Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-11-11
ood hope of an escape unseen.

pipe-men's hammers should drown the
noise of a dash for effacement. When
it came, he flung himself backward,
whipped Nan over his head and out of
the line of sight as If she had been
feather-light, Inc rolled swiftly after
her. Before she could rise he had pick
ed her up and was dragging her to the
climbing point under the lip Of the
boulder cave.
up with you'll" he commanded, max
ing a step of his hand. GIVE me YOU
foot and then climb to my shoulder
quick!" But she drew back.
"Oh, I can't!" she gasped. Tim
too skeered!"
Jumping to catch the lip Of the cav
ern's mouth, he assembled cat-like, and
a moment later he had drawn her up
after him.
'Td like to know what got the mat
Ter with you all al once" he said, &c
verely, when they were crowded To-
gether in the narrow rock cell; and
then. without waiting for her answer:
You stay here while I drop down and
keep those fellows away from this side
of things"
But 1t was too late. The men were
already at the barrel spring, as an in
distinct murmur Of voices testified. The
girl had another trembling fit when
she heard them, and Toms wonder wal
fast lapsing into contempt OF some
thing like it.
"Oh-h-hl" she shuddered. do you
reckon they saw US, Tom-Jeff%
II shouldn't wonder" he whispered
back unfeelingly. I'VE could see them
plain enough"
Hell kill me, for shore, Tom-Jeff.."
Toms lip curled. The wolf does not
mate with the jackal. Not all her
beauty could atone for such spiritless
cringing. Love would have pitied her,
but passion is not moved by qualities
opposite to those which lay evoked 1t.
Then you know them-or one of
them, at least" he said. Who is he?"
She would not tell; and since the
murmur of voices was still spainly au-
dible, she begged in dumb-show for
silence. Whereupon Tom shut his
mouth and did not open 1t again until
the sound of the voices had died away
and the fainter tappings of he ham
mers on the pipeline advertised the
retreat of the inspection party.
They're gone now," he said, short
ly. Lets get out of here before we
stife."
But a second time i'll chance inter-
vened. Tom had a leg owe the brink
and was looking for a soft leaf bed to
drop into, when the baying of a hound
broke on the restored quiet of the
mountain side. He drew back into
hiding.
The girls ague ft-of fear had passed,
and she seemed less concerned about
tho e~quivocal situation than a girl
should be; at least, this Is the way
Toms thought was shaping itself. He
tried to imagine Ardea in Mans place.
but the thing was badly unimagina-
BILE. A daughter of the Dabneys would
never run and cover and beg to be
hidden at the possible cost of her good
name. And Mans word did not help
matters.
What makes you so cross to me,
Tom-Jeff?" she asked, when he drew
back with an impatient exclamation.
II hain't done nothin' to make you let
on like you hate me, have II"
Il don't hate you," said Tom, frown-
ing. IF l did, I shouldn't care" Just
then the hound burst out of the laurel
thicket on the brow Of the lower slope,
running with it's nose to the ground,
and he added: That's Japhe Petit
grass dog; I hope to goodness he isn't
anywhere behind it."
But the horse-trader was behind the
dog; so close behind that he came out
on the continuation of the pipeline
path while the hound was still nosine
among the leaves where Tom had lain
summing himself and telling his tale OF
woe.
Good dog-seek him! What Is It
old boy?" Pettigrass came up, patted
the hound, and sat down on the fiat
stone to look on ~curiously. while the
dog coursed back and forth among the
lead leaves. Find him, Caesar; find
him, boy!" encouraged Japheth; and
finally the bounded pointed a sensitive
nose toward the rift in the side of the
great boulder and yelped ~conclusively
Dye reckon he climm up thar, Gaze
sar?" Pettigrass unfolded his long legs
and stood up on the fiat stone to at
| IdlI oil CyC-lCNSh Win Az hitCiiOi W
the little cavern. Tom crushed Nan
into the larthest Granny, and 1attened
himself lizard-like against the nearer
side wall. The horse-trader looked
long and hard, and they could hear
him still talking to the dog.
you're an old fool, Caesar--that's
about what you are-and Solomon al
lowed thar wasn't no fool like an old
one. But you needn't to swaller that
whole, old boy; I've knowed some
young ones in my time-sometimes
gals, sometimes boys, sometimes both.
But thar amt no 'possum up yonder,
Caesar; you've few the rack this time,
for certain. Come On, old dog; let's be
gettin' down the mountain"
The baying dog and the whistling
man were still within hearing whss