91
i
1 & . r.i
SYNOPSIS.
Murray Sinclair nnd Ills can;; of wreck
ers were called out to clear the railroad
trucks at Smoky Crook. McCloud. u
'oun road superintendent, caught Sin
clair and his men In the net of looting
(he wrecked truln. Sinclair pleaded in
nocence, declaring It onlv amounted to a
mnll sum a treat for the men. McCloud
dlschnrKcd tho whole? outlU and ordered
the wrerkijue burned. McCloud became
Bjqimlnled with Uickslo lmnnlnR, a Rirl
or the west, who came to look nt the
wreck. She pave him a message for Sin
clair. "WhlsperlnK" Gordon Smith told
president BuckB of the railroad, of Mo
Cloud's brave tight ocalnxt a Rani? of
crared miners nnd that was the reason
or the superintendent's appointment to
Is lilRh offlce. McCloud arranged to
board ut the bonrdiiiK house of Mrs. Pln-r'alr-
tho ex-foreman's ilcserted wife.
1'lckPle Iiunnini; was the daughter of the
late Iilchnrd Dunning, who had died of a
broken heart sliortly after his wife's
demise, which occurred after one year of
married life. Sinclair visited Marion Sin
clair's shop nnd a lltrht between htm and
Met. loud was narrowly averted. Sinokv
reek bridge was mysteriously burned,
superintendent McCloud overheard Dlck
Jlo criticising his methods, to Marion
Sinclair. A stock train was wrecked by
an open switch. Later a passenger train
was hold up and the express car robbed.
Two men of a posse pursuing the bandits
were killed. McCloud was no fled that
Whispering Smith was to hunt the des
peradoes. Bill Dancing, a road lineman,
proposed that Sinclair and his gang be
Bent to hunt the bandns. A utrnnger, ap
parently with authority, told him to go
ahead. Dancing was told the stranger
was "Whispering Smith." Smith ap
proached Sinclair. He tried to buy him
off. but failed. He warned McCloud that
his life was in danger. M'-C!oud was car
ried forcibly Into Lance Punning's pres
ence. Dunning refused the railroad a
right-of-way, he had alrondy signed for.
Dlcksle Interfered to prevent a shooting
affray. Dlckslo met McCloud on a lonely
trail to warn him his life was In danger.
On his way home a shot passed through
his hat. Whispering Smith reported that
Du Sang, one of Sinclair's trnng, had been
assigned to kill McCloud. He and Smith
aw Du Sang. Whispering Smith taunt
ed Du Sang and told him to get out of
Medicine Hend or suffer. Du Sang seemed
to succumb to the bluff. McCloud' big
construction Job was taken from him be.
cause of an Injunction Issued to l.ance
Dunning by the United States court. A
sudden rlse of the Crawling Stone river
created consternation. Dlcksie and Ma
rlon appealed to McCloud for help. Whls-
Verlng Smith Joined the group, lie nnd
lckslo spent the night In conversation,
Smith giving the girl nn outline of his
life. In the morning McCloud took his
men to fight the river. Lance Dunning
welcomed them cordially. McCloud suc
ceeded In halting tho Hood. Ho accepted
Running's hospitality. Dlcksle umi Ala
rlon visited Sinclair nt his ranch. Ho
tried to persuade his deserted wife to re
turn to him. Sho refused. He accused
Whispering Smith of having stolen her
love from him. A train whs held up and
robbed, the bandits escaping. Smith and
McCloud started in pursuit.
CHAPTER XXIV. Continued.
Whispering Smith's brows roao pro
testingly, but he spoke with perfect
Amiability as ho raised his linger to
bring the good eye his way. "You
ought to change your hat when you
change your mind. I saw you driving
a bunch of horses up that canyon a
few minutes ago. Now, Ilockstro, do
you still drag your left leg?"
i The rancher looked steadily at his
new Inquisitor, but blinked like a
gopher at tho sudden onslaught.
"Which of you fellows is Whispering
Smith?" he demanded.
"The man with the dough Is Whis
pering Smith every time," was the
answer from Smith himself. "You have
about seven years to serve, Hockstro,
haven't you? Seven, I think. Now
what have I ever done to you that
you should turn a trick like this on
me? I knew you were here, and you
khew 1 knew you were here, and I call
this a Drettv country: a little smooth
fight around here, like tho people, but
pretty. Have I ever bothered you?
