Spencer Dair

“ Preys to all sorts of hopes and fears, Jennings and Scotty had passed through an ordeal during the last hour such as seldom falls to the lot of any human. The sight of their comrades beating the mountainside for their captors had inspired them with hope for their own rescue. When Rogers had decided to take them with him, they still clung to this hope. But as the pursuit grew closer, they were in terror lest the outlaw put a bullet into each of them and thus rid himself of the handicap they were to his escape. ”

“ Eagerly the two men followed Nig, wondering whether or not he was playing a joke on them, or leading them into a trap.
But their suspicions of the old scout were quickly allayed.
Scarce a rod had they gone from the fire than the old scout stopped, bent over, swept aside the grass with his hand and beckoned to his companions.
There, stretched flat on its side where it had been deftly, covered with mesquite, lay a flea-bitten pony.
“Man, dear, but that’s some trick!” ejaculated Deadshot, in undisguised admiration of the cleverness with which the animal had been hidden. ”

“ Riding a little to the right and in advance of the others, Sandy suddenly caught sight of his bunkmate, as he stood over the prostrate form of his pony, emptying his rifle in the direction whence the shot from the lone horseman had come.
“This way! This way! I’ve found him!” yelled the excited foreman of the Double Cross, turning in his saddle and beckoning to his fellows. ”

“ The strain of the terrible night when he knew not what moment might be his last had proved too much for the Scout, however, and when his comrades gained his side, he was jabbering to himself, a raving maniac.
Calling down all the curses of which they could think upon the head of the desperado for his treatment of their fellow, the officer and his men quickly, but tenderly, removed the gag, bandage and rawhide, then lifted the scout from his horse and laid him on the plain, forcing some brandy between his swollen lips, all the while plying him with questions. ”

“ The corral into which Hawks’ boys had driven the steers was so situated, however, that the light from the flames enabled the men to see three sides of the barbed-wire fence, while back of the fourth, the flare lighted the plains.
And as they strained their eyes, no human form could they see except the white spectre.
“Man, dear! he’s stopped and is watching his work!” cried Deadshot. ”

“ Lighting a torch, of which there were many in this lofty stronghold, the outlaw went from window to window, making sure that the shutters of iron were in place, that no rays of light might be radiated and thus disclose the location of the Old Stockade.
So well had his gang, who were practically his slaves, fashioned them, however, that they were still sound, and, returning to his companions, he removed their bandages, revealing to their eyes a scene of barbaric splendor. Rugs of finest weave and costly furs covered the floor. ”

“ But, even as they despaired, expecting every instant to hear the agonized shriek that would announce the rush of the flames upon Bowser, help was speeding to him by leaps and bounds!
When Sandy had been advised by Ki Yi to take Mrs. Hawks to the Double Cross and then, getting Pinky, ride to join the rest of the avengers, he lost no time in putting the suggestion into effect.
“Why, man, what brings you back? Why aren’t you riding with the others?” ”

“ So utterly unexpected was the attack that neither Jennings nor Shaw were able to resist as they were borne to the ground.
Their anger, however, at being tricked by the notorious outlaw a second time—for that their captors were none other than Red Rogers and his band the scouts did not need to be told—gave the frenzy of fury to their strength and they grappled with their assailants desperately.
Naturally powerful, the trained muscles of the scouts enabled them to pitch and toss the outlaws about the plateau. But, strive as he might, neither could break the vice-like hold about his neck. ”

“ Scarcely had the ranch owner opened the door than lights blazed in the bunkhouse, followed an instant later by the rush of the cowpunchers, as, guns in their hands, they crept cautiously from their shanty to learn the cause of the alarm.
“Steady, boys! Don’t go to shooting up the country!” warned Bowser, running across the yard to join his men.
“What did you make of it, Sam?” demanded a tall, leathery cowpuncher, who served as foreman.
“You’ve got me, Sandy. The missus ’lows it’s some woman being murdered.” ”

