Part 49 (2/2)

If the _Gray Ghost_ was at the goose-neck, the chances were that Mascola would be in the cave And Mascola iven no chance to escape

As he followed after the others down the winding sheep-trail, before Gregory's eyes flashed a vision of his father's battered face staring up at him from the canvas bundle on the hatch Then came the memory of Mascola's insolent look of triuory's son on the wharf at Legonia Why had he not seen and understood before this?

But then, he had had no proof He reflected bitterly that he had no proof now Only a Mexican's unsupported word that Mascola had stood by while his father and Bill Lang were ht be convicted of se of ory shook his head slowly in the darkness No, Mascola would not go clear He would choke a confession from the Italian with his own hands

So back her father's irl he loved, had always loved, but had never known it before to-night If he failed, he could never face dickie Lang again But he would not fail

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of sharp scuffling ahead

Rushi+ng down the trail he ca with two men in the bottom of a s their captives, he heard Sulch, men

Take it easy It's steep Stay with these fellows, Joe”

The air which sucked through the ravine grew colder as they descended

Then the dank atory felt a hand upon his arm

”Go last,” Smith ordered ”Watch the others Do what they do No more”

Foot by foot, the men wormed their way over the dry sticks which choked the entrance to the cave Then S a half dozen men at the entrance he instructed theht the signal flares and throw theet by you They're going to do the saory and the two reo on into the cave Keep close behind ive the to hi out with both entrances lit up and guarded

Corass thrown up by the high tides, deadened their footsteps as they crawled into the cave For an instant they crept on through the darkness Then a twist in the pathway brought a faint glealed nearer with the two ory was the last to reach the surface of a table-like ledge of rock which ribbed their path and projected outward over the cavern Crawling abreast of the deputies, he raised slowly to his elbow and looked down

The floor of the cave lay only a few feet below, faintly discernible in the yellow light which issued frorotesque shadohich fell athwart the rocky floor

Were there no men in the cave?

For an instant no sound broke the stillness Then, fro of footsteps and three fisherht and dropped to their knees on the rocky floor

Gregory's eyes opened wider The cavern floor was literally covered with fish As he sought to fathoe actions of the fisher rows of albacore, the silence was broken by an angry snarl and the figure of anotherupon one of the fisherhly by the arory's autoht of Mascola

Holding the weapon close against his coat to muffle the click of the hammer, he cocked the revolver and shoved it forward over the ledge For an instant the hts were in line with Mascola's waistband What an easy shot it was

He couldn't er? His arm slowly relaxed He couldn't shoot the h

I knoould, but----

He ive hiic in that The arlinted over the sights, grew hard, then closed to blot out the hated visage When they opened again, the teain to the shadow