The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-08-02
NIKKI JEROME, heroine; blond, popular, Is engaged to six- foot, black haired
 STEVE MALLORY, hero; who is accompanying her on tip to NikkPs aunt and uncle on a Wyo- ming dude ranch. Nikki's father, PETER JEROME, is a wealthy New York jewel merchant.
 Yesterday: Nikki and Steve see Sarto in the valley and then they recall the shot they had heard earlier.
 CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER xI


 top, and watched the man below as he picked his way across the valley and started to climb the mountain opposite them.
 We cant be very far from camp" reasonable Steve. "Sartn wouldn't take a chance on getting back to the camp alone If he wasn't very sure he could find his way"
 we can follow him." said Nikki
 "As long as we keep him in sight," said Steve. But I don't think much following will be nec- essary. have feeling we won't have to go farther than over that hill"
 They waited moment until they were hidden from Sartos view by his own progress, and then they began their descent into the valley Steve led the way to the spot where they had first geen him.
 There was sharp declivity into short ravine that had been goug- cd out by some prehistoric glacier Sheltered by the brush, it wasn't visible from the hilltop, and they were almost upon 1t before they saw 1t. It's rocky course ran possibly 50 yards.
 "Nikki," said Steve as they ap- preached the edge. It's barely pos sible our friend Sarto might come back. Suppose you wait behind this clump of bushes and keep watch vIyht1n nUy,lIrn ttofo Ma ,ka we can find out what he was doing here"
 Nikki waited, feeling that Steve was much more afraid of what he might find in that ravine than of Garto's return.
 Steve walked cautiously down the incline, his eyes searching the sur face of the depression below him As he reached the bottom he turn ed to his right and followed the ravine to that end but found noth- ing. It was scracely ten feet across at the bottom, irregularly rocky and pitted where rains had dipped into formations softer than the rest.
 He turned and started for the other end of the gully. He stepped on a dead limb and the sharp crackle startled him. A buzzard circled slowly overhead, wheeled in the cloudless sky and was joined by two of his black fellows. The sun glinted brightly on something ahead and the sharp reflection caught Steve's eye.
 Ic 1fn limbed bush and stopped abruptly as he came upon the body of Wade Bancroft.
 He was lying face downward, his arms flung forward, one almost a pillow for his head. His legs were twisted oddly under him, as though he had made a supreme effort to turn when the bullet had struck him--in the back.
 After the first shock of surprise Steve examined the still form care- fully. Bancroft had evidently died almost instantly. The bullet had struck him in the left side of the back and if it had not penetrated the heart. 1t must have been very close, Steve decided. There was no sign of q struggle and the rocks left no story that he could read, but 1t didn't seem to Steve that much deduction was necessary.
 But why Bancroft?" he thought, and then his instincts told him to waste no more time there.
 rattnbt Nn gtN lf impatient vulturcs sailing with the wind currents overhead, and he stripped off his own Jacket to cover Bancroft's head and shoulders, weighing the edges down with, rocks. Then he hurricdly cut brush and made q rude shelter that he thought would last for several hours.
 Nikki greeted him with obvious relief and questions unspoken.
 Bancroft" he said briefly. "Shot through the back"
 Nikki gasped She had been pre- pared for other things but hardly that.
 "Bancroft," she repeated. But Steve, why?"
 Steve shook his head.
 Don't know. I was afraid lt would be Fiske" Nikki nodded The same fear had possessed her, but now a compan!oning dread drove out every other emotion, every other thought. What had happened while they were away? Oh, she was such a fool Why had she done it?
 "Steve, she said. Her mouth was dry. Words were hard to form. Uncle Jim and Rance" Her eye8 were questions enough
 Steve shook his head. "f don't know. But l wouldn't worry about them yet. They're not babes In the wood"
 Dear God And she had let them all come on this trip without Warn- ing. Bancroft Wag dead The shock of that discovery almost made her forget his menacing--to her part in this strange drama. Her mind went back to her father and 10 the meet ing on the train The soft words Of Bancroft with their metallic. dang crous undertone. Sarto the body guard. Bodyguard. Her own thoughts startled her. Of colIrse.
 "Stevc" she cried That money muSt be locked In the cabin at the ranch
 Men have been murdered for lets, he said. That's why we'd bet ter get back to the camp What