
heard answering shots from behind
him. He glanced back, but could see
no one, and decided the man he had
heard crashing down the slope must be
one of the guards, miraculously ar
rived to aid him.
Thankful to have the attention Of