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About Oregon City enterprise. (Oregon City, Or.) 1891-194? | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 1914)
ORHOON (MTY ENTKKPItlNK. KIM DAY. IMTOIIKIt HJ. I'M I. Oh Record. Show Trail of Booze air upsrlntsnJsnta f Hate fnatltaj. Huns Units In Datlarlna, lt!.M of Liquor. . fts By Louis Joseph Vance CHAPTER XXXVI. Across the plain purpl shadow were isseptng, close-ranked. Ilk torn tut dark army Invading lb land, jyrartng oq over tb rwmpart of moua tains In tb iuL Within tb rtra of bill tint ringed th plala Ilk tb chlppod and broken flange of a titanic eaurer. alienee broodsd and oll(u4 bold dwarfing tb town or Detail tbat oc ! cup led tb approilmat mlddl of tb sagebrush wast, to proportion even Ism significant tbaa might b Inferred. from tb candor of Ita christening. A platform, a tdtng water task. Wall Fargo cflc end telegraph and ticket omca, backed by three rough frwm building; tbat ta Deull Item tt4 completely. Shortly after nightfall lb steel rib. boca of lb Santa F began to bom, A headlight perd auspiciously round a boulder of th eastern rani, took heart of conrax to And tb plain itlU wrapped la peace, and trudged stolid. 1 toward Detail, tb engine who era It u pulling after It a itrlng of freight can. both fiat and box. At Jfetall tb train pauied. Ita crew alighted and engaged In ani mated argument Detail gathered tbat the excitement wa due to lb unae cour table disappearance of the ca booee; none aeemed to bar any no tion aj to bow it could bar broken loot; yet mlaalog It conspicuously was. In tb pan tbat followed, wbtle a report wa telegraphed to headtjuar tei. and Instructions returned to pro ceed without delay, one of tb train men spied a boylab figure lurking la the open door of an empty box car. Cunningly boarding thl car from th oppoalte aide, tb trainman caught the akulker unaware and booted htm Taloglorloualy Into the night Aa tb figure alighted and took to ita heels, loalcg ltaelf In the darkness. It uttered a cry of pained aurprlae and proteat which drew a wrinkle of aa tonlahment between tb brows of the trainman. "Sounded like a woman' voice." be maaed; then dlamliaed the suggestion aa obTlouily absurd. It was not . . . Shortly after the freight train had gone on Ita way before. Indeed, the glimmer of Ita rear light had been loet among tbe weitern bill a sec ond headlight appeared In the east, wept swiftly across the plain and In turn stopped at Detail The second blrd-of-passage proved to be i locomotive drawing a single car a Pullman. Hardly had It run past the switch, however, when the brakeman dropped down, ran quickly back to the switch and threw It open. Promptly the train backed on to the aiding. Aa the Pullman jolted arroM the frogs tbe brakeman. Interposing him self between It and tbe tender, re leased the coupling. By the time that the Pullman bad come to a full stop on the siding, the locomotive was swinging westward like a scared Jackrabbit though no such milk-and-watery characterization of tbe traitor passed the lips of any one of the three men who presently appeared on the Pullman's platform and shook Impotent fists In the direc tion taken by the fugitive engine. When the ln6t of these had run tern- iuimHIi. mi et Yimi t K n ri r? hluonhamv " a brief silence fell, punctuated by groans from each, and concluded by tun sound of a voice calling from the Interior of the car a voice as strange ly sonorous of tone as it was curiously querulous of accent. The three men Immediately ran back Into the car and presented themselves with countenances variously apolo getic, to one who occupied a corner of the drawing room: a man wrapped In a steamer rug and a cloud of fury. Now when be had drained the muddy froth of profanity from his ten per it left a clear and effervescent well of virulent humor: the wrath of the valetudinarian began to vent itself upon the hapless heads of the trio who stood before him. While this was in process, the person of boyish appearance, who had been keeping religiously aloof and In conspicuous in the background of De tail ever since that unhappy affair with the trainman, stole quietly up to the . rear of the stalled Pullman, climbed aboard, and creeping