The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1909-01-14
CHAPTER XXI.

was not ss gre.t bat CHAT Be c0ald easll,
bang froxn she window sill and jung with
out injaxy Before following him In hi
nixkf, wa will pause Go Inquire hew tbs
roabew, unexpectedly taken captive Jared
Nothing couid hare surprised JACK
uere than shis sudden turning OF fhs ia
baes~ Bus q minafs STAGE Walter wAs
saxnp1esely In shis power Now. through
she hoyax GOODNESS and nerve. ais thlevfsh
Intentions we're baffled. and he was plac-
I'd in the humsliating position 'of pris-
oaer la his ewn house.
~Open the door. OF III murder you 7
he reared. kicking it violently.
There waa NO reply, for Waiter was
already bali way out Of the window. and
Lid not think il best 20 answer. Walter
had proceeded half mile when 'as stop
ped Co rest. Two or three times he had
sxapped over projecting roots which the
darkness prevented bis seeing La time 70
&void.
sT'al rest fsw Minutes. and thea push
ou." he thought
1t was late. but the excitement OF his
posifion prevenfed him from feeling
sleepy. He wished to get out Of the
woods into some road or open Eead. where
he weuld be la less danger OF encounter
Ing Jack. and where perhaps hs magnf
Cad assistance against hkm-
Hs WIS leaning against aa immense
tree, cns of the largest and Oldest In the
forest Walter began 10 examine IL he
discovered by feeling, that Ii wsa hollow
irsid<- He asesrfslned that the interior
was eaten out by gradual decay. making
lsrEe hollow space inside
4 Shouldn't wonder II / could get IT, :"
he said 10 himself.
lie made the attempt. and fcund that
he gas correct In bis superstition. de
S<1 e&Saas =ssu@ ~~~Sf inside.
Eat ls curaeux. thought Walter
s~Th&s tree must be very Sid"
ns emerged from the trunk, and once
Eaosss threw himself down beside IT. Five
uzGnzstes hseer and his attention was
drsxsn v a sound OF approaching foot
~sens Jack had tripped oger root, and
was picking himself up Ia no very good
huznor. The enemy. 1t appeared. was
close upon him.
Walter started to his feet I'm dismay.
His 6rnt thought was immediate fight.
but IL be were heard by Jack. the latter
would no doubt be nble to run him dowrn-
What shall I dor thought Walter,
ia alarm
Quickly the hollow trunk occurred to
%im- With as little delay as possible he
concealed himself In the interior lie
was just In time. for Jack was by this
time only few rods distant Walter
counted upon his passing on; but on
reaching the old tree Jack paused. and
said afoud, where can the young rascal
be- wonder IL have passed hint I'll
rest here eve minutes. He may strvssse
along
With shese words he sank upon the
xxouud. In the very same place where
w alter had been reclining two minutes
before He was SO near that our hero
could bars pat CUT hss hand and touched
hina
IL was certainly vsry uncomfortable
ssifuaslon for Walter He hardly dared to
breathe or TO stir iest his enemy should
hear hin.
He's led rae a pretty tramp" mat
tered Jack. but I'm bound TO get hold
al him tonight. If do. IN half kill
him.
Then hope you won't get hold Of
him." Walter CALCULATED, inwardiy-
He began to wish be had run on in
stead ct seeking this coneealment- In the
hrsf case, the darkness Of the night would
have favored him, and even If Jack had
heard him it was by no means certain
that he would have caught him Now an
unIueAy movement or a cough would be-
tray his hiding place. and there would
be 40 chance OF escape. He began to feel
bis constrained position irksomes bat did
NOT dare 20 see relief by change of pos
turs-
II wish he'd &c." thought our hero.
Bat Jack was in no hurry. He APP
peared to Wish to wayIay Walter, and
was constantly listening to catch the
sound of bis approach. At length Wal
ter was relieved to hear him say, well.
shan'f catch him By stopping here
ehat's sure"
Thsu be started, and Walter, listening
sntautly, heard the sound Of his receding
xfsrs. When sufficient time had elapsed, !
he vsnfured out from bis concealment, |
and stopped to consider the situation.
What should he DOT 1t was hardly /
prudent to go on. for 1t would only bring |
aim nearer the enemy. IL he ventrred /
back. he would be farther away from the /
edge of the woods, and might encounter
Meg. WHO might aiso be In pursuit. He 4
did not feel ia danger OF capture from /
thia quarter, bat the woman might find /
means Of communicating with her hus-
band. On the whole, II seemed safest, for
the present, at least, to stick to the friend
ly tree which had proved so good a pro-
tector. lie stood beside 1t, watching
carefully, intending. whenever peril
threatened. TO take instant refuge inside
This was not particularly satisfactory, |
but he hoped Jack would soon tire OF
the pursuit, ard retrace his steps to-
ward the cabin II be should do that,
be would then be safe 10 continuing his
slight
Jack pushed on. believing that our hero
was La advance. II had been a fasiguing
day, and this made his present midnight
tramp more dIsagreeabls. His hopes Of
overtaklng Walter became fainter and
fainter, and nature began TO assert her
rights A drowxiness which be found 1t
hard to combat assaiIed hlm, and be
knew be nuss yield to IL for time at
least
II wish waa at home. and In bed"