The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

824 searched the rocks about. They called, thinking he might be lying hidden in some crevice, weak from the strain he had put on the game leg, and hungry. But they got no answer. — It seemed utterly beyond the bounds of reason to believe that he could have gone on to the mine. Silsby believed it should be less than ten miles, per- haps nearer, even; but his knowledge of the place was not possessed by Rad- ford. He might have given up and started back to more familiar country. “Jumping June-bugs!” Big Red muttered as the thought occurred to him. “ He'll most likely run head-on into that confounded passel uv Double X-ers ef they’ve tuk after him!” “We've sure got into a devil of a place!” Silsby observed, gazing about at the steeps and deeps of the moun- tains. “Seems like they ain’t much use a huntin’ fur him in this infernal mess that nachur mought ’a’ knowed better’n to kick up!” “Come on. Les’ leg it to the mine anyhow! We kin find out whut’s whut thar even ef we cain’t find Radford,”’ Red said, shoving the nose of Ted’s horse from him. The animal tried desperately to fol- low them. It appeared to have a fear of the loneliness of the place, yet it showed no disposition to leave the spot where Ted had deserted it. Silsby knew the horse. It had been trained by the puncher who rode it be- fore Radford acquired the use-of it to stand for hours where it had been left. But he knew, too, that if it were still alone when night fell it would assume command of the situation and make for the corral. As the ranchman recalled this, he knew that Radford must have been with his horse during the night, so that whatever had happened to him had oc- curred within the day that was just drawing to a close. He turned the horse’s head down the mountain and gave it a sharp cut with his whip which made it leap forward in resentment and surprise. Who2n it THE ARGOSY. recovered its wits and paused to look back, he yelled and whooped and flung stones at it till it turned and fled out of sight along the route of the stream. “You've done it now!” Red ex- claimed. ‘‘ S’pozzen Radford comes back hyah a limpin’ an’ a needin’ that hoss worse’n ye need store-teeth, whut d’ye reckon he’ll do?” | “ Radford won’t come back ur he'd a bin hyah. He knowed that thar hoss wouldn’t ’a’ stayed after dark,” Silsby replied. It grew very dark. Finally they gave up trying to make their way ahead. The moon would rise later; and they laid down to sleep till they might have the advantage of its light. Silsby went off almost instantly, and Red was just about following when he heard sounds that were distinctly dif- ferent from the mountain noises to which his ears had become accustomed. Something or some one was coming toward where they lay in the trail. Red drew his two guns from his belt and prodded Silsby awake with one of them. The ranchman was alert in- stantly. He, too, heard the steps of whatever it was that neared them. They both listened. ‘he footsteps of an unknown person coming in the middle of the night may or may not be fearful; but, when the vast unlighted spaces of a cloud-covered sky smoth- ers down over gaunt promontories and gaping abysses into which a disturb- ing dream might send one rolling to death, the approach of some creature or being unknown has a peculiar ter- ror which the strongest men feel. Silsby and Red hunched as close to the cliff as possible. The trail here was somewhat generous in its width. The thing that was coming might pass and never touch them. ‘That is, if it were something ungifted with the ex- quisite sense of smell which the mid- night gloom has no power to deceive. Silsby felt Red’s hand press down on his arm. He leaned close while his foreman whispered: “It’s a human bein’, ain’t it?” Gomichbooks \ (E@)