The Washington times., 1938-01-28
CHAPTER x
RIVAL BANDS MEET

Cardowsn flipped his cigarette
away and examined the trail. Not
a trace renamed except for loose
rock to show that a man and
horse had gone over the edge. He
took the pack mule by the lead
rope and started off down the
trail, and now he was whistling.
All that afternoon as he treaded
his precipitous way to safety, he
kept thinking Of the gold back
there. It was hiS-or rather, 1t
would soon be his. He had no idea
Of splitting it with that collection
of saddle buns down below that
had sided him off and on for years.
The first chance he got he would
sell them out to o bounty hunting
sheriff for his own freedom. Then
wealth, land, cattle, women, wines.
guns, horses, saddles-anythnig he
wanted, and all Of it he wanted.
It would take a little cunning to
swing 1t, but he had 1t.
When he swung into the last
long stretch Of trail before hitting
the boulder fields below, it was
getting late. He looked down over
this gray and broken expanSe and
could see nothing, not a man. It
and angered him at the
same time. Had those damned
fools got some whiskey and drunk
themselves into forSaKing their
guard? They had orders to post
a tight guard at the place where
the trail ended, and yet there
was not a man to be seen.
He wondered about the lookout
he had stationed a couple Of yards
up the trail. Would this man be
drunk, too?
GOLD-MINDED GANGS
And then he remembered Poco's
brazen confidence and he stopped
short. Had POGO really had men
down here all the time? In a fran
tic hurry, Cardowan edged back
to his horse and got his guns from
the bedroll and strapped them on.
He crouched now and made his
way warily down the trail.S Pres
emily in a twist of it ahead he saw
a man squatted behind a boulder.
After minute of careful scrutiny
he recognized Stony Pierson, his
lieutenant.
He approached openly now and
Stony upon hearing him turned
and motioned him down. Almost
on the heel Of the gesture Cardo-
wan heard rifle below him slash
the silence and slug Clipped
some rock far overhead.
He crawled to Stony, a squat,
heavy man with blue-black stub
BILE Of beard bulged out in one
cheek by a wad Of tobacco. He
was squatted on his heels, a rifle
across his knees, and there was q
grim smile on his face as he
watched Cardowan approach.
What is it?" Cardowan asked
when he was in the shelter of the
boulder.
Stony cuffed a greasy Stetson
back off his forehead and Spat,
"Two-Way Hornbeck with a bunch,
Been here since last night"
Where are the boys?" Cardo-
wan asked swiftly.
"Forted up behind the rocks
same as Two-Way." This news
given, Stony asked, Where's
Poco?"
Dead. I got rid of him"
Get the gold?"
up the trail around the bend"
TWO.WAY SPLIT
Stony cursed now, too. well,
boss" he said finally, 1T looks
like we split it. Two-Way'S got a
circle of men throwed around our
bunch down there and we'll have
to run them before we get away"
Have you talked to him?"
Stony made wry face. Hes
talked to us. It's a two.way split,
he says, or he'll stick until the men
come down from the camp in be-
hind US. Well play hell gettin'
away then"
Cardowan nodded, scowling.
Leave it to POGO" Cardowan
said bitterly. THAT little pack Of
poison thought of everything"
Not him." Stony answered.
This here was Two,Way's idea.
He brung this bunch here to take
it away from POGO. He said so his
SELF"