Now tell me one thing what did you
get fpr covering this trail? I stand
to give you two dollars for every one
you got last night for the job, if you'll
put lis right on the game. Which way
(ltd the go?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Get off your horse a minute," sug
gested Smith, dismounting, "and step
over hero toward tho creek." Tho
man, afraid to refuse and unwilling to
go, walked haltingly after Smith.
"Whut is it. Jtockstro?" asked his
tormentor. "Don't you like this coun
try? What do you want to go back to
the penitentiary for? Aren't you happy
here? Now tell mo ono thing will you
give up the trail?"
"I don't know the trail."
"I believe yoty wo shouldn't follow
;t r.nyway. Weft you paid last night
or this morning?"
"I ain't seen a man hereabouts for
a week."
"Then you can't tell me whether
.here were Ave men or six?"
"You've got ono eye as good as mine,
and one a whole lot better."
"So It was fixed up for cash a weok
ago?"
"Everything is cash in this country."
"Well, RockBtro, I'm sorry, but we'll
have to take you back with us."
Tho rancher whipped out a revolver.
Whispering Smith caught his wrist.
Tho struggle lasted only an instant.
Rockstro writhed, and the pistol fell
to the ground.
"Now, shall I break your arm?"
asked Smith, ns the man cursed and
resisted. "Or will you behave? We
are going right back and you'll have
to come with us. We'll send some
one down to round up your horses and
ell them, and you can serve out your
time with allowances, of course, for
good conduct, which will cut it down.
It I had ever done you a mean turn I
would not say a word. If you could
name a friend of yours I had ever done
mean turn to I would not say a word.
Can you name one? I guess not. I
feavo left you aa free at the wind hero,
I
making only tho rule I make for every
bodyto let the railroad alone. This
is my thanks. Now, I'll ask you just
ono question. I haven't killed you, ns
I had a perfect right to when you
pulled; I haven't broken your arm, as
I would have done if there had been
a doctor within 23 miles; and I haven't
started you for the pen not yet. Now
I nsk you one fair question only: Did
you need the money?"
"Yes, I did need It."
Whispering Smith dropped the
man's wrist. "Then I don't say a word.
If you needed the money, I'm not go
ing to send you back not for mine."
"How can a man make a living in
this country," asked the rancher, with
a bitter oath, "unless he picks up
everything that's going?"
Tick up your gun, man! I'm not
saying anything, am 1?"
"Hut I'm damned if I can give a
double-cross to any mnn," added Rock
stro, stooping for his revolver.
"I should think less of you, Rock
stro, If you did. You don't need niony
anyway now, but sometime you may
need a friend. I'm going to leave you
here. You'll hear no more of this, and
I'm going to ask you a question: Why
did you go against this when you
"Now Shall I Break Your Arm?"
knew you'd hnvo to square yourself
with me?"
"They told me you'd be taken care
of beforo it was pulled off."
"They lied to you, didn't they? No
matter, you've got their stuff. Now I
am going to ask you one question thnt
I don't know the answer to; it's u fair
question, too. Was Du Sang In tho
penitentiary wilh you at Fort City?
Answer fair."
"Yes."
"Thank you. Rehave yourself and
keep your mouth shut. I say nothing
this time. Hereafter leave railroad
matters alone, and If the woman
should fail sick or you have to have a
little money, come and see me." Smith
led the way back to tho horses.
"Look here!" muttered Rockstro,
following, with his good eye glued on
his companion. "I pulled on you too
quick, I guess quicker'n I'd ought to."
"Don't mention it. You didn't pull
quick enough; it is humiliating to
have a man that's as slow as you aro
pull on me. People that pull on mo
usually pull and shoot ut the same
time. Two distinct movements, Rock
stro, should bo avoided; they aro fa
tal to success. Come down to the
Hend sometime, and I'll get you a
decent gun and give you a few les
sons." Whispering Smith drew his handker
chief us the one-eyed man rode away
and he rejoined his companions. He
was resigned, after a sickly fashion.
