Barbour County index., 1904-11-09
CHAPTER IV.-CoSrISUEp.
GCopyriSht, IsOS, by Les AID sAspApa-I

1T was human fast enough" put in
Levi, IN nothin' else. Bears stand
up once In a while, but run on four
legs. The only other critter that don't
Is an ape. n no ape was ever known
In these woods"
: When once more the two canoes were
under way, and had ascended the
Moosehorn few miles, the stream
seemed to lose itself in dismal swamp
elled with dead fir trees. They stood
out above the green underground like
bleaching skeletons, with here and
shere lane OF black waters between
. forest Golgotha of whitened cones,
gaunt, spectral and ghostly. A crow,
perched upon one, cawed ominously.
and, as if to add an uncanny touch to
this forest graveyard, the horizon. now
opening wide, had grown hazy, and the
lowering sun red as blood. None but
q woodsman like Levi could thread
that haze of lagoons twisting and turn
ing into one another, and when they
were crossed, and the canoes once more
entered the now leSSened Moosehorn.
the overhanging spruce and FIR seemed
doubly welcome A mile up. the banks
grew bolGer, with now and then a
frowning cliff. moss covered, over
which the spruce roots crept down
wards, twisting and turning like arms
Of gnomes. Here a scattered process
sion of foam-fiecks was met, and soon
the muTmur of running waters broke
the forest stiffness Low and sweet it
WaI :
ever elusive, for a dozen turns in the
winding stream were rounded ere an
opening in the banks showed where the
brook entered. Its mouth was broad
and rippled. and out OF idle curiosity,
Martin, who was also padding, turned
the prov of his canoe into il and up
little way. Only a couple OF rods.
for il soon narrowed, and here, scarce
~ noticeable, and only to the trained
eye of woodsman. were the faint signs
of a path leading up the bank. Not
one well trod, but rather a divided
path where some one had pushed the
thick growth aside, or had broken
branches TO reach the brook.
Curious still, Martin nodded to Levi
and as the canoe was pushed ashore
both stepped out and began an ex-
animation
What are you looking for?" QueS-
toned the doctor, who had come up.
Bear tracks" answered Martin,
reaching for his rife, and following
Levi up the stream. at which the doc
tor scrambled hastily ashore and fol-
lowed them
The faint signs soon converged in
20 q distinct path. keeping close to the
stream for perhaps 200 rods. then turn
ing TO the right, it skirted the base oi
q low ledge until it reached and LED
through a narrow pass. Like two
hounds on the scent, Levi and Martin
had followed this. ever STOPPING and
watching for footprints, with the doc
TOR close behind. until defile wa:
reached. when he suddenly exclaimed:
For Gods sake, Martin. look up"
And well he might. for. perched upoI
q projecting shelf OF rock above them
white and CHASTITY in the forest gloom
vas the bleached skull of an enormou.
moose
Such a relic Of some hunters PROV
esa is not uncommon in the wilder
ness. and ordinarily would excite n,
comment. but here and now il SCENE,
20 Martin q greEsome warning. and
IN some mysterious way, connecte,
With the creature he had seen tn
oight before.
For fnli minute he was spellboun
" that object. placed where it va
uith evident and sInistee latent. the