Part 13 (2/2)

”Hullo, a e fro without difficulty It ran as follows:

”Ten feet east DAN GILBERT”

Pacing off the ten feet in the direction indicated, pawnee Brown located a flat rock Raising this, he uncovered a small, circular hole, in the centre of which lay a leaf torn from a note book, on which ritten:

”I write this to notify pawnee Brown or any of one up the ravine on the trail of half a dozen cavalry scouts who are up here, not only to watch for boomers, but also to try and locate several Indians who have left the reservation without permission I will be back soon

DAN GILBERT”

The boomer read the note with interest Then he hastily scribbled off the answer:

”Have read the note that was left A Yellow Elk, who stole my mare and has Jack Rasco's niece a captive Yellow Elk is bound for some cave in the mountains pawnEE BROWN”

The answer finished, the boomer placed it in the hole, let back the flat rock and wrote on the blaze of the tree, under Dan Gilbert's initials:

P B

CHAPTER XII

YELLOW ELK

The writing of the answer to Gilbert's communication had taken several ht But pawnee Broas certain of the trail the Indian had taken, and by a little faster riding soon brought the rascal again into view

Yellow Elk was now descending into a valley bound on the north by a rolling hill and on the south by a cliff varying froht Even at a distance pawnee Brown could see that the Indian was having considerable trouble with Nellie Winthrop, who felt now assured that her first suspicions were correct and that Yellow Elk had taken her far froo with you!” cried the girl, and did her best to break froood one, and she only succeeded in tearing her dress

”We be dare in few ht--you wait and see”

”I won't go with you--let esture which made the boomer's blood boil It was only by the exercise of all his will power that the great scout kept hi down Yellow Elk on the spot

The end of the long cliff was almost reached when the Indian chief reined up the ht

As he held the girl by the wrist with one hand he led Bonnie Bird forith the other In a few seconds, girl, mare and Indian had disappeared froe of bushes

They had scarcely vanished when pawnee Broas on the ground and had tethered his horse in a little grove of pines a hundred feet away This done, he stole forward to what he felt must be the reat scout kneas on delicate and dangerous ground There was no telling how ht be in the vicinity, who had left the reservation without permission; it was likely all ere there would be in war paint ready to kill hiht

”The reds who train with Yellow Elk are not to be trusted,” hebetter than to scalp ood Indian' out of such a fellow is all nonsense--it simply can't be done”

pawnee Brown had dropped down in the long grass and was noiggling along like a snake through the bushes and between the rocks Soon the entrance to the cave was gained, hidden by more bushes He hesitated, looked to see that his pistol was all right, shoved the bushes aside and slipped within