The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-01-16

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vantage being Meager's belief that he
was dead, and safely out of the way.
He must remain unseen, undiscovered
until he learned the truth. His mind
grasped the situation swiftly, as he
planned his own course of action.
There was no reason why Casebeer's
outfit should remain In the valley ;
they had already unloaded and stored
away out Of sight whatever they had
to transport. Their whole interest
must be to get safely away on the back
trail before daylight. Already the fire
had died down into mere embers, and,
he believed, part at least of the
pack train had departed. After they
all had gone only Meager, and his
small party would be left behind.
How many there might be of these
Kelleen had no means of knowing, yet
1t was scarcely probable many were
in the secret of what was going on
Meager himself, Sanchez and one or
two others perhaps; not enough to
prove particularly dangerous. If they
did not even suspect his being alive.
1
alrymen must appear from Box can
yon; they would scout up this way If
nothing occurred to detain them.
| Those were their orders, and, II they
| followed the trail, they could scarcely
fail to reach this hole In the desert
All he needed to do In the meanwhile
was to discover exactly what this
70
| To Lis mind the key Of the whole
mystery must lie in that cave tunnel
described by Deborah. II he could
| once probe into its secret the whole
strange case would be solved. If any
investigation was to be made, it must
be attempted now-he would take the
chance.
To decide, with Kelleen, was to act.
The peril Of the adventure scarcely
occurred to him; his life had long be-
fore Injured him to danger. All he
sought was opportunity. Slowly, eau
tiously, keeping well back In the
shadow, he lowered his body down the
face of the cliff, taking advantage of
every irregularity, outcropping rocks
giving Him font and handhold. until
he finally reached the firm turf be-
low. AS he glanced back over his
course, mar-ing the high outline Of
the crest against the lighter sky above,
the memory of that awful plunge over
the edge left him for an instant sick |
and nerveless. Then he drove the |
recollection from him with a bitter |
laugh What oddsI he was alive; he |
would pay the debt. He could not |
stand there like a frightened child In |
the dark. He moved on in the depth |
Of the cliff shadow with eyes searching |
the gloom and ears listening for any |
sound.
In that darkness he scarcely real |
lied where he was, yet, when he |
came to 1t, experienced no difficulty
In recognizing the mound on which |
he and Deborah had taken breakfast |
together. He climbed the sloping side
cautiously on hands and knees, his re-
volver drawn and clenched In his |
nerveless fingers. The man was cool |
now, and ready, advancing steadily |
through the maze of rocks strewing
the surface, until he felt out the
slight evidences Of a trail. Here was
where Deborah must have attempted
her retreat, as it skirted the face of
the cliff, which bulged out above him.
The front was draped with clinging
vines, while below he found a tangle
Of bushes, almost impenetrable Kel-
leen crept along these, vainly seeking
some opening, and, finally, In despair,
pressed them aside, crawling noise
lessly into the dark covert. seeking
that opening in the rock which must
be hidden somewhere beyond. Its
discovery eluded him, and 1t was not
until he ventured to stand erect, feel
ng above the lower barrier of rock, :
hat he really convinced himself of its
existence. He stood hesitatingly, his
heart humping from excitement {
There was no sound of movement .
profound silence and i'm $
,enetrable darkness. Yet surely this I
Gould be no storage house, no mere t
acceptable for stolen goods as he pre- |
7iously had imagined. There was no t
,eaten trail leading to it; no dead, |
rampled vines, no pathway opening c
through the shrubs. The secret of the G
lace remained hidden, its shield IN T
disturbed. Whoever came here must t
ave weaved their way as carefully v
s he had, concealing all evidence of q
assage, leaving no trail behind. c
In spite of the shrinking of his flesh, f
Ielleen began to advance, feeling with t
is feet, and keeping one hand against u
he rough side wall. 1t was a tunnel t
eyond all doubt. leading at first k
traight into the cliff, the sides Il
hipped and irregular leaving to the r
ouch Of his fingers the ridge marks p
a pick. Men had toiled here, not g
AZURE, and had plainly left their Il
andiwork. When? How long ago? S,
What had become Of them? "Alvara's t.
ost Minei" The words seemed to II
urn themselves on his mind, and be- b
pre- him arose a vision of the old Il
paniard working there alone In the a,