The Trail of the White Mule

failed to discover, and get something to eat. Barney would probably be worrying about him, though there was a chance that a

believed he was dead; but a brief search told Casey that two of the largest canteens were gone, together with a side of bacon, some flour and al

ing, overhauled what was left of their outfit, cached the remainder in a clump of bushes, and wearily climbed the bluff

For with a canteen or two of water, some food and his two capable legs to carry him, Casey Ryan could have made it to Barstow easily enough. But because he was Casey Ryan, a

ng down upon a somnolent wilderness blanketed with hushed midnight. "If it thinks it's got Casey whipped

tryin' to talk. Seems kinda funny; an' that old lady rockin' an' lookin'-seems like her an' the Joshuay has kinda throwed in together, hopin' somebody might

built cunningly far back in the crevice where a current of air sucked into the rock capping of the butte. Something was going on up here that shouldn't go on. He did not know what it was, but he meant to stop it. He did

led, efficient prospector's pick he had thoughtfully included in his meagre equipment. Slowly and methodically he worked up the cr

was on his back where it belonged, and even Barney could have followed him. Yet the top showed no evidence of a wi

eemed at first sight; a hidden place with no evident opening save that high, small window under the eaves. There was no sign of pathway leading to it, no trace o

ter all, capable of moving. Now her head was not bent, but rested against

e continued to rock and to stare at the wall; if she heard the tapping she gave no sign whatev

ly the notched unevenness of the butte's rim and how just behind him it narrowed unexpectedly to a thin ridge not more than a couple of hundred yards in breadth. A jagged outcropping cut straight across and Casey saw how yest

ould the deep canyon that had bitten into the butte and caused that narrow peak. Trees blocked his view there, and he was

there, before I

the meanest looking man on earth, pointing straight at h

planting his feet full in the old man's stomach. The meanest looking man on

s hands, another heavy body landed upon Casey's back. Casey felt a hard, chill circle pressed against his

obeyed. His captor shifted the gun muzzle to the back of Case

'im light on yuh fer? Why couldn't you a stood b

hen applied to the person by an unfriendly hand. Casey did not at once see the intruder. But presently "Paw" recovered himself and his shotgun, and swung it

ger off'n that trigger whilst you're

-" Casey heard himself called many names, any one

eath-he looks like he could cut loose a few of them pet names hisself if he got a chancet. Yuh might te

"Talk to Paw," he advised contemptuously. "The two of yuh may possibly be able t

Beyond. But, being very nearly what Casey had called th

gets back, Paw," the long-jawed youth suggested, when he

e's so damned techy lately-what we oughta do is bust 'is h

r they moved, he swore, he could hear their brains rattle in their skulls. It doesn't take brains to shoot straight, and he decided that the lanky young man was the one who had shot from the rim-rock. They drove him down into the narrow, deep gulch, following a steep tr

acco industriously and maintained a complete silence while Hank, frequently telli

workin' for ain't at home. We're lookin' for 'im back any day now, an' we'll just hold yuh till he co

airly long one, he noticed, with drifts opening out of it to left and right. At the end of the main tunnel,

n rock?" he a

ebbe I ain't," Case

any loafin' around this camp, and spies never meant good to nobody. Yuh nee

e would still be the old man with the shotgun, and he admitted that he was curious about the old woman who rocked and rocked. He decided to wait awhile and see, why these m

. Joe remained always on guard, eyeing Casey suspiciously. When at last he was permitted to pick up his coat and leave the tunnel, night had fallen so that the gulch was dim and shadowy. Casey was conducted to a dugout cabi

dishes which he set in a bake pan for want of a tray. He add

oss, huh?" Casey inquired boldly

retorted glumly. "The old man's pretty sore at the

d himself bitterly, were capable of any crime-from smashing a man's skull and throwing him off the rim-rock to starving him to death. He was Case

ture and sat down with them. In spite of Joe's six-shooter laid handily upon the table besi

was cleared and Hank set about washing the dishes, Casey picked up a grimy dish towel branded black in places where it had rubbed sooty kettles, and grinned cheerfully at Paw

observed suddenly. "Yuh wa'n't lost-yuh ain't got the ma

untin' mountain sheep,

tittered Hank. "Wish you'd give me a swaller uh t

g eye at Hank. "You're too late, young feller. I

erved that Paw looked at Joe inquiringly, and that Joe

zarded hopefully. "Yuh p

raised in a country where they took fools out an' brained 'em with an axe. You fellers ain't been no

Joe returned darkly. "Your act

faces. I come up here to find out who's been gittin' busy with a high-power on my camp down below. Ain't it natural a man'd want to know who'd shot his two burros-an' 'is pardner?" Casey had impulsively decided to throw in Barney for good measu

nk leered "when stuck m

n' Hank, they was up here huntin' burros an I caught yuh up a tree spyin'. We got a little band uh antelope up here we're

ss'll shore have t' look into it when he gits here. Lucky we made up our minds t' hold yuh-a murderer, like

Barney dead, they might reveal something of their purpose in the attack. Concealment, he felt vaguely, would serve merely to sharpen their sus

a few officers on the trail, with Barney to guide them to the spot. Paw and Hank and Joe-outlaws all, he would have sworn would get wh

rly, and began to roll himself a cigarette, since his pipe had gone out. "

s been committed, like you say it has, we got to do our duty an' hold ye. The boss'll know

ptured 'im. Don't go takin' no credit to yourself-you ain't got none comin'. Mart'll know what to do with 'im, all right. But yuh needn't go an' tr

d a wanted to right bad. Casey Ryan ain't no killer, because he don't have to be. G'wan an' hold me if yuh feel tha