Show OF THE vy RANDAM PARRISH L A wr iiii copyright by A C Q mcclurg mcclum fico CHAPTER XV continued 15 seems lie ho doing anything any more just hiding out none of hla his gang with him it find got so hot for tile ho old devil ho he was afraid to show his noso above ground fifty thousand for him dead or nilve you know that flint lata raid lund got le U S after him as well ns as mexico and lie he was smart enough to lie ile out here until it blow blew over maybe we never would have got on to him if sanchez struck his trail one day by accident over beyond silver springs that led him film into this valley and then ho he got lost again after that we kept a watch it do no good for some time the old fox fos was too sly so finally garrity put up n meeting with him they had somo some secret signal arranged between lem ero and in that way we traced out this cavo cave and got him cornered cave I 1 its a tunnel aint it 1 I dont know what it Is ive only been hero here once before in the dark your idea aden that manuel found Alva alcaras Al varas rals lost mine its got all the earmarks thap the lost aline 11 I 1 then its worth millions t you you cant mean it fl its only h n guess lots lets chuck that vow tiow and finish up with gomez 11 yer but I 1 fleager eagerly suddenly seeing a chance for himself there aint iio ao use of you making any gunplay with me kid the matter with us being pard ners nera theres therea only three of us know about this you Garri garraty an roe me 11 11 there must bo be money enough here to make us ps all rich gomez has got a devil of a lot hid bid away somewhere and good G d dl I 1 if this Is tho itie lost mine 11 kelleen hesitated not from any doubt as to his own purpose but in nn an endeavor to choose the best method meaders Me agers plan opened now possibilities the man must know more than he be had bad revealed while garrity was apparently even deeper versed in the mystery just now both men would bo be more val valuable alive than dead dei d that sounds fair enough bob lie replied quietly you say bay the judge As Is li l i 1 on it too sure he got the dope and yon cant play any tricks on garrity nos hes coming hero this morning here Iero I what wo we had bad a nice little surprise party all made up for mnnuel manuel only you cooked the goose A low peculiar whistle echoed ili through rough the passage and hl merger enger stopped suddenly again the wil whistle litlo sounded evidently from the entrance to the tunnel 1 I recka reckon him he said grimly now what ts Is it between us kid peace or war kelleen thrust his revolver back finto f into his belt ill play tho the game ho he answered shortly CHAPTER XVI the spoils of crime with eyes long acau accustomed tomed to tile the darkness tho the two men could perceive shadowy objects in the outer passage where little shafts of daylight penetrated through tho the tangle of concealing foliage tho the walls walla of tho the tunnel were gray tinged and darker objects one perhaps tho the dead body of manuel manucl gomez shapeless and grotesque littered the floor meager evidently feeling full confidence in this new alliance moved forward while kelleen followed still suspicious and alert for any treachery if garrity camo came there alone he would tile tho chance if not then lie would unlit fight the battle out there in tho the tunnel asking no quarter and giving none meager stopped his huge bulk almost blotting out tile tho light that you con he fie asked anxiously who the h 1 I else would it he exclaimed an exasperated voice wh ats going on here nobody on watch I 1 want to como come DO poking in liable to get shot where tho the devil Is manuel come inside a id ill explain just drop over that ledge its only a foot or two to tile tho floor you cargo caine alone the fellow did not answer but no one followed as he clambered across the barrier of rock apparently he bauld perceive nothing when once nee within except tho the dim shapeless figures figurea awaiting him two of you eh achl I 1 D n but its durk dark in herol hero I 1 that you manuel AIn nuel manuel Is clond clead explained meager briefly les boen ril filed led bendt ICIl killed ledl 1 the judge pressed ills body back against the rork rock what do you menu mean rob then who Is IB tills this other tellow follow sun che helleen took tho the matter into hla his own hands im tho the frisco rid kid 1 ho he announced calmly yet with one hand resting on ills his gun you know isnow me and that it Is s all right im in on ch he e deal the only difference now see here dorrity broke in alen meager ger grit illy it ant look to me ns as if there was anything else we could do tile tho ald skid got gat onto this biar solf self we ve both know lies all right and under cheso conditions lie ho ought to hove have ha share LI 11 if lie he dont I 1 reckon we wont any of us got get resides besides theres only tho the three of uj loft Al lanuel and sanchez tire are both lend dead and ray eny lo 10 you know what prisco frisco cabi lie he believes this d n tunnel Is tills this tunnel tho the cave you mean suro sure ho he says its Alva alvares Al rals lost atine alne and by G dl man mail it if it Is then maybe its worth millions of coln coin garrity no response kelleen coulch not discern tile the expression of the lie madr face but was suspicious that