"I llko to play blind-man's-buff," he
said, wiping his forehead, "but not so
far from good water. They have pulled
us half-way to tho Crosse Terre moun
tains on a beautiful trail, too beautiful
to be true, Farrell too beautiful to bo
true. They have been having fun with
us, and they've doubled back through
the Topah Topahs toward tho Mission
mountains and Williams Cache that
IkankII.Speabman.
ILLUSTRATIONS
5y
Is my judgment. And aren't we five
able-bodied Jays, gentlemen? Five
strong-arm suckers? It Is an inelegant
word; it is an Inelegant feeling. No
matter, wo know a few things. There
are five good men and a led horse; we
can get out of hero by Goose river,
find out when we cross the railroad
how much they got, and pick them up
somewhere around tho Saddle peaks
If they've gone north. That's only a
guess, and every man's guess la good
now. What do you think, all of you?"
"If It's the crowd wo think it is,
would they go straight home? Thnt
doesn't look reasonable, does it?"
asked Hrill Young.
"If they could put one day between
them and pursuit, wouldn't they be
safer at home than anywhero else?
And haven't they laid out ono day's
work for us, good nnd plenty? Farroll,
remember one thing: There is some
times a disadvantage in knowing too
much about the men you aro after.
Wre'll try Gooso river."
It was noon when they struck the
railroad. They halted long enough to
stop a freight train, send some tele
grams, and ask for news. They got
orders from Rooney Lee, had an empty
box car set behind tho engine for a
special, and, loading their horses at
the chute, made a helter-skelter run
for Sleepy Cat. At three o'clock they
struck north for tho Mission moun
tains. CHAPTER XXV.
The Sunday Murder.
Ranks' posse, leaving Medicine Rend
beforo daybreak, headed northwest.
Their Instructions were explicit: To
scatter after crossing the Frenchman,
watch tho trails from the Gooso river
country and through the Mission
mountains, and Intercept everybody
riding north until the posse from
Sleepy Cat or Whispering Smith
should communicate with them from
the soulhwest. Nino men rode in the
party thaWcrossed tho Crawling Stone
Sunday morning at sunrlso with Ed
Ranks.
After leaving tho river tho three
white-capped Saddles of the Mission
range afforded u landmark for moro
than 100 miles, and toward these the
party pressed steadily all day. The
southern pass of the Missions opens
on tho north slope of the range into
a pretty valley known as Mission
Springs valley, and the springs are
the head-waters of Deep creek. Tho
posso did not quite obey tho instruc
tions, and following a natural instinct
of safety five of them, after Ranks
and his three deputies had scattered,
bunched again, and at dark crossed
Deep creek at some dlstunce below the
springs. It was afterward known that
these five men had been seen entering
the valley from the east at sundown
Just as four of tho men they wanted
rode down South Mission pass toward
tho springs. .That they knew they
would soon bo cut off, or must cut
their way through tho line which Ed
Banks, ahead of them, was posting at
every gateway to Williams Cache, was
probably clear to them. Four men
BY ANDBE BOWLES
Q'AS JCKW.vCf.Vcj O'cvvs'
roile that evening from Tower W
through tho south pass; tho fifth man
had already Uft the party. The four
men were headed for Williams Cucho
and had reason to believe, until they
sighted Hanks' men, that their path
was open.
They halted to take counsel on the
suspicious-looking posso far below
them, nnd while their cruelly ex
hausted horses rested, Du Sang, al
ways in Sinclair's absence tho brains
of the gang, planned the escape over
Deep creek at Haggs' crossing. At
dusk they divided; two men lurking in
tho brush along the creek rode as
close as they could, unobserved, to
ward the crossing, while Du Sang nnd
the cowboy Karg, known ns Flat Nose,
rode down to Iiagga' ranch at tho foot
of the pass.
At that point Dan Raggs, nn old lo
comotive engineer, had taken a home
stead, got together a little bunch of
cattle, and was living alone with his
son, u boy of ten years. It was a
hard country and too close to Wil
liams Cacho for comfort, but Dan got
on with everybody because the tough
est man In tho Cache country could
get a meal, a feed for his horse, and a
place to sleep nt Ruggs', without
charge, when ho needed it.
