The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-05-11
Mountain
Man
n Ro<s.sea Fiction
SesIoI
By
HAROLD
CLAIMING
WIRE
one Wire wNU Service
(Conclusion)

the backbone above Temple Mead
ow, but when he reached the crest,
he halted for only a moment. Far
below, the whole Sulphur Flat was
afire, though actual flames were hid
den by an intermediate canyon wall.
The sky was red for miles above
the lower part of Sulphur Creek.
Breck wheeled and crashed down,
letting his swift descent pass the
word to those below.
Animals were already being sad
died when he burst into camp. Si-
ezra Slim had brought up Kit, while
Cook packed mule nearby. He
rode to join them, plunging across
the space that few minutes earlier
had held laughing, dancing throng.
Fires in the Sulphur country"
he told Dad Cook. 81 guess the boy
knew what he was talking about.
Nesters have lighted the whole bot
tom."
Cook nodded, throwing his lash
rope over the mule. Breck caught it,
made the loop, and passed one end
back under the animals belly. A
plan had been seething in his mind
ever since he had left the ridge;
suddenly now it became clear.
Cook" he asked, "is there any
way the Tillsons can climb out of
their hole to the north?"
"No; Kern Peak blocks them"
"That means with the fire driving
them up, they've got to come out
somewhere to the south and east of
Sulphur Creek?"
Cook came from his side of the
mule. "All right, son, what's on
your mind?"
'I've got the Tillsons' back door
spotted" Breck declared. "They
can't climb to it before daylight
too rough-and by that time Slim
and I can be there if we go ahead"
'Then CO." Cook ordered. 'I'n
make up crew here and meet you
at Indian Rock. Slim knows where
that is"
Sierra had vanished in the crowd,
leaving Kit tied to a stump. Breck
exchanged horses and was swinging
into his saddle when Senator Suth-
erland rushed to him.
Here, my boy, here" he cried,
putting with excitement. "a fire is
it? Great stuff! Everyone going?
Never saw a mountain blaze first
hand. You wait now till / get my
horsel" He dashed on
"Oh, Gordoni" Again Breck
turned from mounting. Irene was
running toward him. Gordon.
you'll saddle for me? Is it a real
fire? don't know where my horse
is"
He lowered his foot to the ground.
"You won't need your horse. You're
not going"
absurd! Why am / not?"
Breck waved a gloved hand to-
ward Temples cabin. Because
man is in there badly hurt. You
made drunken maniac out of Till
son. Now how big are you? Some
one has got to keep him up till the
doctor gets here tomorrow. He'll get
over the gunshot, but he's the sort
that goes straight to the devil when
a woman takes his pride. Talk to
him, Irene, lie to him, anything to
explain yourself. For Gods sake
that's one thing you can dol"
He swung to his saddle before she
could reply, and hoped some bit of
comprehension would move her to
decent act. Art might be his enc
my, yet he had come to have some
thing of Louise Temples sympathet-
ic understanding of him.
He found Sierra roping up fresh
horse and gave his plan. The noun
taineer listened, said nothing, and
in few minutes they rode together
out past the clearing, where in the
light of fresh logs more than twenty
men were getting tools for the fire.
line. Among them Breck saw Lou
ise.
"Are you going?" he asked, halt
ing at her side.
why not? You'll need all of u.s."
A swift admiration filed him. He
was proud of her. Little thorough
bred! Love welled in his heart. Then
fear. But he knew she would scorn
his thought of danger. Tom Temple
hobbled over with a shovel and AK.
BE right with you, Rangerl"
Breck saluted and loped on to
overtake Sierra His veins tingled.
There was something military
about this night move-like shock
troops breaking into action.
He led, knowing the route to the
spot where he had once seen Jud
and Hep vanish down Sulphur Creek.
He pushed Kit at run. 1t would
be almost daylight anyway by the
time he and Slim could cover the
range from Temples camp To the
broken country.
They left the blazed goverrn ent
trail at the spur where Breck had
come down before. climbed it, and
came at last to the brim that
dropped thousand feet into cliffs
and falls and unmapped gorges.
freight flooded the lower level
Roar of the blaze rose family.
Breck halted. "You see we've
come to sort of a bind trail, Slim. It
dips over the ridge and crosses the
head Of Sulphur Canyon. That's
where we go down. | don't know
how far"
Sierra kicked his foot cut of one
stirrup. I'D say we leave the cay
uses here and walk"
Breck agreed, pulled from the
trail and tied his horse. Then to-
gether they walked on. The canyon
was not far. 1t plunged away steep
ly. with the stream cuttinr q sharp