The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-12-23

ana now began the return journey
Five hours had been consumed in
reaching Clark's. Ten minutes had
been wasted there. Another five
would be passed at the first clear wa
ter. But allowing for the teams faster
gait when they were headed for home
and for twelve miles of down grade
they should not take more than four
hours to reach the bend Twilight
would be settling then.
Dallas figured the return thus-but
it was soon plain to her that sunset
would find them miles from the shack
Poor feed, with the blowing and the
narrowing. had thinned the mules
After the first squirt they paid no heed
to the whip and fairly crawled. Mary
lyn, tired. gave way TO passionate com
planning. Dallas folded a blanket in
the bottom of the wagon and coaxed
her sister to lie down upon it, her
face shielded by the seat To further
dishearten the elder girl Ben and Bet
II showed signs of sore footedIfess.
Guided out upon the grass they trav-
eled better
the summit The afternoon was then
far gone Across the wide valley dark
clouds were piling upon the western
range. They added to it's height and
augured the days early closing. When
the Throat gaped alongside, the feecy
horizon had rolled still higher. and be-
meath it the settipg sun showed
through like harvest moon, blood red
Swiftly the day withdrew and the
stars came out. Then the breeze lulI-
ed and a mist rose from the coulee's
wooded bottom. From It came the
tremulous call of an owl Dallas slip
ped to her feet and welded the black
snake vigorously.
The mules shot forward for wagon
length. The sudden jolt awakened
Maryiyn. She got to her knees-and
there were the cottonwoods with the
laden boughs!
"Spunky little sister" encouraged
the elder girl and helped the other to
the seat.
The road was so dark now that 1t
took on the aspect of standing man,
y ~ was liz oOOhCA ONSL1lOQGu ludU
he rose again In the lead This was a
beginning for all manner of fears.
Dallas fought her own. But she could
not conquer them, for they enlarged
enormously and changed to a premo-
milton that ran riot
Listening and watching, she had suf
fered the previous night. Yet that suf-
fering was nothing compared to the
agony that stole into her heart and
held it'll she forgot Marylyn's pres
ence. She seemed to see a figure
skull1ing through the dusk about the
shack. 1t entered the Iean-to and
crouched in hiding She saw it come
forth again, keeping close to the logs.
It's eyes shone in the dark
Her father was beside the door.
where she had left him. He was gaz-
ing straight ahead, as if he expected
the enemy to approach only from the
front, as If he had no thought of
treachery. His figure was relaxed wea-
rily. His face was drawn. But his
eyes-like the other's-were strangely
luminous.
All, the figure was creeping toward
him noiselessly step by step
go in! Go IN, daddyr
The cry was torn from her, though
she strove to keep it back The strain
Of the past night and day was telling.
Frantically she begged Ben and Betty
to hasten. Knowing home was not far.
they obeyed her voice and presently
were setting back in their collars to
block the descent of the wagon. were
splashing through the backwater at
the coulee crossing and jerking their
load out upon the level Eastward the
shack stood out dimly in the starlight.
They made for it at a trot.
But all at once they stopped and be-
gan stepping this way and that, as If
ready to leap the tongue Dallas and
Marylyn recoiled, forsaking the seat
for the shelter of the box
There was a moments wait in a still
ness as vast as the prairie The mules.
sided to the left, shifted their long
ears nervously. The girls listened, the
younger shielded by the elders arms.
Then across the bend from the des
serted houses of Shanty Town sound.
ed the long, soul chilling howl of
dog.