The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-05-18
CHAPTER II.
(COntinued)

1
Such were the dreams that came
abruptly to an end as he stepped
suddenly into view of the long fiat
gravestone slab that marked the
resting place of Montgomery Stone
whom ne had heard was 1.-The bold
bad man. of Salsport in his day.
There. upon the white, weather
beaten slab which Rogers had
known as a landmark ever since he
could remember anything, was a
F.! somthing that caused him to halt
abruptly in the path. On top of the
slab Roger made out the soles of
two large shoes turned toes up to
the blue sky and the rising moon.
He noticed the soles were old and
worn, and belonged to equally old
shoes which he could see after
stealthy maneuvering. were cover
ing the crossed feet of a very tall
man. The body was dressed in
dilapidated garments, somewhat
out of date. 1t seemed immovable
as the stone itself
Now it was but 8 o'clock in the
evening of beautiful night, but
Roger forgot this. Cautiously he
increased the distance. slid behind
another gravestone and made quick
calculations as to how long it would
take a boy Of his age to run back
down the hill if pursued by those
feet and the figure in action. He
knelt behind monument and, peer
ing carefully beyond it's side,
studied the picture before him.
The face, as near as he could de-
termine, was clean shaven one
and fairly well nodded, and was
that of stranger. Then the boy
looked at the chest and the belly.
AMI suddenly he realized that the
body was still--no breathing-or
was he too far off to see? Really,
was it corpse or a ghost?
Roger picked up a stone and
took long shot at the cadaverous
giant The stone struck the slab,
and the sharp report caused Roger
to stiffen instinctively. Nothing fol-
lowed, however; so. coming nearer
he selected a good, well-packed clol
of earth surmounted with a few
outcroppings Of grass, and, care
fully measuring his distance, hurled
it in a graceful curve through the
air. hiding his own figure in the
shadow of friendly but dew
iamped headstone ere the missile
landed on the unknown's chest.
The dirt struck home and the
head of the giant rose and the arms
made grab at the crumbling mis-
sile. Then the body fell backwarwd,
straight, rigid-and Roger groaned !;
but the next instant it bounded for
| ward off that slab as though from a
| catapult. and before the boy knew
what had really happened, he heard
a yell of piercing anguish and was
conscious that his own legs were
| working in long, surging strides
bearing him rapidly, surely, away
from the tombstone.
CHANGING back, his heart failed
him, for close at his heels was the
devil, or something, coming like
mad with a fearful speed-a great,
gaunt, powerful figure, with re-
venge In its eyes.
The boy fOgOt all about his plan
of escape and lodged now here and
now there, behind tombstones and
over graves. but the figure follow
ed and gained and seemed to be ut
terly without fatigue as it took a
flying leap or a twist, or slide aft
er him.
Roger tried to cry out, but his
tongue failed to work properly, and
his legs wabbled, so that his run
ming grew weak. With his last Bit
of strength he hurled himself over
the crest of the hill, hoping to es
cape by long, dangerous roll down
ward; but even as he began his
final lunge, long, muscular arms
closed about him and voice at his
ear beloved: "Avast there;
ayast"
Weakly resisting, the boy was
dragged back toward the slab-the
giant all the while cautioning hin
to make no resistance, and no out
cry, under penalty of death.
Roger had scarcely had time tt
think before he was thumped dowr
in a sitting posture upon the Ions
elevated horizontal slab by the