down the aisle unceremoniously Interrupted the conference just as tbe Invalid was polishing off a rude but honest opinion of the intellectual caliber of one of tbe three named Marrophat, who figured as his right-hand man and familiar genius. "Amen to that!" the boyish person ejaculated with candid fervor, loung lag gracelessly in the doorway, "There's many a true word spoken in, wrath, Mr. Marrophat. Father forgot only one thing your masterly way with a revolver. From what I've seen of that, this day, I'll go bail that the only safe place for a man you pull a gun on is right in front of the muzzle. There's something downright uncanny In the way you can hit anything but what you aim at!" "Judith!" exclaimed the ' Invalid. "Where did you drop from?" "From that freight," Judith ex plained carelessly, neglecting to eluci date the exact fashion of her drop. "I Judged you'd be along presently, and thought I'd like to learn the news. Well what luck?" Her father shrugged with his one movable shoulder. Mr. Marrophat grunted Indignantly. The others shuf fled uneasily and looked all ways but one at the girl in man's clothing. "None?" Judith interpreted. "You ioat mean to tell me that after I had taken atl that trouble call tb ti ! to tb middle uf tn-etl at th rUk of my life yut I didn't hat th nerve to go through i with tbe bustne!" "We went through with It all right." j rrjlirj Marshal defenalrely; 'but! aa utual, they were loo quick fr tie. j They Jumped out and dropped off th trestle before our engine bit th ca. bo,. V arcs bed that to kindling wood but they got away ut la time to mix tb crash. And by tb time we bad stopped and calmed down the engineer well. It wa dark and no way of telling which way they bad run." - Th girl started to (peak, but merely dropped limp band at her side and rulM ber ye helplessly, "W do our beat," Marrophat ob served. "We can't b blamed If something somehow always hap pens to tip th other off." Tbe girl swung to far blm with biasing eye. "Just what doe that mean?" she demanded In a dangerous tote. Marrophat lifted bis shoulder. "Nothing much," be allowed. "I am only thinking bow atrang It W that Mr. Law cant be caught by any sort of stratagem when you are on tb Job, M!s Judith!" Tb girl's band were clenched Into fists, whit knuckle showing through the flesh. "You contemptible puppy!" she snapped. . . . Dut on this ber vole failed; for ber tye traveled past th person of Mr. Marrophat to th doorway of th draw ing room and found It framing a stranger. "Excuse me, friends," he offered In a laxy, semi-humorous drawl. "It pains me considerable to butt In on this happy family gathering, but business 1 business, same as usual, and I got to ast you-all to please put up your bands!" "What do you wantr the Invalid de manded. "Why." drawled the bandit "nothing In particular only your cash. Shell out. If you please gents all and the lady, too." He ran an appreciative glance down the figure which Judith's disguise revealed rather than con cealed. "If youll pardon my takln ca-1 . .. . .. I "v in a inousasn account.-aja ...1... - ..... . ... um uiuer, ana ;r saying you ii par ma nineteen thousand mors) In x chang for It and ous dead man, prop rly Identified a th on yo waul signed by yoe and your man's aa good as dead ibis minute, providing hew In riding distance of this bar i car." Trio waved bis band at his aecrw- tary. "Jimmy, find a thousand dollar for thl gentleman. Make out tb paper b Indicate for the balanco, and 111 sign 1L" "Ain't you powerful trustful, Mr. Trine? How do you know I'll do any thing more'n pocket that thousand and tad delicately away." "My daughter and this gentleman, Mr. Marrophat. wtll accompany you," "Ob, that's tb way or It. Is It T "Name?" Interjected th secretary, writing busily with tb top of bl ah tacb case for a dealt. "Blade," said tbe bandit. "Jamesj Blade." Again Trine punctured th at mosphere with bis Index finger. "Tb man who Uf I want is named Alan, Law. II Is running away with my daughter, Rose, accompanied by a per son named Iiarcua, disguised a a Pull man porter" "Tb three of them having recent' escaped from a train wreck up yondor on tb trestle?" Hop! Jim Interposed, "You'v met them?" Judith demand ed, whirling