The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1912-05-03
under his feet

AAOSA - AVCN
"Who shot him?" gasped the senior
engineer. "Why-er-didn't Gregson
tell you that it was IN accidentT
"Why should he lie, Thorne?"
A faint flush swept into the others
pallid face. For a moment there was
a penetrating glare in his eyes as he
looked at Rowland. Jackpine still
stood silent and motionless beside the
stove.
HE told me that it was an accident"
said Thorne at last.
Funny" was all that Rowland said.
For the first time Rowland noticed
that the thin muslin curtain. which he
thought had screened a window. con
cealed. in place of a window. a care
fully fitted barricade of plank. A sud
den thrill shot through him as he rose
to examine It. With his back toward
Thorne he said. half laughing. per
haps Gregson was afraid that the fel-
low who clipped OF his finger would
get him through the window, chr"
1t was 10 O'Clock when Thorne and
Jackpine left the cabin. No sooner
had they gone than Rowland closed
and barred the door. lighted another
cigar and began pacing rapidly up and
down the room. Already there were
Developments. Gregson had lied to
him about, his finger. ThoSne had lied
to him about his own injuries. what.
ever they were. He was certain Of
these two things-and Of more. The
two senior engineers were not leaving
the Wekusko because Of mere dissatis-
faction with the work and country.
They were fleeing. And for some rea-
son they were keeping from him the
real motive for their flight. Was 1t
possible that they were deliberately
sacrificing him in order to save them
seives1 He could not bring himself
to believe this. Notwithstanding the
evidence against them. Both were
men Of i~rreproachable honor.
He was tired from his long days
travel. but little inclination to sleep
came to him. and. stretching himself
out on the lounge with his head and
shoulders bolstered up with furs. he
continued to smoke and think. He
was surprised when a little clock tin
kled the hour Of eleven. He had not
seen the clock before. He was almost
asleep when It struck again softly
and yet with sufficient loudness to
arouse him. It had struck twelve.
With an effort Rowland overcame
his drowsiness and dragged himself to
q sitting posture. knowing that he
should undress and 60 to bed. The
lamp was still burning brightly. and
he arose to turn down the wick. Sud
denly he stopped. To his dulled senses
there came distinctly the sound Of a
knock at the door. For a few mo-
ments he waited. silent and motionless.
1t came again. louder than before.
Who could be his midnight visitor?
Softly Rowland went back to his
heavy coat and slipped his small re-
volver into his hip pocket. The knock
came again. Then he walked to the
door. shot back the bolt and. with his
right hand gripping the butt of his pis-
toll, flung it wide open.
For a moment he stood transfixed.
staring speechlessly at a white. star
tied face lighted up by the glow Of the
oil lamp. Bewildered to the point of
numbness. he backed slowly. holding
the door open. and there entered the
one person in all the world whom he
wished most to see-she who had be-
come so strangely a part of his life
since that first night at Prince Albert
and whose sweet face was holding a
deeper meaning for him with every
hour thai he lived. He closed the door
and. turned. still without speaking;