“ And as he watched, there suddenly leaped into the air a great semi-circular wall of flame.
"By the blood of old Barney! there'll be hot work to-night," snarled the outlaw. "I'd calculated the manhunters would go into camp for the night and instead they're searching with fire and torches!"
If the activity of the troopers alarmed Rogers and his pals, it raised the spirits of the scouts to the highest pitch of exultation and excitement. ”

“ In delight, all the cowboys, Hawks and even the suffering owner of the Double Cross ranch got to their feet and hastened to greet and get a glimpse of the man upon whose skill they were depending to send the spectral raider to his much-deserved doom. ”

“ Quickly obeying his master, Pedro jerked the scout to his side, then clapped spurs to his mount.
As the horse gained the trail, there was a volley of shells, one of which caught Shaw in the shoulder and another ploughed through his breeches, just escaping his thigh.
"Lucky there are no more of us," grinned the outlaw, as he hurriedly bound up Shaw's wound. "Even I shouldn't care about crossing that clearing again. You men at Fort Griswold shoot well, I'll say that much. But when you're on patrol, you act like kids." ”

“ Without saying a word of his intentions to his assistants, the owner of the Double Cross threw his rifle to his shoulder, took a hurried sight at the spectral form and pulled the trigger.
As the report rang out, the cowpunchers leaned forward in their saddles, watching the form intently.
To shoot at a ghost required more courage—in view of the traditions relating to ill-luck and curses such an act brought down upon the head of one so rash—than they possessed, and the cowboys fully expected some dire punishment to be instantly meted out to their boss. ”

“ Although posses were formed and troopers thrown on the outlaw's trail, he managed to evade them, though several times they got near enough to shoot at him. But, with that perversity of Fate which seems at times to guard and protect wrongdoers, bring suffering upon the honest, he escaped to his fortress on the rock-crowned mountain unscathed.
Yet, in his very hour of gloating, his nemesis was stalking him.
When they awoke the morning after Rogers' departure, Scotty sought out Rose.
"What claim has Red Rogers got on you, that you stick to him?" he demanded.
"No man has any claim on Rose Landon!" ”

“ Leaning far over their ponies’ necks, the men rode, searching out the plains in their effort to locate either their pals or the lone horseman. For they realized that unless they exerted the greatest care, they might, in their excitement, mistake their friends for the raider.
Mindful of this danger, and determined not to allow any more untoward incidents to mark the pursuit of the man who had tricked him and lifted his cattle, Bowser shouted:
“Nobody fire till after we’ve picked up Deadshot and Ki Yi. It would be just our luck to hit one of them instead of the cow thief.” ”

“ Not long did it take for the ranchmen and cowboys to mount and, with Slippery Nig riding to where he had left his pinto with Deadshot, they again took up the trail of the Midnight Raider.
Making all speed possible, scarce a word was spoken until they came in sight of the cell-honeycombed cliff looming in the distance.
“We leave um pony here,” exclaimed Nig, after taking a careful survey of the plains that he might get his bearings.
“But why? The catacombs must be all of five miles away,” protested Hawks.
“Sure. But Louie, him can see man on pony heap more easy than man in grass on foot.” ”

“ Glancing from girl to outlaw, he shifted uneasily.
"Shall I fetch him?" he finally demanded of his chief.
Breathlessly the others awaited Red's reply.
But, ere he could speak, there rang out a sharp "ping"—and a bullet flattened itself against the cliff above Rosie's head.
"Where's that from?" roared the desperado, wheeling.
One glance from the edge of the plateau answered him.
Seeming no bigger than ants, a file of men wound in and out among the rocks far below.
"It's the troopers! Quick, saddle up!" commanded the bandit. "They're shooting at such an angle they can't hit us here. ”

“ In the excitement, the manhunters poured volleys of lead at everything that moved, determined not to let the outlaw escape again.
But as the foremost of the pursuers gained the side of the disabled horses, they knew that they had been outwitted by the resourceful Rogers.
"He's fooled us!" yelled a trooper.
"What makes you think so?" demanded Lieutenant Fox, who was the first officer to reach the scene.
"Because the horses and their blankets are riddled with bullets," replied one of his men. "No person could have been on their backs and have lived." ”

