The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-02-04
CHAPTER XIV.
Men OF the Mountains.

f"T y the afternoon passed away, anu
&ss as it became late we entered
~ great tracts Of gloomy pine
woods. wind which had risen
with the evening moaned through
their tops and flung the dark waters
of innumerable little lakes against
their moss bordered shores.
noticed that Puttick unslung his
rife and laid it among the packs upon
the blackboard beside him. and when
ever the road dipped to more than
usually somber detile Ills eyes, quick
and restless as those of some forest
animal, darted and peered into the
shadows. The light Of the sun was
fading when there occurred the one in.
cident of our journey. 1t was not OF
real Importance. but ! think 1t made
an impression on all Of us. The road
along which we were driving came
suddenly out into an open space. ana
here in front of a shack of the rough
est description man was engaged IN
cutting logs AS we passed he glanced
IN ar us, and his face was like that OF
some medieval prisoner--a tangle OF
wild beard. mass of grayish hair
and among it all pair of eyes which
seemed to glare forth hatred, There
was something ominons about the
wotish face.
1t was already dark when we arr1v'
ed at the house, long, low building OF
surprising spaciousness. set literally
among the pines. the fragrant branch
es Of which tapped and rustled upon
the windows.
We went In. and while dinner was
preparing Mr.. Petersham. Joe and ]
went to the room where the wounded
game warden. Worke. lay upon a bed
smoking a pipe with candle sputter'
ing on chair beside him.
Eyes, Mr.. Petersham." said he in an
swer to u question. "When you went
away last TALL did think things was
settling down a bit. but week ago
while Puttick was on the eastern
boundary l thought I'D go up to Senlis
lake, where last year keoghan had the
brook netted. was making a fire to
from the rocks up above. and the next
| knew was that l was hit pretty bad
through this knee.
ut was coming on dark. and l rolled
into a bush for cover. but whoever ii
were didn't fire at me again. don't
think he wanted to kill me. IL he had
he could have put the bullet into my
heart just AS easy rs in my leg. l tied
no the wound the best way l could
Lucky the bullet hadn't touched any
big artery. Next morning | crawiee
up the hill and lit signal smokes til
Puttick came. He brought me il
here"
II suppose Puttici had look roun'
for the tracks of the fella who gunne'
you?" asked November
HE did, but he didn't find out moth
ing. There was a light shower be
tween dark and dawn. and the groun
Oh the hill above there is mostly rock
Such, then, was the story OF on
coming to kalmacks. and for the mex
two or three days we spent our tim
fishing in the streams. the only NOV
in the direction of the main object {
our visit being that Joe. whom Lind
insisted upon accompanying. wake
over to Senlis lake and had a look g
the scene OF Worke's accident. Th
old tracks, Of course. were long sine
washed away. and thought. with tn
others, that .Joe's visit had been frui
less until he showed me the she'll (
an exploded cartridge
'''rhe bullet which went through hi
Worke's leg came out OF that. foun
it on the hill above. It's 1915 Gel
trail fire rife. an old '76 model"
This is Il great discovery you an
Miss Petershaln have made"
Joe smiled "There's nothing mue
to it. anyway. She lost her broot
somewhere by the lake and was looki
for it when | found this" Joe ind
Gated the exploded shell. THE mou
tains is full of 1915 guns, 1876 pa
tern Some years back a big iro
mongery store down here went bu
and threw a fine stock OF them callD
rifles on the market A few dolla
would buy one, 50 there's one in pre-
ty nigh every house and two al
three in some Howsoever, it may
useful TO know that him that shot 4
/ Worke carried that kind u a elf
Still, we'd best keep it to ourselye
Mr Quaritch."
"Al right" said |. by the wa
u Joe. there's side to the situation
! don't understand We've been he
!. four days. and nothing has happene
| mean Mr.. petersham has had
e word OF where to put the $1,000 blac
mail these criminals are demanding
l. him."
II Maybe there's reason for that"
{ II can't think of any"
q what about the sand?"
u "rhe sand?" l repeated.
y Yes. haven't you noticed? l 6
lr Mr.. Petersham to have two loads
'e sand brought up from the lake and la