The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-12-21

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cracked. The hat went flying.
The horses came over the bench,
frightened, but not stampeding, and
Mac drove them into the corral. This
was around the corner from the range
of the sharpshooter of the rim.
Bridges, Keeling on the horse, followed
Mac, who ran out Of the corral to
catch him as he fell. Then, as they
came along close to the wall, Hays
arrived from the other direction.
"Heeseman-with his outfit-nine In
all" he heaved. They're scatterin' to
surround the roost. :. But they can't
cross-below us-an' across there it's
out Of range. +. We're all right"
A bullet thudded into the wall. fol-
lowed by the report of a rifle.
"Duck back! That was from some
where else" shouted Hays.
They dove twenty feet farther back.
Here they were apparently safe, ex-
cept from the grassy ridge of the oval
in front, which 1t was unlikely any
sharpshooters could reach in daylight.
After careful study Jim crept into
the brush, stirred by a renewal of
firing from the west rim. Wisps Of
white cloud, thinning on the light
wind, located the positions of the
shooters. First Jim peered through
the growth of brush directly In front
Almost at once he caught a move
ment of dark object through crew
ice in the rim. The distance was great
for accurate shooting at so small a
target. But with a rest he drew a
coarse, steady aim and fired once.
The object Topped over A shrill
cry, unmistakable to any man used to
gunplay, rent the air. Jim knew he
had reached one of the Heeseman
gang, to disable him, if no more. Next
instant raking fire swept the brush
on both sides of Jim. He dropped
down into the cave.
Smoky stood there, in the act of
climbing.
"They near got me-" rang out Jim.
81 hit one of them way over where
they shot at Bridges. There's a bunch
of them hid on that cliff to the right
Of the outlet, you know, where jeff
went up to scout"
"Jim, they got us located" replied
Slocum, gravely.
'Sure. But so long as they can't
line on us in here"
"They can move all around. An
pretty soon Heeseman will figger tibet
men behind the high center in front
can shoot straight in hyar"
They're below the ridge now. Look
sharp, Smoky, or they might get a
couple of shots in first"
"Wal, If they do I hope both bullets
lodge in Hanks gizzard."
my sentiments exactly. :. Smoky,
I saw something shine. Tip of a rifle.
Right-to the right. Ah!"
"Take the first Teller, Jim, :. One
-two-three."
The rifles cracked in unison. Jim's
mark sprang convulsively up, and
plunged down to roll and weave out of
sight. The man Smoky had shot at
sank fiat and lay still. Next moment
a volley banged from the cliff and a
storm Of bullets swept kissing and
spanging uncomfortably close.
Jim slid and leaped to the floor Of
the cave below. Smoky, by lying
down, lowered the rifles to him, ana
then came scrambling after.
Hays had slouched back to them,
followed by Happy.
Jack, gimme Jeff's gun an belt"
Hays said, and receiving them, he
buckled them over his own. Next he
opened his pack to take out a box of
rifle shells, which he broke open to
drop the contents in his coat pocket
on the left side. After that he opened
his shirt to strip off a broad, black
money belt. This was what had made
him bulge so and give the impression
of stoutness, when in fact he was
lean. He hung this belt over a project
ing point of wall.
I'm case don't git back" he added.
San there's a bundle of chicken-feed
change in my pack
There was something gloomy and
splendid about him then. Fear of God,
or man, or death was not in him.
Rifle in hand he crept to the corner
on the left and boldly exposed him
self, drawing a volley of shots from
two quarters. Then he disappeared.
whats Hays idea?' asked Jim.
"He must know a way to sneak
around on them"
A metallic, spanging sound accom-
panied rather than followed by a shot,
then a sodden thud right at hand
choked further speech. Happy Jack
had been cut short in one of his low
whistles. He swayed second upright,
then uttering an awful groan, he fell
Smoky leaped to him, bent over.
dead! Hit In the temple. Where'd
tibet bullet come from?"
cit glanced from a rock. 1 know the
sound"
Jim, the only safe place from tibet
lis hyar, huggin' this corner" de-
clared Smoky. "An' there amt room
enough fer the two of u.s."
"Keep it, Smoky. I'm not going to
get hit. This is my day. I feel some
thing in my bones, but it's not DEATH"
"Huh. I feel somethin' too-clear to
my marrow-an' it's sickish an cold.
:. Jim, I'll sneak out an crawl back
of them. Thet's my idee. don't have
wrong idees at this stage of a fight"
That was the last he spoke to Jim.
Muttering to himself he laid a huge
roll of bills under the belt Hays had
deposited on the little shelf of rock.
Then he vanished.
TO BE CONTINUED.
zEoof Roman SkeIefon Eound