nce, but as he
whipped over the dump the earth opened up before him and he slipped
and stopped on the brink of a chasm. It was the caved-in stope, the
old glory-hole of the Paymaster, and it cut off his last escape. A
sudden sinking of the heart, a feeling of fate being against him, came
over him as he slunk along the bank; and then, as a path opened up
before him, he took the steep slope at a bound. Further on in the
darkness he saw the roof of the mill and the broken hummocks of the
dump; beyond lay the other trail and the open country and his car--and
the six-shooter--beyond! His feet seemed to fly as he dashed across
the level and breasted a sudden ascent and then on its summit as the
wind snatched him back someone struck him in full flight. "God!" he
cried, and fought himself free but the other clutched him again.

"Run!" she begged, and he knew it was Virginia, but he was in a panic
for fear of what was behind.

"No!" he cried, catching her roughly in his arms and starting the other
way, "there's a crazy man back there and----"

"No--no--no!" she clamored, bringing him to a halt with her struggles.
"The other way--can't you hear what I'm saying to you----" And then
Wiley saw the Widow.

She was standing on the dump with her shotgun raised and pointed, and he
hurled Virginia to one side.

"Don't shoot!" he yelled, but as he ducked and started to run, the
Widow's gun spoke out. A blow like that of a club struck his leg from
under him and he fell to the ground in a heap, but even in his pain he
remembered the presence which had followed with its head on one side.

"You danged fool!" he cursed as the Widow ran up to him. "Keep that
cartridge, whatever you do. There's a crazy man after me and----"

"I see him!" shrieked the Widow, making a dash for the bank with her gun
at her hip for the shot. "You git, you dastard!" she shrilled into the
darkness and once more the old shotgun roared forth.

"Oh, mother!" wept Virginia, throwing her arms about Wiley, and
attempting to raise him up. "Oh, look what you've done--it's Wiley
Holman--and now I hope you're satisfied!"

"You bet I'm satisfied!" answered the Widow, exultingly. "That other
fellow was Stiff Neck George!"

CHAPTER V

A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT

Since he had turned back, far out on the desert, and braved the storm to
inspect the Paymaster Mine, Wiley Holman had met nothing but disaster;
but as he lay on the ground with one leg full of buckshot he bl