Ed Hanks, by hard riding, got to tho
crossing nt five o'clock, and told Haggs
of tho hold-up nnd the shooting of
Oliver Sollers. Tho news stirred tho
old eiiglnemnn, and his excitement
threw him oft his guard. Hanks rode
straight on for tho middle pass, leav
ing word that two of his men would bo
along within half an hour to watch tho
pass and tho ranch crossing, and asked
Haggs to put up some kind pf a fight for
the crossing until more of the posso
came up at the least, to make sure
that nobody got any fresh horses.
The boy was cooking supper in tho
kitchen, and Haggs had done his milk
ing and gone back to tho corral, when
two men rode around tho corner of tho
barn and asked if they could get
something to eat. Poor Haggs sold his
life in six words: "Why, yes; be you
Hanks' men?"
Du Sang answered: "No; we're from
Sheriff Coon's oflleo at Oroville, look
ing up a bunch of Duck Har steers
that's been run somewhere up Deep
creek. Can wo stay hero all night?"
They dismounted nnd disarmed
Raggs' suspicions, though the condi
tion of their horses might have warned
him had he had his senses. The un
fortunate man had probubly fixed it in
his mind thnt a ride from Tower W to
Deep creek in 6 hours was a physical
impossibility.
"Stay here? Sure! I want you to
stay," said Haggs, bluffly. "Looks to
me like I seen you down at Crawling
Stone, ain't I?" he asked of Karg.
Karg was lighting a cigarette. "I
used to mark at the Dunning ranch,"
he answered, throwing away his
mutch.
"That's hit. Good! The boy's cook
ing supper. Step up to the kitchen
and tell him to cut ham for four more."
"Four?"
"Two of Ed Ranks' men will be hero
by six o'clock. Heard about tho hold
up? They stopped Number Three at
Tower W last night and shot Olllo
Sollers, ns whlto a boy as ever pulled
a throttle. Roys, a mnn that'll kill a
loeomotlvo engineer Is worse'n an In
dian) I'd help skin him."
"The hell you would!" cried Du
Sang. "Well, don't you want to start
in on mo? I killed Sellers. Look at
me; ain't I handsome? What you go
ing to do about it?"
Reforo Haggs could think Du Sang
was shooting him down. It was wan
ton. Du Sang stood in no need of the
butchery; tho escape could have been
mado without it. His victim had pulled
an engino throttle too long to show
the whlto feather, but ho was dying
by tho tlmo he had dragged a revolver
from his pocket. Du Sang did tho
killing alone. At least. Flat Nose,
who alone saw all of tho murder, after
ward maintained that he did not draw
because ho had no occasion to, nnd
that Raggs was dead beforo he, Karg,
had finished his cigarette. With his
right ami broken and two bullets
through his chest, Haggs fell on his
face. That, however, did not check
his murderer. Rising to his knees,
Haggs begged for his life. "For God's
sake! I'm helpless, gentlemen. I'm
helpless. Don't kill mo llko a dog!"
Rut Du Sang, emptying his pistol,
threw his rifle to his shoulder nud sent
built after bullet crashing through
the shapeless form writhing nnd
twitching before him until ho had
beaten it in tho dust soft and flat and
still.
Hanks' men came up within an hour
to find the ranehhouso deserted. They
saw a lantern in tho yard below, nnd
near tho corral gate they found the
little boy in tho darkness, screaming
beside his father's body. The sheriff's
men carried tho old englueman to the
house; others of tho posse crossed tho
creek during the evening, and at 11
o'clock Whispering Smith rodo down
from the south pass to find that four
of the men they were after hnd taken
fresh horses, after killing Haggs, and i
passed safely through tho cordon
Hanks had drawn around the pass and
along Deep creek. Rill Dancing, who I
had ridden with Ranks' men, was at
gsTrrrrffiT-.j.') ... nriv.TxmaryJ?xiM vLs1. ;a k'.'.'7 rrrr.ai M unxam3
the heiiyo when Whispering Smith ar
rived. Ho found sdiiio supper In tho
kitchen, and tho tired man and tho
giant ate together.