round. "About an hour ago, or mayb an. hour and a half." Hopl Jim replied, "a good way down th road. They stopped and ast where they could get put up fer the night. I kindly directed them on to Mesa, down In the Painted bilk yonder. fight, th girl maneuvered bar hor to th sld of Hopl Jltu. and then drvpped bark, permitting Marrophat to lead tb way with Tela. A deliberately ahe set herself Ca work upon tb bandit suscepllblllt to ber charnia. Within an hour ah had him ready to do anything to win ber smile. In that first rush of golden day s Ihwart tb land, tb party came quietly into tb town of Mesa, riding slowly In cloud of dust and profanity, and da parted In search of a mount to replace tb bors that bail been shot under htm; and Judith sat ber bora calmly, smiling sweet Insoletir Into tb ia perated countenance of Marrophat Incidentally th fugitive disap peared round a bend In the road that led directly Into th wild and barren heart of tb Painted hill. In tb brief Interval that elapsed b jfh edge, threw himself fiat and swor bitterly, with an accent of grievance, I s he rose. Prom th canyon below a dull noise ; uf galloping hoofs advertised touplalD jly Hi failure of tbetr attempt. And Hopl Jim turned bark only to find Judith mounted, reining tier bora jlu belwevn blm and Marrophat, aud 1 prepared lo glv emphasl to what h 'bad to say with an automatic pletol for hi return with Hop! Jim. Marro- lliat nestled snugly In her palm. fder Ibat tb noise of their approach ' t'hat contrived lo persuade th bandit " ttioinent Mr. Htade," she sug that Judith bad been, at least tndl rectly, responsible for th catastrophe, with th upshot thai, temporarily blinded to her fascination by tb glit ter of nineteen thousand dollar In lb near distance, Mr. Hlad maintained bis) distance and a deaf ear lo ber blandishment. Th only Information munlty. th half way station between 1 as to tbetr purpose that alio was abl tb railroad and th mintnr ramna ! lo extract from either man. when th secreted In th fastnesses of the Paint pursuing party turned aside from th j edge of th consequence. Mr. Marro ed hills camp now abandoned, their ' niatu trail, some distance from Mesa, pbat will enlighten you If you hav very name almost fadod out of th j was that Hopl Jim knew a short cut through the range, via what h termed th upper trail, by which they hoped, are well advlaed. you will turn back lo b able to bead the fugitive off be- , and report failure to my father. might not warn the fugitives, who , Hop! asserted confidently would still b sound aaleep In the accommoda tion offered by tb town's on hotel j It wss to b termed a town only la courtesy, thl Mesa: a straggling , street of shack, ramshackle relics of , what had one been a promising com- gested evenly. "Just moment before you break th sad new In Mr. Marro phat. l' something to ay that bend your attention likewise, your respect. It la this: I am parting comny with you and Mr. Marrophat. I am riding on toward lb west, by this trail. If either of you car lo follow in" th automatic flashed ominously In lb sun glare "It will b with full know! CHAPTER XXXVII. Flrwplay. Contented with the promise of a thousand dollars advance on his con tract, providing he returned with horses within a stipulated time, Mr, Hopl James Slade drifted quietly away Into the desert night Well content, persuaded that tha morrow's sun would never set upon a world tenanted by one Alan Law, that monomaniac, Seneca Trine, forgot his recent 111 temper and set himself dlplo- . - - V- . rr. i. Marrophat at Her Elbow to Egg Her On. notice," he amended. "Perhaps I wouldn't If the lady's clothes didn't fit her so all-fired quick!" "Keep a civil tongue In your bead, my man!" Judith counseled, without any show of fear. At the same time her father's voice brought her to her senses. "Judith! Be quiet Let trie deal wWi this gentleman. I am sure we can come to eome arrangement." "You bet your life," agreed the gen tleman as the girl mutinously stepped back. "I know what I want, and you all know you got It: so tbe name of tbe said arrangement Is Just 'shell out.' " "One minute," the Invalid Inter posed. "Don't misunderstand me: I guarantee you shall be amply satis fled. I give you my