The Red Cloud chief., 1912-08-29

SpdTe, ana tnl0 was tue mereSt SuS'
picion, illogical conjecture. based on
nothing beyond his distrust OF Ware.
In the end he sprang from the saddle.
and leading his horse into the woods.
tied II to sapling.
A hurried investigation told him
that five men had ridden In and out OF
that path or the five, all coming
from the south. four had turned
south again, but the fifth man-Ware.
In other words-had gone north. He
weighed the possible significance OF
these facts.
II am only wasting time!" he con.
fessed reluctantly, and was on tho
point OF turning away, when. on the
very edge OF the road and just where
the dust yielded to the hard clay OF
the path, his glance lighted on the
print OF a small and daintily shod
foot. The throbbing Of his heart
Quickened curiously.
Betty" The word leaped from his
lips.
That small foot had left but the
one impress. There were other signs.
however. that claimed his attention;
namely. the footprints OF Slosson
and his men; and he made the In
evitable discovery that these tracks
were all confined to the one spot.
They began suddenly and as sudden
ly ceased, yet there was no mystery
about these: he had the marks OF the
wheels to help him to sure conclu.
sion. A carriage had turned Just
here. several men had alighted: they
had with them a child, or q woman.
Either they had re-entered the car
riage and driven back as they had
come. or they had gone toward the
river. He felt the soul within him
turn sick.
He stole along the path: the, terror
OF the river was ever in his thoughts.
and the specter OF his fear seemed to
| fit before him and lure him on. Pres
emily he caught his first glimpse of
the bayou and his legs shook under
him; but the path wound deeper still
into what appeared to be an un-
touched solitude, wound on between
the crowding tree forms, little back
| iAohi thC ShOiSs WIN az iutCA
tangle OF vines and bushes. lie
scanned this closely as he hurried
forward. scarcely conscious that he
was searching for some trampled
space at the waters edge; but the
verdant wall preserved its unbroken
continuity, and twenty minutes later
he came within sight OF Hicks clear.
ing and the keel boat. where it rested
against the bank.
| A little farther on he found the
spot where Slosson had launched the
skin the night before. The keel OF his
boat had cut deep into tho slippery
clay; more than this, the impress OF
the small shoe was repeated here. and
just beside it was the print of child's
bare foot.
He no longer doubted that Betty
and Hannibal had been taken across
the bayou to the cabin, and he ran
back up the path the distance OF q
mile and plunged into the woods ON
his right. his purpose being to pass
around the head OF the expanse OF
sluggish water to point from which
he could later approach the cabin.
But the cabin proved to be better
defended than he had foreseen: and
as he advanced. the difficulties OF the
task he had set himself became al.
most insurmountable; yet sustained
as he was by his imperative need, he
tore his way through the labyrinth OF
trailing vines, or tioundered across
acre-wide patches OF green slime and
black mud, which at each step threat.
ened to engulf him in their treacher-
Gus depths. until at the end OF an
hour he gained the southern side OF
the clearing and a firmer footing
within the shelter OF the woods.
Here he paused and took stock of
his surroundings. The two or three
buildings Mr.. Hicks had erected stood
midway OF the clearing and were very
modest improvements adapted to their
owners somewhat tlippant pursuit OF
agriculture. While Darlington was
still staring about him. the cabin door
swung open and a woman stepped
forth. II was the girl Bess. She went
to corner OF the building and called
loudly:
Joe! Oh, Joel"
: Darlington glanced In the direction
Of the keel boat and an instant later
saw Slosson Chamber over its side
. The tavern-koeper crossed to tho cab
in. where he was met by Bess. who
} placed in his hands what seemed to
be a wooden bowl. With this he
slouched Off to one OF the outbuild
ings. which he entered. Ten or fif
teen minutes slipped by, then he came
from the shed and after securing the
door. returned to the cabin. He was
again met by Bess. who relieved him
Of the bowl; they exchanged q few
. words and Slosson walked away and
) afterward disappeared over the side
. of the keel boat.
This much was clear to the Ken
5 tuckian: food had been taken to some
4 ono In the shed-to Betty and thu
a