Whispering Smith was too experi
enced a campaigner to .complain. Ills
party lu1 struck a trail HO miles north
of Sleepy Cat and followed it to the
Missions. Ho knew now who ho was
after, and knew that they were bottled
up In the Cacho for tho night. The
sheriff's men wero sleeping on tho
floor of tho living room when Smith
canio in from the kitchen. He sat
down before tho fire. At Intervals sobs
came from tho bedroom whero tho
body lay, and after listening a mo
ment, Whispering Smith got stillly up,
and, tiptoeing to still the Jingle of his
"The Hell
You Would!"
Sang.
Cried Du
spurs, took the candle from tho table,
pushed aside tho curtain, and entered
the bedroom.
Tho llttlo boy was lying on his face,
with his arm around his father's neck,
talking to him. Whispering Smith bent
a moment over tho bed, and, setting
the candle on tho table, put his hand
on tho boy's shoulder. Ho disengaged
the hand from tho coM neck, and sit
ting down took It In his owu. Talking
low to the little fellow, ho got his
attention after much patient effort and
got him to speak. He mado him,
though struggling with terror, to tin
derstand that ho had como to be his
friend, and after the child had sobbed
Ills grief Into a st rango heart be ceased
to tremble, and told his namo and his
story, and described tho two horse
men and the horses they had left.
Smith listened quietly. "Have you had
any supper, Dannie? No? You must
have something to eat. Can't you eat
anything? Rut. thero is a nice pan of
fresh milk in tho kitchen."
A burst of tears interrupted him.
"Daddle Just brought In the milk, and
I was frying the ham, and I heard
them shooting."
"Seo how he took care of you till
the last minute, and left something
for you after he was gone. Suppose
he could speak now, don't you think
ho would want you to do ns I say? I
am your next friend now, for you are
going to bo a railroad man and have a
big engine."
Dannie looked up. "Dad wasn't
afraid of those men."
"Wasn't he, Dannio?" '
"Ho said we would bo all right and
not to bo afraid."
"Did he?"
"He said Whispering Smith was
coming." ,
"My poor boy."
"He Is coming, don't be afraid. Do
you know Whispering Smlih? Ho is
coming. The men to night all said he
was coming."
The littlo fellow for a long time
could not be coaxed away from his
father, but his companion at length
got hlni to tho kitchen. When they
canio back to the bedroom the strange
mnn was talking to hhn once more
about his father. "Wo must try to
think how he would like things done
now, mustn't we? All of us felt so bad
when wo rode in and had so much to
do wo couldn't attend to taking care
of your father. Did you know thero
are two men out at tho crossing now,
guarding It with rifles? Hut if you aud
I keep real quiet we can do something
for hlni while the men aro asleep;
they have to ride all day to-morrow.
We must wash his face and hands,
don't you think so? And brush his
hair and his beard. If you could Just
find tho basin and some water and a
towel you couldn't find a brush, could
you? Could you honestly? Well! I
call that a good boy wo shall have to
have you on the railroad, sure. We
must try to find somo fresh clothes
these aro cut and stained; then I will
change his clothes, and we shall all
feel better. Don't disturb tho men;
they aro tired."
They worked together by the candle
light. When they had done, the boy
had a violent crying spell, but Whisper
Ing Smith got him to lie down beside
him on a blanket spread on tho floor,
where Smith got his back against the
sod wall and took tho boy's head la his
arm. He waited patiently for the boy
to go to sleep, but Dan wns afraid tho
murderers would come back. Once be
lifted his head in a confidence. "Did
you know my daddy used to run an
engine?"
"No, I did not; but In tho morning
yon must tell mo all ubout it." i
Whenever thero was a nolso In the
next room tlio child roused. After Borne
tlmo a nevf voice was heard; Kennedy
had come nnd was asking questions.
"Wnko up hero, Bomcbody! Whero Im
Whispering Smith ?"
Dancing answered: "He's right
thero In tho bedroom, Furrel, staying
with tho boy."
There was some stirring. Kennedy
talked a llttlo and at length stretched
himself on tho floor. When all was
still again, Dannie'B hand crept slow
ly from tho breast of hi' companion
up to his chin, nnd tho llttlo hand, feel
ing softly every feature sfolo over the
strango face.
"What is it. Dannie?"
"Aro you Whispering Smith?"
