The Washington times., 1934-12-22

the eager mares flanks with
both spurs.
The girls arm frightened
about his waist, and gaining
the road Dick gave the mare
her head.
CHAPTER XVI
Almost at once the lights
of the car became visible far
down the Verde road, and in a
few swift moments he had
reined in and, lifting the girl
to the ground, slipped from
the saddle. A glance told him
it was Nora's car.
Into the silent night about
them, Dick calledy. No an
Swer. Hasty search of the
door pocket revealed only a
small flashlight, and with it's
help he scanned the dusty road.
There the tale lay, plain and
sinister.
Four horses, two of them un-
shod, had surrounded the car.
Two men had dismounted and
approached. Confused tracks
led to the arroyo edge, but with
a start Dick saw that the re-
turning steps of one were
shorter and uneven-the steps
of a man who walks with a
heavy burden. Lowell flashed
the light back to the road again.
There they had mounted, and
now the tracks of all four led
due south toward the Mexican
border.
Instantly Dick was in the
saddle, and leaning down laid
his hand on the shoulder of the
trembling girl. wait here" he
told her in quick Spanish. I'm
a few moments, Senor Barnes
comes. Say to him that four
men have taken Nora and that
I am following their trail. Tell
him to phone his ranch and get
every man he can raise. I
think they are making for
Copper Canyon"
He turned and the spurs
sank home. With a creak of
saddle leather and frenzied
pounding of horses's hoofs the
night engulfed him.
Hot Trail
Beneath the stars the desert
stretched, misty and white and
ghostlike. Clumps of cactus
and Stunted chaparral flashed
past beneath the mares hurry
ing feet. At times the broken
trail of the horsemen lay plain
ly written in the sand, but
twice during the first hour Dick
was forced to dismount, lead.
ing his horse in a wide circle
until he again recovered the
footprints that led laways south
toward Mexico. Yet at the end
of that hour there remained
little doubt that the men were
headed toward Copper Can
yon-that narrow cash between
the Mexican foothills leading
up to the abandoned mining
camp known as ell Toro. An
ill-favored place, it's history had
been one of violence since
Verde's earliest days, and
throughout the years men
wanted for every crime from
rustling to cold murder sought
refuge in the bleak ranges and
narrow passes about el Toro.
Steadily the little mare bore
southwark. Already Dick felt
certain he had crossed the bor-
der, and now. abandoning all
attempt at tracking Nora'S cap
tors, he laid his course south.
east, skirting the foothills
toward where the mouth of the
canyon lay. A sudden recollec-
ton seized him, bringing with
it a sense of security on that
lonely rde-one friend at least
he might count on up here in
el Toro-one man he might
trust-Stub, the bartender of
the little cantina. Alone in a
hostile camp it was good to
know that Stub would remem-
ber other days, and, if need
be, give aid.
On he hurried southwark
through the night. Soon the
horses hoofs were Gathering
between the dry, stony banks
of a stream bed. and directly
ahead loomed the perpendicu.
lar cliffs that overhung the mar
row canyon.
Dick pulled his mare to a
walk, and loosening his auto
matte, rode forward cautiously.
To Be Continued
1884. BY Tom Gift. Distributed
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