The Falls City tribune., 1909-01-08

crept Back Down the Trail.
flask aud cigarette case and the
knife?'
All safe. sir-er-all safe. Blake"
Then YOU two follow me slow
enough not to worry that ankle. |
don't want any more of the pack-mule
In mine"
Where are We going. Mr.. Blake?"
exclaimed Miss Leslie. You will not
leave Us again.
It's only a halfmile, Miss Jenny.
There's a break in the ridge. I'm GO
ing on ahead 10 find If its hard to
climb"
"But why should be climb"
Food. for one thing. You see. this
end of the cliff is covered with sea.
5irds. Another thing. | expect to strike
a spring"
ooh, l hope you do! The ater In
the rain pools is already warm
They'll be dry in a day or two.
Say, WINTHROP, you might fetch some
Of those stones-size of a ball. | used
to be a fancy pitcher when l was a
kid, and we might scare up Il rabbit or
something
Il play cricket myself. But these
stones"
"Better'n a gun, when you haven't
got the gun. Come on. Well go in a
bunch, after all, in case | need stones"
With due consideration for Win
thrope's ankle-not for Winthrop
Blake set SO slow a pace that the half
miles walk consumed over half an
hour. But his smouldering irritation
was soon quenched when they drew
near the green thicket at the foot of
the cleft. In the almost deathlike
stiffness of mid-afternoon, the sound
of trickling water came to their ears,
clear and musical.
"A spring." shouted Blake. 81
guessed right Look at those green
plants and grass; there's the channel
where it runs out in the sand and
dries up"
The others followed him eagerly as
he pushed in among the trees. They
saw no running water, for the tiny
rill that trickled down the lodges was
matted over with vines. But at the
foot of the slope lay a pool, some ten
yards across, and oyershadowed by the
surrounding trees. There was no
underbrush. and the ground was
trampled bare as a floor.
"By Jove,' said Winthrope; see the
tracks! There must have been a drove
of sheep about"
Deer, you mean" replied Blake,
bending to examine the deeper prints
at the edge of the pool. These amt
sheep tracks. A lot of them are
larger"
Gould you not uncover the brook ?"
asked Miss Leslie. IF animals have
been drinking here, one would prefer
cleaner water
Sure" assented Blake. IF you're
game for a climb, and ear wait a few
minutes, We'll get it out of the spring
itself. We've got to go up anyway, to
get at our poultry yard
Here's a place that looks like a
path called Winthrope, who had cir
cled about the edge of the pool to the
farther side.
Blake ran around beside him and
stared at the tunnel-like passage which
wound up the limestone lodges be-
meath the oyerarching thiekets.
odd place, is it not?e observed
Winthrope. Looks like a fox run,
only larger, you know"
Too low for deer, though-and
their hoofs would have cut up the
moss and ferns more. Lets get a
close look"
As he spoke, Blake stopped and
climbed a few yards up the trail to an
overhanging ledge, four or five feet
high. Where the trail ran up over
this break in the slope the stone was
bare of all vegetation. Blake laid his
club on the top of the ledge, and was
about to vault after it, when, directly
beneath his nose, he saw the print OF
a great catlike paw, outlined in dried
mud. At the same instant a deep
growl came rumbling down the fox
rum Without waiting for a second
warning, Blake drew his club to him,
and crept back down the trail. His
stealthy movements and furtiye back
ward g%lances filled his companions
with vague terror. He himself a
hardly less alarmed.
Get out of the trees-into the open!"
he exclaimed in a hoarse whisper, and
as they crept away, white with dread
of the unknown danger, he followed at
their heels, looking backward, his club
raised in readiness to strike.
Once clear of the trees, Winthrope
caught Miss Leslie by the hand and
broke into a run. In their terror they
paid no heed to Blake's command to