"Yes, Dannio. Shut your eyes."
At threo o'clock, when Kennedy
lighted a candle and looked In, Smith
was sitting with his back against tho
wall. Tho boy lay on his arm. Roth.'
were fast asleep. On tho bed tho dead
mnn lay with a handkerchief over bis
face.
CHAPTER XXVI. :
Williams Cache.
Ed Hanks had been recalled beforo
daybreak from fho middle pass. Two
of tho men wanted were now known
to have crossed tho creek, whichj
meant they must work out of tho coun
try inrougn Williams Cacho.
"If you will take your best two men,
Ed," said Whispering Smith, Bitting
down with Hanks at breakfast, "and
strike straight for Canndian pass t
help Gene and Hob Johnson, I'll under
take to rldo In nnd talk fo Rebstock
while Kennedy and Rob Scott watch
Deep creek. Tho boy gives a good do
serlpllon, and tho two men that did
tho job hero aro Du Sang and Flat
Nose. Did I tell you how wo picked
up tho trail yesterday? Magpies. They
shot a scrut) horso that gave out on
them and skinned tho brand. It)
hastened tho banquet, but wo got there
beforo tho birds wcro all seated. Great)
luck, wasn't It? And it gave us m
beautiful trail. One of tho party,
crossed tho Goose river at American'
fork, und Rrlll Young and Reed fol
lowed him. Four came through tho
Mission mountains; that Is a cinch and
they are In the Cache and if they gerf
out it Is our fault personally, Ed, and
not the Lord's."
Williams Cacho lies In tho form o -a
great horn, with a narrow entrance
at tho lower end known as tho DoorJ
and a rock fissure at the upper end
leading Into Canndian pass; but thin
fissure Is so narrow that a man with!
a rifle could withstand a regiment. For
100 miles cast and west rlBe the gran
ite walls of the Mission range, broken)
nowhero savo by the formation known!
ns tho Cache. Even this does not pen!
erate tho range; It is a pocket, and)
runs not over half-way Into It and out!
ngain. Hut no man really knows the
Cache; the most (hat may be said In
that tho main valley is known, and lti
Is known as tho roughest mountain
flssnro between the Spanish sinks and)
the Mantrap country. Williams Cache
lies between walls 2,000 feet high, and1
within It Is a small labyrinth of can
yons. A generation ago, when Medi
cine Hend for ono winter was tho
terminus of the overland railroad, vlgl-"
lantcs mercilessly cleaned out the
town, and the few outlaws that es
caped the shotgun and tho noose at)
Medlclno Rend found refuge in a far
away und unknown mountain gorgoj
once named by French trappers thd
Cache. YearB arter theso outcasts had
como to infest It came one desperado
more ferocious than all that had gono
before. He mado a frontier retreat oC
tho Cache, and left to It the legacy of!
his evil name, Williams. Since hl
day It has served, as It Berved before,!
for tho haunt of outlawed men. No
honeBt man lives in Williams Cache,
and few men of any sort live there
long, slnco their lives are lives of vio
lence; neither tho law nor a woman'
crosses Deep creek. Hut from tho day;
of Williams to this day the Cacho has
had Its ruler, und when Whispering
Smith rode with a llttlo party through
tho Door Into the Cacho the morning
after the murder In Mission valley ho
sent an envoy to Rebstock, whoso suc
cess ns a cattle thief had brought Its
Inevitable penalty. It had mado
Rebstock a man of consequence and
of property and a man subject to tho
anxieties and annoyances of such re
sponsibility. .
(TO BB CONTINUED.)
Had Taken Notice. '
It Was While II. II. nniora. tha
Standard Oil magnate, was working at'
nis ursi joo, delivering the village
newspaper, that his inborn rnnneitv
became evident. He brought In the
name of a new subscriber, Isalab'
west Mr. Anthony, the publisher,1
wroto down the name. Then be
turned to the boy: "How do ton nnoi
Isaiah, Henry?" he asked. "Isaiah,"
said Henry. "You'll do." said Mr AnJ
tbony, with a chuckle. He tni thi
story to a skeptic neighbor. "But how!
did you know how to spell It, Henry?"
asked the nelshbor. "l m him writ
It down," said Henry.