word the word of Seneca Trine." Tbe eyes of the bandit widened. "No? Is that so? Seneca Trine, the railroad king? Sure's you're born you're him: I've seen your picture In the papers a dozen times. Well, now, It looks like I'd drawn a full house to this pair of deuces, don't It? You ought to be able to pay something handsome " 'I'll pay you far more handsomely than you dream of If you'll do as I wish," Trine interrupted quickly. "Do me the service I wish and name your price: whatever it is, you shall have It!" "Nothing could be fairer'n that!" the two-gun man admitted suspicious ly. "But what's the number of this here service like you call it?" Lieten to me." Trine bent his head forward and Jabbed the air with an emphatic forefinger. "What's the life of a man worth In this neck of the woods?" "How much you got?" "Ill pay you ten thousand dollars for tbe life of the man I will name." Tbe eyes of the bandit narrowed. "Hold on, my friend: Is that what you call my naming my own price?" "Name it, then," said Trine. matically to adjust the differences be tween bis daughter, Judith, and hie first lieutenant, Marrophat. It was no facile task: Marrophat could not be trusted to work with a single mind because of his infatuation for Judith; Judith could no more be trusted faithfully to serve out her vow to bring Alan Law to her father's feet, alive or dead, because 0 cruel Irony of Fate! she herself had fallen In love with that same man whose death she had pledged herself to cotnpase. Only when, as now, half mad with Jealousy, determined to see Alan dead rather than yield him to tbe woman he loved, her siBter, might Judith be counted upon to serve her father in his lust for vengeance as he would be served and even so not without Mar rophat at ber elbow to egg her on through her resentment of his surveil lance. Neither could be trusted, In deed, to work alone to the desired con summation; for Trine had secret rea son to fear lest Marrophat might, given opportunity, connive at Alan's escape In order that he might marry Rose and so throw Judith back into his, Marrophat's, arms. Poor, deluded fool! Such was the private comment of Marrophat's master. For all that, it was the man and not his daughter, whom Trine designated to lead the expedition, cunningly counting on Judith's chagrin to work upon her passions and excite her to one lat, mad, blind attempt that should prove successful. Smiling his secret smile, Trine an nounced his decision at the last mo ment, while Hopl Jim waited with bis horses and an assistant one Texas for whose utter innocen5e of scruplea Mr. Slade unhesitatingly vouched. Sullenly submissive, at least In out ward seeming, Judith bowed to this de cision, marched out of tbe car, and suffered Marrophat to help ber mount her horse. Now, deliberately, as the little caval cade rode through the mgonllt desert memory of mankind. Midway In this string of edifice tha hotel stood a rough, unpalnted, wood en edifice, mainly veranda and bar loom as to Ita lower floor. Jealously Judith watched th win dows of tha second floor: and she alon of th four detected th fac that bowed for one brief Instant well back In th shadow beyond one of tb bed room window a face that glimmered momentarily with the pallor of a ghost' against th background of that obscurity, and then was gone. Her eyes alone, Indeed, could hav recognlied tha features of Alan Law In tbat fugitive glimpse. Two sentence exchanged between Hopl Jim and a blvareyed fellow whom b roused from sodden slumber beblud th bar sealed their confidence with conviction: the three fugitive were In fact guest of tbe house, oc cupying two of th three room that, composed It upper story. In th rush that followed up tha narrow stairway, Judith led with such spirit that not even Marrophat sus pected her revolver was poised solely with Intent to shoot from bis hand bla own revolver th Instant be leveled It at a human target. Closed and locked doors confronted them; and their summons educed no response; while the first door, when broken In by a whole-souled kick, dis covered nothing more satisfactory . than an empty room, Its bed bearing the Imprint of a woman's body, but that woman gone. j From the one window, looking down the side