Adventure, February 1917 — page 178: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AT THREE o’clock he wakened, broad awake as at midday, every nerve tense and his ears strained to catch the next sound. He had heard in his sleep the one sound he cared to hear and it had banished sleep as an electric-flash ban- ishes darkness. He lifted his head a trifle - from the saddle and listened. There it came © again, the clink of a horse’ s shoe against a stone. Letting his head sink back on the saddle he lay with his face turned up to the point where a man’s head would pass, were he on horseback, and waited. Now the clinking of iron on stone came nearer and more fre- quent and in a little while he could hear the wheeze of breath as each horse lifted him- self along the steep trail. He had chosen his position so that direct- ly before his eyes lay a notch in the moun- tain ridge like a great V that held in its compass a solitary star. As Logan watched that star he saw the points of a horse’s ears just below it in the notch, then a little later the form of a rider, stooped a little and with his hat over his eyes. The figure passed, there was a short period when the star again shone in his eyes, and again the ears came. The star and the horse’s ears, the form in the saddle and the star shining down in peace. Over and over the same sequence until the watcher had counted four ghostly passers-by, silent save for that clink, clink, clink, of metal on stone and then they were gone. As the last one blended with the shadows another form went quietly up the trail, slipping along the bordering shadows of brush and tree and rock. Stooping and gliding and feeling its silent, inexorable way along the track the marauders had lately passed over, this form kept within hearing of the clinking horseshoes until it reached a - ridge where the moonlight flooded the trail and there were no trees or brush to cast a friendly shadow. Just back of the ridge the following form paused and stood motionless while the sound of iron on stone went round the next bend and grew indistinct among the trees on the lower level. ‘Then the pursuer went for- ward, crouching and swift, over the ridge and part way down the slope on eager feet. Just as he reached the edge of the dark oak grove, a spurt of flame stabbed out at him from behind a tree, a red-hot pain went through his breast, with a numbing after- Adventure shock, and he reeled forward to his face in the dirt. There was a quick clatter of hoofs as a horse came out of the shadows, another flame darted at the recumbent figure and then the clattering feet went flying after the others. “What was it? Some one spyin’ on us?” asked one as the rearguard overtook the others. “Uh-huh! He won’t"do no more spyin’, —— him!” the rider answered. “Got ’im _ first crack, but give ’im another fer luck.” “Good! Didn’t see no sign of any one else comin’, did ye?” “Naw! He’ Ss some ee Aleck constable who got a hunch he could foller us and make a rep by tacklin’ us alone.” “Some nerve! Wisht ye’d a-let ’im come on. We c’ld a-had some fun with the cuss when he tackled us.” “Well, I didn’t an’ I ain’t goin’ t’ take no chances. Most there, now. Gosh, I’m sleepy.” “How'd ye happen t’ git wise t’ that fel- ler back there?” “T dunno. Jest sorter sensed it that he was follerin’, without hearin’ a sound, lessen. it were somethin’ too small fer me t’ kno I heard it. The hunch worked all right. bi got ’im cold.” Two miles farther the bandits rode, then dismounted in a little glade among the oaks, loosened the cinches and tied their horses under the drooping branches. When their mounts had beer hidden, the men unrolled their blankets under other low-branched trees and turned in for a little rest before daylight. The leader had a word of warn- ing for them at the last moment. “Keep yer iron ready fer quick action an’ sleep with one ear list’nin’. If anybody starts anythin’, cut loose.” Ten minutes later a flitting owl, passing like a spirit on noiseless wing, looked askance at four silent figures, stretched at full length on the leaf mold, and as many horses, sleeping on their tired feet, with noses close to the ground. ‘When the gray of approaching dawn be- gan to filter through the leaves the leader of the four sat up and looked around. His © eyes searched every nook and possible hid- ing-place as far as he could see. After a long look that swept three-quarters of a circle he turned to regard the last quarter _ and again he studied the land. From his COMMIE DOOKS (EC)