Evening star., 1917-09-30

slackened his steps. After half mile
the scent grew hot. The tracks were
deeper. the arrowheads more clearly
cut and Jimmie broke into run. Then
the arrowheads swung suddenly to the
right, and in a clearing at the edge OF
a wood were lost. But the tires had
pressed deep into the grass, and Just
inside the wood he found the car. 1t
was empty. Jimmie was drawn two
ways. Should he seek the spy on the
nearest hilltop or, until the owner re-
turned. wait by the car. Between lying
in ambush and action, Jimmie preferred
action. But, he did not climb the hlll
nearest the car; he climbed the hill
that overlooked that hill.
Flat on the ground. hidden in the
goldenrod. he lay motionless: Before
him for fifteen miles stretched hills
and tiny valleys. Six miles away to
his right rose the stone steeple and the
red roofs of Greenwich. Directly be-
fore him were no signs of habitation,
only green forests. green heids. gray
stone walls. and where a road ran up
hill splash of white that ouivered in
the heat. The storm of the night be-
fore had washed the air. Each leaf
stood by itself. Nothing stirred; and
in the glare of the August sun every
detail of the landscape was as distinct
as those in a colored photograph; and
as still.
In his excitement the scout was >trem-
bling.
IF he moves" he sighed happily,
I've got him.
Opposite. across little valley. was
the. hill at the base of which he had
found the car. The slope toward him
with thick wood: and along its crest,
as though establishing an ancient
boundary. ran a stone wall. moscow
cred and wrapped in poison ivy. IN
places the branches of the trees, reach
ing out to the sun. overhung the wall
and hid it in black shadows. Jimmie
divided the hill into sectors. He began
at the right and slowly followed the
stone by stone. Had a chipmunk
raised his head Jimmie would have
seen him. So when from the stone
wall. like the reflection of the sun upon
a windoWpane. something flashed Jim
mie knew he had found his spy. A
pair of binoculars had betrayed him.
Jimmie now saw him clearly. He sat
on the ground at the top of the hill
opposite. in the deep shadow of an oak,
his back against the stone wall. With
the binoculars to his eyes he had lean
cd too far forward. and upon the glass
the sun had flashed warning.
Jimmie appreciated that his attack
must be made from the rear. Back
ward like a crab he wriggled rTee of
the goldenrod and, hidden by thu con-
tour Of the hill. raced down it and into
the wood on the hill opposite. Wien
he came to within twenty feet of the
oak beneath which he had seen the
stranger he stood erect. and as though
avoiding live wire. stepped on tiptoe
to the wall: The stranger still sat
cord around his neck. Across his
knees was spread map. He was
marking it with a pencil. and as he
worked he hummed a tune.
Jimmie kne!t, and resting the gun on
the top of the wall, covered him
Throw up your hands," he COM
manded.
the stranger did not start ExceEt
that he raised his eyes he gave no siga
that he had heard. His eyes stared
across the little sun-filled valley They
were half closed as though in study, as
though perplexed by some deep and in
tricate problem. They appeared to see
beyond the sun filled valley some place
of greater moment. some place far dis
tant.
Then the eyes smiled and slowly, as
though his neck were stiff. but still
smiling, the stranger turned his heal.
When he saw the boy. his smile was
swept away In waves of surprise,
amazement and disbelief. These were
followed instantly by an expression of
the most acute alarm. Don't point that
thing at met shouted the stranger.
rs It loaded?" With his cheek pressed
to the stock and his eyes squnted down
the length of the brown barrel, Jim
me nodded. The stranger flung up his
open palms. They accented his express
sion of amazed incredulity. lie seemed
to be exclaiming. Can such things be-
Get up" commanded Jimmie
With alacrity the stranger rose.
Walk over there ordered the
scout Walk backward. Stop! Take off
those f1eldglasses and throw them TO
me-" Without removing his eyes from
the gun the stranger lifted the binocu-
lars from his neck and tossed them to
the stone wall "See-here," he pleaded.
"if you'll only point that damned
.blunderbuss the other way. you can