of the house. Texas announced i that the woman had not escaped by ; Jumping out ! So It seemed that the three must have had warning of their arrival, after all; and presumably were now herded together In the adjoining room, which looked out over the veranda roof, waiting In fear and trembling for the assault that must soon comm and In tact Immediately did. ! But it met with more stubborn re- eiBtunce thnn hud been anticipated. , The door had been barricaded from within re-enforced by furnlturo placed against it Four minutes and the united efforts of four men (Includ ing the bleary loafer of the barroom) were required to overcome its Inert re sistance. But even when It was down, the room was found to bo as empty as the first Only the fingers of two bands grip I ping the edge of the veranda root showed the way the fugitives had i flown; and these vanished Instantly as I the room was Invaded. Followed a swift rush of boots down I the dusty street, and a chorus of bias ; phemy In tho hotel hallway: for Ju j dlth had headed the concerted rush i for the staircase and contrived to block It for a full half minute by pre- tending to stumble and twist ankle. any doubt of my ability lo lak car of myself lu such affair a thl. If you for they could gain the desert on th far side of tha hill. Only at long Intervals did they draw rein lo permit Hop! Jim lo niak re connolsoanr of th lower trail that threaded th valley on the far lid of tb ridge. Toward noon b returned In bast from lha last of these surveys scrambling recklessly down th moun taln-sldo and throwing himself upon his horse with tho advice: "We've headed 'em can mak tt now If w rid like atl get-out!" For half an bour mor they pushed on at th best speed to be obtained from their weary animal, at length drawing rein at a point where tb trail crossed tb ridge and widened out upon a long, broad ledg that over hung th valley of th lower trail, with a clear drop lo tb latter from th brink of a good two hundred feet On hasty look back and down Into the valley evoked a gruat of satisfac tion from Hopl Jim. "Just In time," he asseverated. I'Hera they cornel Ten minute mor . , His smile answered Marrophat' with unspeakable cruel significance. "Texas will sleep better tonight when he knows how I've squared tha deal for blm!" the bandit declared. "What are you going to do?" Judith demanded, reining her horse In besldo Marrophat aa the latter dismounted. A gesture drew her attention to a huge boulder poised Insecurely on the very lip of the chusm. "Were going to tip that over on your friends, Miss Judith!" Marrophat replied, with a smack of relish In bis . voice. "Slmplu neat edlclout eh? I What more cun you ask?" I She answered only with an Irreprcss- : llilo K'sturo of horror. Marrophiit's laugh followed her un sho turned away i For some moments sho strained her ! vision vainly, endeuvorlng to peno- trato the turbulent current of super I heated air that filled the valley. Then ho made out Indistinctly tint faintly marked lino of tho lower trail; nnd Immediately sho caught a gllmimo of three small figures, mounted, tolling painfully toward the point where death ; awaited thum like a bolt from tho bluu. ) Hastily sho glanrcil over-shoulder: Hopl Jim and Marrophat, Ignoring hor, ! were straining thenmelves against the boulder without budging It an Inch, for all Kb apparent nicety of polso. For I an Instant a wild hopo flushed through her mind, but It was Immt'dlntely ex l orclsed when Hopl Jim stopped back ' and uttered a few words of which only I two "dynamlto" and "fuse" reached her ears. Kneeling besldo the boulder he dug busily for an Instant, then lodged tho .il.l. . LI.. .!.. .1 ,t. , buck lu uih nuiimuciion, uuuciieu UlU 1 fuse, and breaking off, edged on hie 1 1 1 . . . . I. ,1 l. . llfV .. .1 In spite of that alleged Injury, sha ,l" uu" , " 11 "' "u never limped, and wasn't a yard be- ; ok?d carefully calculating tho hind the first who broke from the 'l'""1 of 'ho ,UB, ' U' dlH "nce hotel to the open, nor yet appreciably behind blm in vaulting to saddle. Well up the road a cloud of smoky dust half obscured the shapes of three, who rode for their very lives. The pursuit was off In a twinkling and well bunched Marrophat's