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Rh trail toward the east, while the car with Trine had set out to perform like service in the west.

Exacting his utmost speed from the chauffeur, Judith set herself to revive Alan. With the aid of such stores of food and drink as the car carried, this was quickly accomplished. Alan was soon sitting up and taking stock of the situation as he devoured sandwiches and emptied a canteen.

Then, ignoring the fact that proximity with him threatened to end the life of Trine with a stroke of apoplexy, he stationed himself on the rear seat, kneeling, his .45 ready for use if the horsemen drew too near.

The mountain pass was about a mile distant. The light on the hillside, according to the chauffeur, was that of a prospector who had camped there temporarily. There was nothing, then, to be feared from that quarter. The horsemen, having paused to take counsel with Marrophat and his companions, had resumed their hot pursuit.

Their own case, Alan realized, was becoming desperate, the motor-car was now labouring through, deeper sand, and the posse was coming up rapidly.

A long-range pistol duel was in progress before the car had covered half the remaining distance to the pass. By the time it entered this last the pursuit was not a hundred yards behind. The body of the car was struck half a dozen times, its pas-