White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1924-08-22


ness he had the impression of looking
through telescope the wrong way
, round. Far off, it seemed, and
! through small circle, he saw group
, of men sitting together 1t widened
still more and the focus became moro
normal The group of men bulked
larger, came nearer. He heaved a
long sigh which made them all turn
and look at him.
Opening his eyes wide the first MAJ
he saw clearly was Walter Dewar "
ing on the ground in an attitude he
could not understand. 1t seemed an
attitude of leisure, Of waiting. The
Wolfer was perfectly at ease. Then a
man (and he recognized him as the
traveller on the stage from Jaffery,
who had sat upon the other side OF
Judge Davenport) said:
you've come round. All right.
You'll be able to join in the pow
wow"
Jack looked at the five men who
sat round with Scott and felt that
from none Of them was hope Of kind.
ness. The big bearded Tom James,
with his back against boulder, one
of the tough-looking cronies of Carl
Scott beside him, sat grim and medi-
tative. To John his face very plainly
without words, announced: You'll
suffer for this-all Of you!" He won
dered what had happened while he
had been recovering from the blow
on his head. The blow pulsed in his
forehead. He felt great lump upon
| it. His horse had been shot and he,
thrown forward, had dived upon
rock. Then he noticed that Dewars
right hand was bound in handker-
chief and that beads of perspiration,
the sweat of pain, were on his face.
And where was Nancy?
All that had happened was thai
James and Nancy had been told to
throw up their hands when Dewar
appeared, riding from the woods.
Then they had been searched for
shooting irons" They had only one
rifle with them, chiefly in case they
met game, and that had been taken
from them. AS Dewar came riding
toward them, to be in the trouble
that might come to James, one Of
the men, seeing his hand go down to
loosen the holster flap, had imagined
he was going to shoot So he fired
and the bullet hit wrist bone,
splintering it, but ricochetting. AS
James broke out with: what are you
shooting for, you fool? He amt pull
ing his gun!" Nancy had ridden aside
little way and then suddenly, dig
ging her heels into her horse, and
quirting, all in one quick movement,
had ridden off across the meadow and
into the timber on the trail towards
home.
The Wolfer, with yell part of l.
ger, part Of pain, had then swung
his left hand over to draw the gun
from the unbuttoned sheath, dropping
the lines, but before he could get his
Colt free, Carl had him covered. Not
only Carl, indeed. Most of the Others
had gun in hand, and for moment
James thought he was going to see
Dewar filled with lead.
But it was not dead Dewar these
men wanted.
Dewar, however, was the only one
they wanted; and when Jack a.
peared riding out at a gallop one OF
the men (Cock-eye MacClintock) sim
ply threw up his gun, calmly sighted,
and touched trigger. The horse
reared, received the shot in it's fore
head, and over it's head went John,
crack on stone, and the rocket-dis-
play followed. And here he was now
with that display over, and the dark
ness passed through, back again in
the light of the sun. He felt dumb.
miserable, helpless, and oddly colo
despite the brightness of the day.
well, Dewar," said Carl Scott.
You say you won't tell us where that
prospect of old Adam Bush's is. Now
got way to make you cough 1t out
just as prompt as possible"
"Oh?" said Dewar.
"You may say 'Oh?'" mimicked
Scott. He turned to the man who had
shot Johns horse. tits a good thing
you didn't shoot the kid" he remark
ed. Then he paused and to Walter
Dewar explained: For we've got to
shoot him right here if you don't
cough up where the prospect is. Got
that?"
The Wolfer drew long deep breath
and his glasses seemed to gloom, the
eyes behind them grim and sullen Of
expression.
"Now look here" said he. "If 1
tell you I'm only out on chance look
II ing for it, with no clear notion at all
where it is within matter of fifty
square miles-in air lines at that-and
in country all dips and peaks, hog
backs and canyons, and ravines, you
just wouldn't believe me. You'd 60
and shoot him up; and still couldn't
tell more than that"
Scott pondered, gazing at him re-
Effectively, his mouth twisting. A look
of cunning spread on his face.
We'll chance that" he brought out
at last. He lifted a hand and tapped
It toward Walter. maybe you're q
poker-player and a buffer. Well,
bluff or no bluff, give you this way Of
1t. You may know, or you may not
know. II you refuse to tell-we shoot
him. II you say definitely you dom