The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-08-01

desert, but Pierre Donovan, liar riet Noel's son, lived. And he had thrown himself into this new role with all the genius and greatness of his artist soul that Tony says he inherited from his actress moth sr.
 This character which Pierre now played had no sense of fear. In cold fury, with a strength that was more than physical and with his brain working calmly as if he were rehearsing part, he fought o gain the mastery of this one who sought his life. More than once he felt himself perilously near defeat, but clean bodily strength of the younger man began to tell. Pierre saw fear come into the eyes of his nearly exhausted opponent. Then the end.
 For a moment Pierre stood over the man who lay unconscious at his feet. Then he ran to Bruce.
 Kneeling beside the body, he .ried desperately to discover some ign of life. When he could not ne still knelt as if he too had received a mortal hurt.
 He raised his head and looked about won onderingly at Mother Mountain rising into the sky; at 5he stunted vegetation. He looked 1t the canteen lying on its side and the dark moist spot on the ground which the water had made. Then he saw something else.
 The man he knew as Colorado Bill was creeping toward that gun which lay some di tance away where it had fallen at the begin ling of their struggle. Pierre leaped to his feet. The 1 other made a desperate effort, but IS his fingers touched the weapon l smashing blow from Pierre ] stretched him again unconscious.
 This time when the man re- gained his senses he saw Pierre sitting calmly on a rock with the gun in his hand, watching. For a long minute they looked at each other without a word; then the man, getting to his feet, spoke: Who are you?"
 q came to take Bruce back to Ann" said Pierre calmly You have killed him"
 He was going to leave me here in the desert without water" re- turned the other. T shot him in self-defense."
 Pierre pointed to the canteen and to the dark moist spot on the ground. You see what happened?'
 'Yes," said the other, T see"
 "I was behind the rock there, said Pierre, and I heard Bruce tell you about the bank money and the cashier. It is better that Bruce should go like this. guess than that he should be taken back home to prison, or to be hung fol murder. You are the man whc got Bruce so interested in a gold mine out here, I suppose?"
 For Gods sake, who are you?'
 I'm Pierre Donovan"
 Pierre Donovanl"
 Yes" said Pierre. T came hert to find Bruce. He left Ann be cause he thought she was having love affair with some one else. did not know about this othel l thing. Ann doesn't know about it either. I can't take Bruce hom
 now" He looked toward the deat
 man Then he added. But l cal
 take you to Red Butte and turn
 you over to the law for this mur
 der. And I am going to take tn !, money back to the bank-and ge Anns father out of jail.' 50 you are Pierre Donovan?" , "Yes, l am Pierre Donovan. Yol are Colorado Bill, suppose?" Have you any water?" the maj , asked suddenly.
 "Yes, a little Not enough flo two but we must make it do. w must start back to Dripping Sprin , at once" Again he looked towar' the dead man as if considerin : what to do.
 : T only gave him what he de ' served" said the other. You hear : how he was leaving his wife
 father-an innocent man-to han } or go to prison for life. Besides ? shot him in elf-defense. If I wer to try to get away with all tn 2 water and leave you to die in tn ] desert you would kill me, wouldn !. you?"
 : "Yes." said Pierre grimly. T ] you try anything like that I sha t kill you"
 s Well. then. why accuse me ( murder?"
 n You got Bruce into this. If . hadn't been for your talk abol d the millions he could make in tn . mine if ne could get hold of e little capital, Bruce would neyt