Evening star., 1895-10-25

There's some meaning to it that would like
ly help US if we could only understand it."
The dogs were not in sight, so 1t was
evident not only that he had not killed
one of them, but that they lad definitely
and finally abandoned the chase. AS a
matter of fact, they met Martin at his
gate when he got home late in the evening,
fawning and skulking, and in every possible
canine way expressing tEeir modification
for their cowardce and unfaithfulness.
One Of them had a bullet hole in his car.
Martin joined the villa gers in u moment.
mo, that amt an adder" he said, as he
took the snake from the mar who held it,
and examined 1t critically; ''it kind OF look
ed like one when I first caught sight of it,
though. What Is it, anyway"
renad whad Kea Kne IKE to hesve Know epr
bcdy's had his say, and it's agreed that no
such snake was ever seen in this part of
the woods before"
'It beats me-" remarked Martin, "but
there's one thing about it that you can Set
down as certain"
Whats that?'
"That this snake is deadly poisonous.
Them critters of mine wouldn't have play
ed the sneak on us for nothing, not for no
common snake, understand!'
by gum!' exclaimed the man who had
killed the snake, II guess l was lucky in
doing him up without getting bit"
what are we going to do now?' inter-
posed Will, to when the brief discussion
seemed a wicked waste of time; 1.-The dogs
have backed out, but it's pretty certain
they've put us on the right track. Shall we
fellow up the stream"
Were not going to lose anything by
thinking it over Bit said Martin; de
pending on the dogs, you see, we left
Nick's house without any plan. OF course,
we shall have to divide
"1t mustn't be forgotten" suggested
Newcomb, that Elsie's no stranger to the
woods. She amt city girl who never saw
a tree outside of box before"
and, on the other hand" added Martin.
"she amt what you'd call lost. Elsie
might lose her bearings If she got fur
enough into the woods alone. but the point
is that we don't think Elsie's alone. Some
body took her, and that somebody's hid
den her. So, you see. 'tain't for us to
calc'late what Elsed do and where she'd
go, but what the fellow that took her
would do.
That's straight enough" commented
Martin, but there's one more question to
settles this fellow a stranger to the
wcods?"
He turned to Will. None of the men had
pressed him with inquiries after his
straightforward narration of the facts as
he knew them. His love for Elsie was one
of the common topics for pleasant gossip
in the village, and 1t had needed no ex-
planation Of his avowal of love to her to
make his neighbors understand the nature
of their relations.
You can judge of that as well as can.' .
answered the young man. Il never saw
either of these men before. They looked as
if they were used to outdoor life, but on
general principles 1 wouldn't say that they
were familiar with these woods"
mo: that would be saying good deal
Well, on the theory that these fellows are
at least comparative strangers, what are
the places they would most likely find
Seems to me If each man of us thinks UP
all the dens and caves he knows we'll be
Ga1v m at n diSoOyaro1
There's no use of wasting thought about
any part of the wilderness except the side
of Baker mountain"
Martin was the speaker, the most in