flint ills hand rested threateningly ou on the butt of a revolver the fellow was wag trench treacherous erous us miserly even in crime capable of any act to his gain there was only one safe way of dealing with him the wil any y of force the heavy hand yot yet he would make one more endeavor well judge Kelle Kel loeu eti suld quietly how hov do you like this alun rm fin d d if I 1 see ia 1 1 I should divido divide up tip with you you yon aro are rather dull doll this morning garrity I 1 much of a reau tation for wasting words have I 1 no mo doubt you have heard the frisco kid knows how to shoot when needed what more explanation do you want im in on this deal or rou ou are a dead one all now say which it Is no mun man could have doubted the deadliness of Kel leens meaning garrity knew tho border code far too well to hesitate of course youre in ai I 1 I 1 only wanted to understand youve got it clear enough now but well play safe your friend meager here Is unarmed and you will bo be far better off without a gunthrop gun throw it over into that corner comer and leave you free to murder us both sure if 1 I decide its best only I 1 dont usually do business that way you have heard plenty of stories about me but no one ever said bald I 1 shot a man treacherously if you two play square there Is no danger but this la is a case of two pitted against one either cither one or of you would cut a throat for a five dollar bill ill give you a minute throw away that t he stood fronting them both the two between him and the stronger light ills his face was emotionless but tile the voice speaking was crisp and hard the two knew him only as a desperado a border renegade t man whose willingness to kill had been proven there remained no choice garrity growling forth an oath flung his revolver into the dark corner comer savagely frisk him bob im taking no chances this time a knife beyl rather an ugly tool garrity do all judges Judge carry them yes throw it over there along with the gun are you sure that Is all now garrity turn about Is fair play try your hand on meager stripped clean Is ho be better feel inside tits his shirt imagine ho he Is a prisoner in your court good I 1 now I 1 reckon we are in fair shape to discuss business together first gents let me say this I 1 the slightest objection in the world to killing both of you on general principles I 1 know your style and im going to make tho the present situation perfectly clear both of you are d n rascals capable of any dirty deviltry kill rae me in a minute it if you only had a chonce I 1 dont propose to give you yon that chance for I 1 know what my life Is worth and mean to protect it I 1 happen to need you just now alive and if you obey my orders and answer my questions go away from here ellve if you dont ho he buried burl rd here do yer get that you mean to kill us anyhow after you tind and the loot no doubt your idea that Is what you would do and you yoa have me ticketed in the same class well that happen to be my plan at all in the first place youve got gor me labeled wrong wrone im not really after tile lie loot im after you do you get that garrity meager hero here Is jima a common thief hes bes a brute and therefore dangerous but a d n sneaking coward kit all I 1 care particularly about him Is to save a woman what woman the surprised question burst from the other fellows lips before he could restrain it it deborah meredith the woman you forced into mar marriage ringe with iab you but garrity here lips has been the evil genius of this border for the last ten years there Is no crime he had a finger in but no one could catch him red handed now vve gar g bov ou both got you goad and hard im going to bring you in bend ar or olive alieve but alive if possible who tile h b I 1 are you burst forth garrity ills face beaded with I 1 ration my aly name Is kelleen Ke lleon a captain ot 0 cavalry ive been after you for three months good G dl then youre nat not the frisco kid im nil tho the kid anere ever was kelleen admitted carelessly that 1 party arty was nas simply manufactured to arder hero here Is where lie he ends ills d desperate e pe rate career I 1 would have kept tile the secret awhile longer if I 1 could but perhaps it Is just as well now we understand dorst der stand tind ench other gerrity and tho the very best beat tiling thing you cau can do will be to answer my questions kelleen paused turning quickly over in his mind what lie he had better 1 attempt lie flo felt a profound contempt for tits his prisoners meager while a physical glant giant wits tuch mentally tally no more than a inere cowardly brute garrity might bo be truly dangerous a sly treacherous villain but physically unable to cope with him for a moment und and now utterly cowed while lie remained aenied and they were weapon less lie he certainly had find nothing to fear ills ilia first intention had been tp hold tile the fellows as prisoners until the squad of troopers appeared turn them over to the lieutenant in command searching tile lie cave later at tits his own leisure hut but why wait it might bo be tin an hour two hours yet before the sold soldiers lers arrived and theo thed there was deborah ills thought looped swiftly 7 to the girl what had find happened to her during those long lone dark hours where had bad she disappeared