The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-06-02
Illustrated BY Lauren Stout

CHAPTER XI-He gives sanctuary to
the cornered fox. Gossips discuss the adj
vent or the new owner and recall the
tragedy In which the elder Valiant took
part.
Wonders will never cease!" said
the young man easily, struggling.
We'll, our quarry is here somewhere.
From the way the dogs act l should
| say he's bolted into the house. With
your permission I'll take one Of them
in and see" He stopped and snapped
leash on dogcollar
I'm really very sorry" said Valiant
but I'm living in it at present"
The edge of smile lifted the care
fully trained mustache over the
others white teeth. 1t had the per-
fectly courteous air of saying, "Of
course, If you say SO. But"
Valiant turned, with a gesture that
included all. IF you care-to dismount
and rest" he said, II shall be honored,
though I'm afraid / can't offer you
such hospitality as 1 should wish"
The judge raised his broad soft hat.
Thank you, SIR he said, with soft
accent that delightfully."- disdained the
| letter "r." But we mustn't intrude
any further. AS you know, Of course,
| the place has been uninhabited for
any number of years, and we had no
| idea it was to acquire tenant. You
will overlook our riding through, l
hope. I'm afraid the neighborhood
| has got used to considering this sort
Of 1an
know that the Court is to be re-
claimed, sir. Come along, Chilly" he
| added. Our fox has burrow under
| the house, | reckon-hang the cunning
little devil"
He waved his hat at the porch and
turned his horse down the path, side
by side with the golden chestnut.
After them trooped the others, horses
walking YEARLY, riders talking in low
voices, the girls turning often to send
swift bird-like chances behind them
to where the straight masculine figure
still stood with the yellow sunshine on
his face. They did not leap the wall
this time, but filed decorously through
the swinging gate to the Red Road.
Il
hind the hedges, John Valiant heard
the younger voices break out together
like the sound of a bomb thrown into
a poultry-yard
John Valiant stood watching till the
last rider was out of sight. There
was a warm flush of color in his face.
At length he turned with a ghost
I,al -. IL
and stalking hundred yards away.
sat down on the shady grass and be-
gan to whistle, with his eyes on the
door
Presently he was rewarded On a
sudden, around the edge of the sill
peered a sharp, suspicious little muz-
zle Then, like flash of tawny light,
the fox broke sanctuary and shot for
the thicket.
The brown ivied house in the vii
lage was big and square and faced the
sleepy street. A one-storied wing con-
tanned a small door with a doctors
BRASS plate on the clapboarding be-
side it. Doctor Southall was one of
.
guests-for she would have deemed
the word boarder a gratuitous insult
no less to them than to her Another
was the major, who for decade had
occupied the big old-fashioned cor
ner-room on the second floor, COM
panioned by a monstrous gray cat and
waited on by an ancient negro named
Jereboam, who had been a slave OF
his fathers.
The doctor was sallow taciturn
man with saturnine face eyebrows
like frosted thistles, a mouth as il
made with one quick knife-slash and
head nearly bald, set on neck that
would not have disqualified year
ling OK.