mount leading by a nose, Judith second, Hopl Jim and Texas but little In the rear. And In the first rush they seemed to gain; moment by moment they drew up on the flying cloud of dust. Judith heard an oath muttered be side her and saw Marrophat Jerking a, revolver from Its holster. The weapon swept up and to a level; but as tho hammer fell, Judith's horse caromed heavily against tho other, swinging It half a dozen feet aside, and deflecting the bullet hopelessly. Tho shock of collision woa so great that Marrophat kept his seat with dif ficulty. He turned toward Judith a; face livid with rage. Simultaneously, as If taking the shot as the signal for a fusillade, Judith saw Alan lean back over hie horse's rurnp and open fire. An instant later his companion, Bar-, cus, imitated his example. In immediate consequence, Texas dropped reins, slumped forward over the pommel, wabbled weakly In his saddle for a moment, then losing the stirrups, pitched headlong to the ground; while Hopl Jim's horse stopped short, precipitating bis rider overhead, and dropped dead. CHAPTER XXXVIII. The Upper Trail. In the ten minutes' delay necessi tated by this reverse, a number of more or less Innocent bystanders picked up tbe man Texas and carried him off to breathe his last beneath a roof; Hopl Jim picked himself up, brushed his person tolerably clear of tho party down below from the spot where tbe rock must fall. But while he was so engaged and Marrophat aided him, all eager inter I est, Judith was taking advantage of their disregard of her. Hurriedly unbuttoning her Jacket, she whipped a playing cafd from her pockot, a trey o' hearts, and with tho stub of a pencil scribbled three words on its face "Danger! Go back I" Then finding a small, flatfish bit of rock, eho bound the card to It with a bit of string; and with one more backward glance to make sure sho was not watched, approached the brink. Hopl Jim was meticulously shorten lng the fuse, Marrophat knoellng by his side. In the canyon below the throe were within two minutes of the danger j point. It was no trick at all to drop the ! stone so that It fell within a dozen feet of the leading horseman, j She saw him rein In suddenly, dls I mount, cast a look aloft, then dismount ' and pick up the warning. As the others Joined him, he de tached the card and showed It to them. ' ' At tho same time Hop! Jim and Mar rophat Jumped up and ran back, each seizing and holding bis horse by nose and bridle. Constrained to do likewise lest she lose her mount, Judith waited with a lightened heart . . . ( The explosion smote dull echoes from the flanks of tbe Painted hill, all drowsing In the noon-day bush: the boulder teetered reluctantly on tbe brink, then disappeared with a tear ing sound followed by a rush of earth and gravel; a wide gap appeared In the brink of tbe trail Leaving Marrophat to hbld the two frightened horses while th girl soothed her own, tbe bandit ruahad to till nodded curtly and swung bar horse round. "And what shall I tell your father from you?" Marrophat demanded harply. "What you please," 111 girl replied, flashing an Impish smile overshoulder. "Hut, since when I part company with you, 1 part with blm as well for all of in, you may lull blm to go lo tb devil!" "Well." Mr. Marrophat admitted con fidentially to Mr. Blade, "I'm damned!" "And that ain't all." Mr. Hlad con fided In Mr. Marrophat, whipping out bis own revolver: "You're being bald up, too. I'll take those gun of your n, friend, and what else you've got about you that's uf value. Including your boss and wbsn you get back to old man Trine you can Juat tell him, with my best compliment, that l'v quit lb Job and lit out after tbat daughter of bla'n. She' a heap sight more attrac tive than nineteen thousand dollar, and Dot halt so hard lo earn I" CHAPTER XXXIV. inir.imn hit, Wf. tM. J,. (r , ltr of id Knierprisei-1 ,ft . lopli-s of a liuiidlM of li.tiirt hi.l surely throw aom light ,, ' imiiilal side of III "wef ,. j , . question, ' Halelii, June f (j.. 'Hear Hlr: Your letter i , J' ten baa iee referred U Will slate the reo.nls slmw n,.. Ian year pfeXoos lo l..