after he had amen dashed from tile the rods rock she had bal evidently escaped discovery lie he knew that had wandered off into the despirt desert doubtless might be there still lost in those leagues of sand struggling for life the vision called coiled to him yet he could not seek her until after tits hla men came those these prisoners vare w ere tar ar too important to be left unguarded 1114 july duty its aa an held him as in a vise but he realized at that moment a decision that tits his heart was with debo talu fa ive been after you three rah meredith eie roust find tier her rescue her aud and thank godl god I 1 there was waa time enough to accomplish this when did you first learn that gomez was h hiding out in this neighborhood garrity he questioned suddenly six months ago I 1 saw him in nogales privately yes we had bad somo some deals together before paid you for protection did he fie what did he want this time provisions I 1 was to get him film out grub at night leave it at a certain spot that was all ile he tell you where he be wag waa hiding out no but ho be had plenty of money I 1 get much information out at 6 him film he never did trust anybody the authorities had run him film pretty close I 1 reckon anyhow he was all alone not one of his gang left when I 1 fand out anything more I 1 got meager to come up here after af te tho the older meager wits was billed lif lied sure that gave as a chance 1 I 1 see the papers were all in your possession poses slon not cot above doctoring them thel were you what the h 1 Is that 1 i yon not a greet deal to me perhaps but of somo borne importance to a couple of 0 women I 1 know one of iem a friend of mine old tom meager left an invalid widow whom you fellows have I 1 believe robbed systematically find and then there la Is the girl hob bob forced into marriage you ou suppose I 1 knew about all this 1 I imagine well im going to get to the very bottom of it before we ve are through but just now I 1 want to use 11 the 0 o of yow you we well lind out between us just what manuel did have hidden away in this hole line up tip there against the wall face about the ho other way I 1 now listen ive 9 got ot both guns my own onri and the one olle garrity threw away they tire are cocked and within three foet feet of your backs I 1 cant possibly miss you and if you make one m move ove except as I 1 tell you pin going toast to let drive are you ready ready for what to ro mam do ils I 1 imler all right then light hint lantern meager now there la Is plenty of light for me to see you by nt at this distance move forward slowly garrity you keep your hand on tile wall and you meager take hold of Garr garritts itys now dont forget it if you do its ita sure fatal go on slow a step at a time they advanced some ten or twelve steps down on an opening scarcely wide enough for the two to pass pasa abreast cast gaze wandering from the backs of hla prisoner to the gray walls on elther either side the light flickered yet revealed no opening until they ani camo no to the very end and fronted tile solid rock even then tor for an in stunt kelleen failed to perceive tle the narrow cleft to the left beside meager but tile the latter excited by the discovery ery thrust the sputtering lantern lantern forward holding it at arms length abono a rough stone slab which half barred the way n Is airet look t herot ho he cried excitedly almost dropping pIng the light garrity craned his neck to see both men so wild at the sudden discovery as to lose all thought of everything else even kolleen kelleen rei revolver volver in hand ban 1 and fully awake to tile danger of his i position forward far enough to gain ti a partial glimpse within menger meager started to climb over but the judge stood motionless breathing hard his hands bands gripped on the sto stone ne lith eyes glaring about tile the oddly shaped room probably originally ta a cavern fo formed atred by water but enlarged by the efforts of men the whole apartment might have measured of teen feet by ten barely high enough to stand erect in the walls varl vari col oreil ored and sparkling in the rays of the uplifted lantern at the farther extremity lay a pile of debris i scattered rock and powdered stone ston e as though resting just ha as they fell after afi an ex the entire end ill elmost most totally covered protruding fro from m this pile clearly revealed now that meager had found tooting footing inside and held the blazI blazing tig wick higher was the white ghastly skeleton of a man his bones still covered with bits of ragged cloth caught by a falling rock he had been pinned there bel helpless until ho he died the three men scarcely saw all this or gave it a thought for there immediately in front and all nl about them scattered in heaps lying where they hail had been thrown carelessly over that outer barrier of rock rested the miscellaneous spoils of a thousand robberies the sack of churches and towns jewels torn from hands silver and gol gold d rich booty of crime from midnight raids and the burning of cities the hidden treasures of old manuel gomez it wits unbelievable staggering what suffering what death what cruelty and torture did these than things s picture I 1 and wealth wealtha who could even calculate its value bloodstained crime gotten tile the fruits of fifty years of |