Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1924-03-15
Copyright by W. C. Chapman

butt downward, smashing across Win
toms head.
Winton dropped, but staggered to his
feet in time TO see Van Worst leap into
the saddle and ride away like the wind
toward the desert. Then Sans shout
was heard. The negro appeared again,
leading a horse by the halter the sad
die and bride across his arm
He Lad remembered that Kash kept
a horse in his stable, a racer which he
had acquired cheap as the result OF a
bet, and owing to an injury to the ami
mails fetlock 1t was one Of the best
horses in Malopo, and the sight of it
between the shafts of Kash's cart had
created a good deal Of feeling against
the Armenian.
Sam began to slip on the bride
hastily, while Winton, snatching the
saddle from him, adjusted it and began
to pull in the girth.
"I'll catch him." said Sam.
Winton would at any other time have
been astonished at the transformation
In the man. The negro who had run
yelling from the Chronicle office on the
day before now seemed devoid OF fear.
You get help for Ned Burns" said
Winton, and mounted
The horse needed no urging. 1t had
been kept for days together in Kash's
stable, its only exercise the pulling Of
the storekeeper's cart on the slow
rounds Of Malopo. The sense of
rider brought back the memories Of
the old days. 1t dashed off in pursuit
o. Van Worst as II Wlnton's mind com
munlcated to its own the urgency Of
capture.
Winton stuck to his seat doggedly
and tried to keep his SCI as. The
blow had reopened his old wound, and
the blood was pouring into his eyes in
a binding torrent. But he concentrated
al his will upon the chase. Unless he
could regain the diamond the syndicate
would GUST him from his control of the
Big Malopo, and make him the jest Of
the community which he had come to
hate.
And somehow he felt that he was, in
an unknown way, fighting for Sheila as
well as for his own.
Van Worst came into sight, a little
speck far out upon the plains. He
had left the road and was striking
across the desert in the direction Of the
native territories, ten miles away.
Malopo was a protectorate, the Grim
lnal law Of the colony ran there. In
the tribal lands, however, Van Worst
could laugh at pursuit until he found
his opportunity to slip across the bor-
der into the Transvaal or Damaraland.
Wnton knew this. The horse, sight
Ing the fugitive, threv all its efforts
into the chase and began TO gain swift
ly. Ii was an eery ride across the
sand under the moonlight Winton,
sick from the chloroform and the blow,
knew that he could not last long, but
how he was going to return he did not
stop to think He felt In one of the
holsters and found a revolver there.
And, holding the weapon in his hand,
he waited grimly while his horse over
hauled the other
They had raced past an outlying
farm, which showed in the distance, the
poplars standing up like ghostly senti-
nels across the fat Now nothing was
visible anywhere except the desert.
Malopo was far behind Winton gained
steadily He could distinguish that
Van Worst turned TO watch him, and the
action slowed his horse for few mo-
ments Winton gained more and more.
Now only two hundred yards separated
the fugitive and the pursuer.
When they were a hundred PAGES
apart Van Worst swung round in the
saddle and fred. The bullet few into
the sand twelve PAGES away. Now only
fifty PAGES separated them. Van Worst
pulled in suddenly and fred once more.
He had only two more shots. aud there
would be no time TO reload Winton
calculated that; but the ball whistled
uncomfortably close, and this time he
answered twice without effect.
Van Worst sat on his beast like q
statue. aiming carefully at Winton's
body. Winton Spurred his horse. mean
ing to ride him down. At the same
time he half swung himself out of the
saddle. crouehing against the animals
neck. so rs to avoid presenting a mark.
Van Worst fired his fifth shot It
would have killed Winton; II struck
the saddle fairly and lodged under the
tough pigskln Wintou was now al
most upon him. his own revolver in
his hand.
Hands up /" he cried,
He knew nothing Of south African
tricks Of craftsmanship. or the train
ing OF native mounts For an instant
he saw Van Worst sitting on his horse
at the next the horse had
10 one side. ana Winton's out
stretched hand caught at nothing
Then Van Worst fred his last shot.
The bullet pierced the horses brain.
L reared in its death agony. Winton.
flung over its flank. fell PROSTATE.
As he fell. he managed to retain pcs
session Of his revolver. Van Worst