Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-01
The Daily Story
The Honor Many Vingie z. Roe.
Copyrighted 1914. by Associated Literary Bureau.

| first to the wash below the high archsd
| cuivert which carried of the mos,
threatening of the big mountains rusb,
ing rivuIets in the rains. Here lay HI,
tools. but of himself or the way h.
had gone there was no sign.
Skipped" said her father disdatn.
fully, land him a 'trusty'-the 6rx,
man TO play the internal fool. for nm
mean a long addition to his term wher
he's caught. And he'll be caught. Nov
wen spread out from here"
But here the girl pushed through ana
stood just over the long crack In the
slanting rock. She leaned forward a
bit, as IL she wished her ringing young
voice TO carry downward.
You're wrong, dad" she crtad
strongly. 81 tell you you're wrong,
The mans been a hunter-a nsbe-
He's the putteed, gauntleted, tailored
khaki kind, and the pull OF the hin,
and woods has been too strong. Hes
gone for time, but he'll come back
The freedom and the wild have walked
the old longings In him, and he's flung
out to the woods, but hen come back
I know, for my rife and my steel nY
rod are gone"
Rosie" said her father grayely.
you've never been a fool before. Go
on back to your mother"
Obediently, having fallen contentedly
silent, she went, and the squads spread
up and down the great watershed In
grim and orderly fashion.
When the midnight stars stood over.
head there was a tiny. whispering
sound at the culvert, and man came
crawling cautiously out of It, having
merely raised the mat of dropping
ferns that concealed the mouth of as
fine a natural underground cavern that
gave at the upper end as one might
need for such a purpose as his.
Now he Strengthened cautiously and
listened. Far up on the ridge he could
hear occasional scattered shouts where
his fellows searched for him. he
smiled grimly.
His dark eyes were full OF Ere and
grim determination, and the excite
ment of great hazard marked his clean
lined face. He was starting for free
dom. But the first careful step ap-
palled him by its consequence. He
put his foot on something that rolled
and sent him rafting down the wash.
while the object of the disaster slid
with him.
With his heart stopped still he put
out his hands and felt of it It was
a steel fishing rod, its joints tied to-
gether. Dangling from it he found.
as his fingers slipped along it, q reel
full Of line and a fly book.
1t had been placed directly across
the culvert's mouth.
With his face a study In the dark
ness he crept slowly back. reaching
with his sensitive hands along the
rocky bed. They came upon the cold
metal of gun-a neat, light rife.
Lord he said under his breath.
Then he sat back up on his heels. mo-
donless in the darkness.
The men came struggling back at
dawn for food, ate. talked, compared
notes and went out again. All day
they hunted the hills and the gorges.
slept bit by turns and returned to the
search.
Mcconnell was grim and angry. He
hated to send word to the authorities
until he had satisfied himself that he
could do nothing himself.
The girl watched slyly from her gray
Eyes and said nothing, though she was
Is tense as a drawn string.
The next morning they were a bag.
gard bunch that clustered around the
ong tables in the cook shack, and Nc
Connel stood at the telephone calling
or the valley town. He was sending
or help.
The voices of the men were hushed !,
or his benefit, and there was only the
latter of knives against heavy plates.
Suddenly there was an exclamation
be rasp OF chair pushed back on the
ough floor, and man sprang up win
tragic finger pointed to a window
hat commanded the road
"HeavensI" he cried shrilly. There
e comesw
In one hand he carried the lengths
{ steel rod and a string of trout
resh from the cool shadows of the
pray dashed rocks. In the other be
ore light hunting rife. while on his
ack, properly slung with the trick OF
he true hunter. its slender feet tied on
is breast and it's weight on his Shout
ers. there rode young spike buck
Good morning." he smiled. by
gorge. I'm hungryT
Mcconnell walked up to him, and for
long moment the two men looked
ich other between the eyes Win
ances sharp as steel. Then:
Wash up" said the former shortly
You're just in time"
As he turned to obey his dark eyes
aveled TO where the girl stood at the
II side of the tables with a dish ID
n hands. and they were full OF
Milling light. Her lips were trembling
Id her lashes wet with tears.
He nodded ever SO slightly.
Presently as he washed at the basins y
e passed him. and her hand rested 4
r a moment on his muscled arm On Il
II its torn sleeve with an eloquent
ressing touch. III
Man." she laughed TREMENDOUSLY, on
an" II