“ To the man sinking to such a horrible death and to the others watching, it seemed as though the two cowboys never would reach him.
Yet they were making haste with all speed possible.
Already Bowser’s stirrups had been gripped in the relentless maw of the mudhole, and they realized that it would require all of their strength to draw him from the powerful and mysterious suction. ”

“ Several times, the member of the Star and Moon outfit had it on his tongue’s end to ask toward which point of the compass they were traveling, but his pride prevented and just as it seemed to them that they were going in a great circle, they were amazed to emerge from a clump of saplings and underbrush and behold the plains in front of them. ”

“ As their companion jumped to his feet, Shaw and Scotty did likewise, following him as he crept along the rock.
"What do you make of it?" queried the veteran of his fellow.
"Somebody's discovered us and is either trying to get away or to warn others," asserted Jennings, with positiveness.
"But how could any one see us in the shadow of the boulder?" demanded Scotty, resenting the indifference of his companions to his presence.
"Men who can travel these hills in the night, don't have to see a man to know he's around, they can smell him," returned Shaw. ”

“ The ranchman’s assertion that the spectre was of human invention and their foreman’s declaration that it was but a ruse to cover the raiding of the cattle, produced an instantaneous reaction upon the cowpunchers.
“By my saddle, you’re right!” assented Deadshot. “That’s what the trouble is. Somebody’s trying to lift the cattle. I’ve seen ’em started on a stampede too many times not to recognize the symptoms. And here we’ve been afraid of a spook, giving the thieving cusses just the chance they planned. Say, Sam, I wouldn’t blame you for sacking the whole kit and boodle of us!” ”

“ Shall we leave 'em?" inquired Pedro.
"Not much!" returned the outlaw, once more the calculating bandit whose resourcefulness was his greatest strength. "The troopers will be sure to come here, and if they find our prisoners, there'll be just three more against us."
"But we can put them out of the way," suggested the girl, her former compassion vanished.
"Sure, whenever we want. Just now, we need 'em. We'll each put one behind us. They'll serve as a bullet shield." ”

“ This assertion that the eerie spectre floating before their eyes was not the first one he had seen instantly claimed the ears of his companions, though they kept their gaze riveted on the apparition.
“What was that one like?” breathed Pinky.
“It was all lit up, like fire. The Piutes said it was a curse put out by their Medicine Man.”
“But how’d you manage to get away from the Injuns and escape the massacre?” inquired Sandy, in whom Deadshot’s tales of his experiences always aroused suspicion of their truthfulness. ”

“ But, to the amazement of the scouts, they were in a region of the "Bad Lands" never before seen by them.
For several minutes the notorious desperado watched the expressions on the faces of his prisoners as they vainly sought some familiar landmark that would give them an inkling as to their whereabouts.
"If I had time, I'd make a map of these hills and send it to the commandant at Griswold," he chuckled. "It's beyond reason to expect a Mounted Scout or any other soldier to catch a man in a country he don't know anything about. ”

“ Thoroughly aware of their quarry's resourcefulness, the colonel had struck upon the scheme of throwing out the great semi-circle of fire as an effective stop to the fugitives getting through to the North or West. The East needed no protection, for it was self-evident that the outlaw would not come out on the plains where capture was certain. Only the South—the direction from which the civil posses would come—would be left dark, for the reason that there were none among them who could read the heliograph signals. ”

“ Go West. Go South. Go North. Swamp not all burned. Nig know trail save um going clear out.”
“Say, isn’t it easy when you know the answer?” chuckled Ki Yi. “Deadshot, the best thing for you and me to do is to keep our mouths shut before we show Nig any more of our ignorance.”
And accordingly, the two cowboys held their peace while the aged scout guided his pony with infinite skill in and out among the death holes, turning so many times that neither of the men at his back were able to keep any idea of direction. ”