Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-11-23
49,, -
The b ! ]. Hermit | :',I !
\ A Story Of the Wilderness
~ By CHARLES CLARK MuNN
Author of Pocket Island, - ''Unc,e Terry''
and "Rockhaven.''
CHAPTER II.-CoNr1NurD.
\Copyraght lsoa BY ZEE and khspart.)

CHAPTER II.-CoNr1NuEp.
Levi" he said, "what do you say:
Is 1t go on. or stay?"
we've got to stay!" came the reso-
lutte answer; thar amt a campin' spot
within five miles either up or down the
moosehorn. and it's too late to cut one
OUT" And once more he began work.
AS Tor Martin, he was inwardly ner-
Vous but outwardly calm. He had not
quite recovered from the prev1ous
nights experience and the queer foot
prints, however, an. vet it did not
occur to him that that mad any connec-
uon with the cause of the Doctors
fright Aud yet, it might have.
Then another thought came, and 1t
added to his fears. They had started
early and padded a good 20 miles up
an almost currentless stream: on either
bank lay an impossible wilderness
much of it swampy. No hunter or
trapper stealing along ahead had been
sighted that day, and If this wild man
the doctor had seen was he who was
prowl1ng around their tent the night
oe1ore, how had he reached this SPOT ?
But Martin had already decided upon
MS own course, and though startled
somewhat by the 'octor's fright. he
now pulled himself together once mora
end attempted to calm his frightened
eomrade.
1T may have been some hairv-faced
old trapper that YOU saw, DOCTOR" he
said finally, 'and they are harmless.
II 1t was. he will show up by and by,
and hang around till we offer him a
drink. I've met 'hem many times
here In the wilderness before, and a
little good rum secures their friend
ship for life, so don't worry" And
Martin resumed his cutting of boughs.
When supper was over and night
had quite shut them in about the
campfire, conversation was resumed.
Are there many Indians wild in
these woods?" queried the doctor,
elancing up to where the zone of fire.
light outlined the entrance to the old
tote-road; II thought they were all
civilized
$50 they are" replied Martin, not
waiting for Levi. "and that's why
some of them adopt white mems
methods of getting what they want"
But the face l saw belonged to a
white man." interjected the doctor.
who had not recovered from it, land
1t wore a most demoniac look, with
grizzly hair all around and a mat of
It on top"
THAT may b." returned Martin,
and so would any old trapper look
when you saw him. They never shave
or get hair cut from one years end
to another, and all look alike-ragged.
hairy and dirty. I've met them often.
and, as I told you, they are all harm
less and love rum. If you saw one
which I doubt-he is like all the rest,
and by now is fast asleep up back of
here in the bushes"
With that Martin arose, for it was
time to turn in, glanced first at tho
starlit sky and then up at the OPEN
ing in the forest back Of the tent. At
that moment Levi CHANGED to throw
handful Of fir boughs on the dying
fire, and as the flames flashed in re-
spouse and the zone of light widened,
Martin caught the full view of
hideous human face peeping out from
behind stunted spruce.
One moment only he saw the gray
hairy visage; the next it had disap-
peared.