Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-05-07
Stairs Of
|Sand....
CHAPTER ".

CHAPTER ".
THE COPPER CYLINDER.
Job Hendricks passed on his way
much mystif1ed with what he had seen,
but as he found himself alone on the
country road his spirits revived and he
thought that he must be mistaken in
euppostnG he had just been face to face
with one whose presence he feared.
MOT much changed after all these
years., he murmured. as he looked to
right and left over the smiling land
soape. Thank heaven! it was in the
country and not in the city, for, in the
latter case, all traces might have been
lost"
Evidently the beauties of natHre did
not appeal to him particularly on that
occasion, though the glories Of sum-
msr rested on the land.
He seemed to be in quest of some
thing, and anxious lest he should not
find it.
When at last wood came in sight
his steps qutckened and his furrowed
anxiety. From right to left he glanced
with his sharp eyes. examining the
trees on each side searchingly and
carefully.
THE forest is standing yet, much as
! left 1t" he muttered to himself. 1T
has stood still, looking not a bit older,
while have been aging. WE'LL things
promise we'll. for it might have been
laid waste by forest fire, or cut down
and town built on the site. Matters
are not so bad as might be. You will
come out ahead think, Job, from the
appearance of things"
He began to walk more slowly now,
and occasionally paused to consider,
rubbing his nose thoughtfully the while.
as he examined the trees and bushes
with the keen eye of naturalist. 1t
was in one of these stops that, looking
up, he saw something that drew a
startled exclamation from his lips. 1t
was a bit of red flannel nuttering from
the limb of maple.
The sight of such an unimportant OBJ
tect seemed to worry him greatly, then
he drew near the bushes that lined the
edge of the road like green wall, and,
pushing them aside, plunged into the
underground.
Il would just as leave not have such
people nosing about" he muttered. But
they know me better than to Interfere
with my work" He forced his way
through the thickest OF the underbrush
and entered a little glade in the midst
Of which rose the stump of what must
nave DeeIl a great Tree.
The man smiled at the sight, and
waving his hand toward it, said: BLESS
We, old fellow, for standing sentinel SO
long. Your usefulness did not cease
when you were struck by lightning
He passed the tree and went ON his
way down one of the aisles of the forest
which at one time must have been a
wagon road, but was now overrun with
grasses. Now and then he paused TO
reconnoiter and to look around
From time to time he smiled and
was pursuing the right path.
Suddenly, in the midst of his walk,
without warning, sharp shot rang out
and his hat fell to the ground. He
stopped calmly, picked it up and exam
ined it carefully. mot had shot," ex-
aminlng the holes, which had evidently
been produced by buckshot. "a little
nearer and should have had consider
able Of q headache" and, replacing the
to look for his assailant, he continued
on his way, turning neither to right
nor left.
THAT must have been the work of a
greenhorn," he said to himself. HE
must be demonstrated with before go
any further. / might stand chance Of
being potted against when his aim was
truer.'
Nothing further happened; the in
visible marksman did not attempt to
repeat his experiment. The little man
had now come to an opening in the
woods. Beyond, to his right, his Sharp
eyes detected slender thread of smoke
drifting lazily up through the warm air,
and it was in this direction that he now
bent his steps.
Entering little glade he saw beyond
h t,,,1 n 49,,
of house rooted over with old tar
paulins and bark. 1t was out of hole
in this roof that the smoke was drifting,
and which had attracted his attention
There seemed to be no opening to this
building, but near, the front wall, set
in the ground, was a square slab of
wood like the covering to a Well.
Without u moments hesitation he
lifted this. disclosing burrowlike hole
that evidently communicated with the
interior of the place. Carefully he
climbed down into the hole, and. pass
ing through a dark passage, found him
self in ceilarlike room feebly lit and
filled with sitting smoke and green
boughs with which the fire had been
fed.
Alloy. there! Anybody at home?'
for, in that light there was no human
being visible.
bundle of fagots lying by the fire
seemed to become suddenly endowed
with life. and finally resolved itself into
the form OF little woman bent with
age who came hobbling forward with
surprising agaility.
You know me- mother" bending his
head down near to hers for a moment
while size examined his features keenly
and then passed withered hand ovel
his face.
Yes, Will, know you. What do you
here?
1T matters not" roughly. "And lei
me tell you, 1 am not TO be potted like
a bird by your people. Just now, as
was coming through the woods, some
one fired on me"
1T will not happen again. she said
tinidly. 1T was the youngster; he is
new and has much to learn
1T will be we'll if you tell him there
are lessons / can teach him that are
not learned in schools" said he, harsh
ly; lessons that, once learned, are new
er forgotten. You understand, mother,
Let the lad know that once l forgive
for his youth, but again.
You have nothing to fear" she
stamlnered.
that reused strange echoes in the
place.
"Fear-fear. did you say? pleasan,
word, and soft on the tongue, but VIVA,
does 1t mean?" and he laughed again.
Seeing pick standing against the
wall he took it. II have need of this
mother" She nodded.
will you be here long?"
THAT may be as business calls for
l simply stopped here now that yo,
might give that man warming" He
moved toward the entrance, and then
stepping back few PAGES. laid his
hand on her arm while he looked down