The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-12-03
UNDER THE. HEhLoeks
Ey LOUIS MERRlFlELO.

hepSiTe surprise as ne foue "iono
the river trail. For the minute ne had
forgotten all about "Hemlocks, Tue
timber and rock bungalow that mad
been closed for two years.
Man come back" he said brleny
over one shoulder to his Shoshone
guide.
mo man, squaw," answered the IL
dian. Girl squaw.
You have been up there?" !
See team go by" !
He knew by the dropping OF Lame
Bears eyelids how useless it was 10
get any details about girl or team
So he had turned about, sent the
guide back to his own place and RIDDEN
IN toward "Hemlocks" alone.
She was washing when he arrived
washing out dish towels on the tapie
under the hemlocks.
She lifted her head as she heard
his ponys tread.
Pm Darnton, the forest ranger
around these parts he announced. i
saw YOUR fire, and just rode up to pc
SIRE. I knew that Mr. Martell was
not here
Were you worried" she asked,
smiling not exactly in a friendly way,
but as if she found this Official SUPER
vision amusing. And no explanation
did she make. He went away without
finding out why she had come there or
what connection she had with Narteil.
: He only knew that she was an artlst
7 and her name was June Campbell.
That had been two months ago.
t Hardly a day had passed since that ne
l had not ridden within sight OF Hem
l locks
l Bruce Darnton knew before the first
Y month was up that all the happiness
Y of life lay up at "Hemlocks' Tor him,
p and just as he was getting acquainted
fairly well, and she would ride with
y him for hours through the forest
5 trails he loved. there had come TaWny
}. Phillips. Tawny had ridden many
Q trails. Darnton knew him as young
n California timber broker Every once
) in SO often Tawney would ride through
Q the country, sizing up general pos
sibilities.
Tawny was wealthy, buoJant, COM
radely, and most undeniably hand
some. He found his way up to Hem
locks frequently June liked him
One day she took Lame Bear 70 tasR
for the way he nad treated FaWny
The Indian had come On an GRAND fol
4 Darnton, and TaWny had told MIN t
y nobble his pony for him IS he siippel
4 from the saddle Instead Lame Beal
had turnel. and sauntered away.
You were rude to my friend, Lame
Bear" she said Why"
"No friend said Lame Bear stolid
". HE cut, burn, kill. He set fire.
for revenge Lame Bear know. HI
want you for squaw. lie think M
man no good, no get girl for squa"
Het set fires for trouble
"How 10 you know she aske
quickly.
Lame Bear sec. You bring blac
devil box. Take hir pictures, yes?
June saw what he meant. 1t SCENE
unspeakable that this man who ha
come to her for days, frankly Wooln
her, should really choose so dlabolic;
means OF revenge.
Lame Bear kept his word. The ne,
day he came ard told her to get he
pony and follow him. Miles they roc
over the marrow trails. Lame Bei
told her that Tawny started fires
keep Darnton away from "Hemlocks
and that he had hoasted he would sc
tie the ranger il he dared to go ne;
the lodge
All day they were gone, the girl al
the Indian When she rode bac
wearied and heartsick, and yet e
ultant, she lay awake hours, Wishil
she might share the fight of Bru
.Darnton against the creeping serpen
OF flame set on his track by the 9th
man.
She had meant to develop the fir
and show them to Bruce the next da
1t was almost dawn when she saw t
great rich slow CT orange oyerspre
Nh the sky to the vest OF her Tawny HI
made good his threat She dressed a,
o,o WATCHER pony saddled-for t
daylight, but when the first strea
,,a of light came, they were clouded oV
h,y by the mounting pillars of smoke, a
49, Tawny himself came at dead gall
,nn towards her
,io He told her that Darnton was de;
,aL. killed by smashing tree trunk,
- he fought the fire. He told her t
, a. only way to safety lay in flight WI
~, him along the open trails away fri
= the fire, and when. she stood /
IT, ground, he laughed, and reached
s,,na her.
1t was Lame Bears bullet Il
caught him. Sent by Darnton to p
a' tect the girl, and assure her the
VI was being checked, he had watch
Nisi silently his chance and paid back
iere scores when Tawny lost his head.
COZ And when, hours later, Bruce n
iur' up, blackened, bruised and lame,
pops found the Indian in lone vigil bes