( w C 1 per rent of the r..ii,, . i eln Inlil llirlr IroilM.f. in i.. , , , h.l.lt I ml.1,1 ..I.I ii,., . . ' "rl"" . . i i.. i....... .... " ' are relumed for ilruiiiiikl( llespei Ifiillr tinira r. II. MMiN,i(,Ml( Parole Officer, Htale peiii...i. . leni, ill." from Oregon Stats Training Faleni, June I'j, 'hear Hlr. I believe am sal. 'a, latins thai 7I pern nt uf our t-r, . hn. lirelly or Indirectly, owiol he fact thai their homes bate L rent Burnt Finger. One ah had lost touch with ber fa ther's creature, th girl drew rein and went on mor slowly and cau tiously. llolow her, In the valley, th lower trail wound It facile way. Prom time to tlm ah could discern upon aom naked stretch of Its lungth a cloud of dust, or perhaps thrvu mounted fig ures, scurrying madly on with fear of death snnpplng at their heels. It was within an hour of midnight. a night bell-clear and bitter cold on the heights, and bright with moon light, when Alan'e party nindo Its last pause and camped to rest against the dnwn, unconsi ton of the fact that, a quarter of n mllu nh ivo them, on th upper trull, a lonely woman pnused when they paused nnd imidn her own lump on the edKi of u sharp declivity. The level sluiflR .f the rUIng sun aunkeued her. She tut tip, P:IL' I her eyvH, yawned, it''c!i',l luuLs stiff tv!th tint hurdnlilli o( ulnoplng on UU i lilliiR, sun-baked earth and of sudden itarted up, surprlf-d by tho grntlng of footsteps on the earth be hind her. Huforo she could turn, however, sho was catiKht and wrapped In tho arms of Hopl Jim. She mustered all hor strength and wits nnd will for one Inst struggl and In a frenzied moment managed to break his hold a trlfln, enough to en nhln her to snatch at tho pistol hnng tig from her belt and present It at his head. But It exploded harmlessly, spend lug Its bullet on tho blue of tha morn' ng sky. Tho bandit caught her wrist n tlmu, thrust It nsldo nnd subjected It to such cruel pressure and such sav- ago wrenchlngs that the pletol dropped from lingers numbed with pain. And now all hint of mercy left his oycB; remained only tho glare of rngo. Ho put forth all bis strength In turn, and Judith was as a child In his hands. In half a mlnuto ho had her helpless, In as much time more her back was breaking across his knee, whllo he bound her with loop after loop of hie rawhido lariat. Then, leaving hor momentarily supine on the ground, Hopl Jim caught and unhohhled her horse, aud without troubling to saddlo it, lifted tho girl to its back, and placed her thoro, face upward, catching her bunds and foot, as they fell on either flank of the ani mal, with more loops of that unbreak able rawhido, nnd deftly placing the master knot of the hitch that bound this human pack well beyond possi bility of her reach. She panted a prayer for mercy. He laughed in her fane, bent aud kissed her brutally, and stepped back laugh ing to admire his handiwork , . . Thus ho stood for an Instant be tween the horse and tho edge of the declivity, a fair mark, stark against the Bky, for one who stood in the vai loy below, holding bis rlflo with eager fingers, waiting for Just such oppor tunity with tbe same Impatience with which he bad waited for It ever since the noise of debris kicked over the edge by the - struggling man and woman had drawn his attention to what was going on above. Alan pressed the trigger and the shot sounded clear In tbe morning stillness, Judith saw a look of ag grieved amazement cross the face of Hopl Jim Blade. Then he threw hi hands out, clawed blindly at the air, staggered, reeled against the horse's flank so heavily that It shied in fright, and abruptly hot faqm tight over the edge of the biuft, Hunted ,y the use of liitoih tu llquois. ' .Most of our boys range let, eu iv. agia of ti n and a lghliMn, the nrnn elng anoiit lourtei ii; so there sr spa u mora tlian a omen waidt ta he si In hi win) have personally ret racted the drink hahll. (if coUi moat were boru with the crating fur liquor caused by the rieesalin lixlulg. em a of the purvuts. 