Part 4 (1/2)

The bullet struck the flat rock, bounded up to the side wall of the cavern and then hit hi

”Missed, by thunder!”

He jumped past the spot and moved up the cavern a distance of several yards

A rattle and a whirr followed, as the great rattlesnake made a vicious strike in the dark An intense hiss sounded out when the reptile realized that the object of his anger had beenwith strained ears, the boo slowly fro closer at every movement

To flee was iround

CHAPTER IV

OUT OF THE CAVERN

Slowly but surely the great rattlesnake came closer to where pawnee Brown stood motionless in the darkness of the cavern

The reptile had been enraged by the shot the great scout fired, and nowwith ears strained to their utmost, the boomer heard the for

The rattler was all of ten feet long and as thick around as a good-sized fence rail

One square strike fros and pawnee Brown's hours would be nuive up his life just now He still held his pistol, four chaht,” he thought

Retreat was out of the question A single sound and the rattlesnake would have been upon him like a flash

It was only the darkness and the utter silence that made the reptile cautious

Suddenly the scout heard a scraping on the rocks less than three feet in front of him

The time for action had come; another s

Crack! crack! Two reports rang out in quick succession and by the flash of the first shot pawnee Brown located those glittering eyes

The second shot went true to its ly head

The long, whip like body slashed hither and thither, and the scout had to do sole and a squeeze