Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-04-25
''DoC'!!''
BY HAROLD TITUS.
Author OF ITO the Victor"
Copyright
The Frank A. Munsey Company
The Frank A. Munsey Company

Ruth" he moaned What is ii?
What is it? With Kennedy the
Indian boy, and Sears-and YOU"
He sank into chair and dropped
his face into his hands, weakly. drew
q great. quivering breath and was still.
For 4 half hour he sat so without
moving, then he arose, with face
strangely set and went OUT into the
town.
kiheka had changed toward Ellis
Hardy. Men spoke TO him as he walked
down the street but their eyes did not
stay long on his; yet. when he pass
cd he felt they lurned and looked at
him. One or two. seeing him approach
ing, crossed the street; possibly on 4
preconceived intent. but Hardy was
suspicious and chose TO believe they
did it TO avoid speaking with him.
The day was the longest Hardy had
ever lived He was on The street a
half dozen times and always sensed
he same aloofress. the same disap
VrOfdi Ill luUSt Ut pdrNtu.
Once in the afternoon he approached
his ONCE after making q profes sonal
call. Little Foot sat on his sollcl at
The curb, Pickering a boot toe with his
quirt
Hello. Fred" The doctor greeted.
The Indian did not answer; just
looked al the white nan searchngly;
then 81 need about. as though TO see
that n, one might o, e,hem.
lie l. anod forward in h : saddle.
"Wau-pun-t,ck - looi out he
muttered. and reined the horse away.
But. Fred. what \"
Hardys words stopned as The great
horse loaped away in his sweeping
Iope.
The ply sician stood looking after
him: then shook hi> head and sighed
YEARLY
Seems as though he wanted to help
me md couldn't" he muttered
And once again that night Ellis
Hardy set out on the long ride 10
Navin's ranch his way enshroudcd in
the gloom OF moonlcss. cloudy night
and his spirits dampened by discour
agemenl and despair.
He exercised more care than ever in
making sure that none saw his de
parture and when he mounted his
horse only one being in sight a lone
rider making across the triangle
HARDY watched This figure and saw
that il continued on its course. Then
turned his horses head and swung 81
lontly of on his way
A thousand possibilities were in his
mind. Always the chance that he
MIGHT be seen by casual observer,
bur tonight he was on the alert for II
conscious follower. Little Foot's warn
ine ever present in his thoughts. He
did moi propose to be trapped.
At the end Of every mile Travelled
he pulled his horse to a stop and lis.
tered nten'ly many minutes
Tie wind was light and titful, leav-
Ing many intervals of flat silence in
the open. Nevertheless The atmos-
phere was thick, not the sort that car
RIGS sound we'll, so Hardy took the ut
most pains 10 wait long enough for
any who might follow him TO come
within hearing distance.
Making the cutoff through the oak
brush he fell certain thar he would be
able to detect Il follower, for no
animal could move many PAGES over
that portion Of the route without be-
irayina his presence to ears for yards
around.
Hardy stopped twice before he
reached open prairie again, but each
time his ears caught only the sigh Of
wind through The bare branches and
The rustic of dead leaves that clung TO
twigs here and there.
He felt relieved when he faced the
breeze and rode into the north again.
Nevertheless, his vigilance did not re-
lax: he continued the stopping and
listening. holding even his breath to
be sure that his ears were cleared of
every hindrance.
And yet he reokoned poorly. He
depended on one, lone sense - on a
sense that could not cope with the fact
that follower would ride down wind
snd might pursue the same stopping
and.listcning tactics to avoid ,detec
ton
For along behind him slipped a
rider, moving like shadow on n
quick stepping, clean footed, unshod
pony. IL was The rider Hardy had
seen crossing the triangle when he left
town. and on the Arst strides of the
.lls. bay sinslciooler down che street