The Argosy, April 1912 — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

SHIFTING can’t lose ’°em. ‘They’ll be up with us fore we know it.” “Where are we going?” asked Huntly presently. “T’ll answer that question before long,” responded Border. Just then he dismounted and began exam- ining the earth. “We're on the right path,” he reported with a chuckle. “I thought so. You can’t fool Bob Border—not after these years of dealing with criminals.” : “Criminals!” exclaimed Huntly. “What else can I call a man who makes off with a young girl?” “What is the penalty?” asked Huntly. ._ “You see that big limb, there?” and the sheriff pointed toward the right. “Well, the long arm of the law ain’t nothing compared with the strong arm of a tree,’ added Border. } “An awful death!” shuddered Huntly. “But one he’ll deserve,” exclaimed Bor- der with satisfaction. ‘I’m here to preserve the law, but you don’t suppose for one min- ute that those men coming after me will let him take things so easy as the law hands 7em.out, do you? And what can one man say against a crowd?” They rode on in silence for a few min- utes. “I declare,” suddenly burst out the sher- iff, “this fellow must have been a green one, sure enough. Why, he hasn’t got the sense of a rabbit! On he goes, leaving a trail as plain as the nose on your face. A baby could follow him. I wonder who he is! Can’t be anybody I ever met before. They were all clever men and understood their business.” “How do you mean clever?” “Why, they would have gone to no end of trouble to throw us off the scent. They would have ridden round and back and over rocks and jumped gulleys—anything to mix us up. This is a soft snap. Come on.” The ride lasted some miles farther until suddenly the sheriff dismounted once more. By this time it was broad daylight and everything stood out distinctly. Huntly expressed surprise at the wonderful pano- rama spread before him. As the mists of the morning were dissipated by the rising sun a scene of unparalleled splendor was spread out before them. “We must be very high up,” he said as he looked down on the valley. be- SUSPECTS. 95 At that instant Border gave vent to an exclamation of satisfaction. “Here we are,” he announced. “ Already?” “Well, I should say,” replied Border. “We must dismount.” “But why?” “Don’t you see these tracks?” “Yes, but I don’t know what they mean.” “Oh,” said Border, “I forgot you are from the East. By all signs right and proper I read on the ground as plain as in a first reading-book, that right here is where the man in the black mask and the girl left their horses and began the rest of the climb on foot.”’ “You don’t say so,” remarked Huntly, gazing in surprise at the impressions in the earth. : “The horses were left here for a little while, until the abductor could take the girl up the mountain. See?” “You'll have to explain,” said Huntly. “It’s all Greek to me.” Border gave him a searching look which, however, in no way ruffled the young man’s calm expression. “You can tell by the way the earth is trampled on,” proceeded Border. “Two horses would have to stand here some little time to make all these marks.” “I see,” rejoined Huntly. “And you think they went the rest of the way on foot.” “No doubt of it,” said the sheriff. “ And in about five or ten minutes I’ll prove it to you, for we are going to the exact spot.” “You seem to know this locality.” “I do. The man in the black mask didn’t count on that.” Once more the sheriff pointed to the ground. “Here are her footsteps,” he cried tri- umphantly. “What did I tell you? And here,” he added with a savage look, “are his! There’s no mistake. Follow me.” On they went up the narrow trail which Mildred had climbed a few hours before. She little dreamed that help would so soon be at hand. Suddenly the sheriff stopped and touched Huntly on the shoulder. The Easterner started. , “What is it?” he asked nervously. “There,” and Border pointed to the cabin which was now plainly to be seen, “there is the answer.” A few minutes later the two men stood before the door. (CO NOOK CO