'Hoping for the success of tlm gou dry' movement, I remain. "Very truly yours. Wll.l. H. II.VI H Hupt. Oregon Htalo Ttaliilng h, ld hah in, Oregon. From Oregon Infirmary, "t'oqullle, Ore., June 17, 'ti. "ler Hlr; Yours of rvxrni dat at hand. In reply I would say that near ly all the paupers lu this Institution have roinn here from drink, and ih balance that coin here come frillu (n, fact that the liquor drinking frletid falls to provide for tli.iu. I.i.por drinking plays th great part In smil ing linn, women and chlldrtn lor.i. The children of drinkers. In nine raws out of ten, are the oiira to come here. I leiualll, reaMi Ifully yours "AI.I.KN Mcl.Ktlll. "Hopl. 1'oos County Itiflrtuary." On Mora From Poor Farm. Illllslx.ro. ore.. July lo. l'j(. lear Hlr: Idx elviil your Icttif t. (erday In regard to the liquor piling any part In sending Inmates to thes farm. "Will say I have known of this for ten year, and )i per rent of Inmate are here and have been sent In re (rum liquor one way or another. They ht lioetl liquor users all their lives from their history. Yours respectfully, "ClltKNCK YOl'.Vi. "Hupt. Washington t'ounty poor parm." . The "lrln Mirror" la responsible, for the statement Ihul It cost Orcom two million dollars annually ( J.'.utM,. uou) to keep up ber prisons. Jails, In sulin asylums, nnd criminal courts. It's w ill add to this tho upkeep ' ihu va rious Institutions for tho poor '. do pendent, and wo aro considerable un der the mark In snylng thut they cost tho stiitu two million dollars a )'enr. It only 6i) per cent of this Is dim to drink It iiieuns (hut drink costs Oregon di rectly f I.NH.OUO per year. This real ly Is on underestimate, hoes It pny to outlay ll.'Jim.nod III order to collect tlm :iOu.niMI reveniiii that the llquor forccs shout so loudly nhout? Would It not l'i better policy to lone the $ UHI,. nun nml Mit'i l.::uo.nin In so doing? l ot w"il ; a dry state materially cut d.i.wi crime nnd poverty Tho l'JU report of the Kaunas Male hoard of control kIvcn tho following Hcnrcs. I'D like the Kaunas figures IhhiiciI 1 the whisky ring you ran verify my figures liy seudlui; to the office of the state hoard of control at Topi-Ku. Tlm hoard li.Blirs tlm followiliK flKlires. Hurlng i!n: Mi counties had no Insulin. II counties hud hut olio Iiimiui each. (Kansas linn 1(15 counties). Ml counties had no feelilo minded, in: counties had no habitual drunk ards. yj counll-s had no paupers. 11 counties had no poorhoiiHia. Didn't need them. r.;i counties have had no prtxniicrs In their Jails for the year. li.'i couniloH hnvo sent no primmer to tho pen for tho year. Does It not pny to ho dry? The International Year Hook Is con ceded to hn tho most accurate work of Its kind. Tho 1913 vvar book, recently Issued gives the financial slnlo of each commonwealth to .Inn. 1, l'.M.'l. Iet us compare Its figures for dry Kansas Willi those for wet Missouri. Jumiiiry I, 1013, Kansas slate treasury con tained a baliinco on hand of fl.2Sft.203. Missouri bad a biilnnco of fi37,Mi ess than half that of lis dry icli;hlr- Hut nolo further: while tlm bonded In dohtctlnesH of tho state of Kanxau ! but :i70,0(ifl, Hint of Its wot neighbor s $ l'lS,N,'in. This Is what tho saloons huvo done for Missouri u prelly c pciiHlvii luxury! "Hut see nil tho men who will W thrown out of work!" Thoro are ' lii!),!)l!7 Invested In breweries In Off gon. Wero that sum Invested In ' mills, or In paper mills, or In via" mills, or In foundries, or In ciirfV works It would mean employment HH men, earning inoo.ROO " wmm. A It Is tho breweries employ but U4 torn. Ily having 2.4(I9.B27 t lad up In making liner CIO men are robbod of a Job, and the worklnKinen are robbed over liur..- 000 B year in waes uy inu ooo.u iru'i Does It pay? For ono dollar spent on boer the workman gets 7 cents, and the farmer gets 10 cents. For $1.00 spent on bread the workman Rets 1(5 conls, o"d tho farmer Rots 37 cents. Which l- ustry would you rather support, Mr. Working man? Which pays you besi. Mr. Fanner? For booze lo nose, as nn economic ne cessity Is as absurd ns for Jack John son to pose as nn exponent of de cency. Hlncotvly yours. W. T, MILL! KEN, Keep Your Stomach and Liver Healthy A vigorous Stomach, perroct worm" .Ivni- nnH raoiilfu. flptlnrr HoWClS 1B guaranteed If you will i)so Dr. Klng' New T.lfo iMlln Thev Insure good In gestion, correct Constipation and have an excellent tonlo effect on the whole system Purify your blood and rid of all body poisons through the Hot els. Only 20c, at your Druggist O o oe continued )