Evening star., 1919-09-28
E MORNING.

it. A little after the gathering Of
dusk on Thursday evening lie ap-
preached the deputy with this:
where's Curcy?" in q whisper.
sErlanger shook his head slowly and
began to eye the woodsman from un-
der frownIng brows. =
I'm going to hold you to your
promise Of a, week." growled Guthrie.
Erlanged nodded. I'm as good as
my word" E
The tlmberjack turned away. went
out. and was quickly swallowed UP in
the soft summer nights darkness. An
hour later. and he had stolen up to q
window in the end of the old cabin
that the logging men knew as Wild
eats Glory. and was peering cautious
ly in. This. In the yellowish light Of
big, swinging oil lamp, Is what he
saw:
He saw two sets Of four men sit
ting around a pair of small and rough
Homemade tables playing cards. and
ON each table were little piles of sill
yer money and partially rusted tin
cups OF clear new whisky. The air
was yitiated and full Of thin layers of
pale blue tobacco smoke. Now and
then an oath or n peal of coarse
laughter came to his ears.
Then he noted that Martin Curcy
stood alone at the other end of the
room. Curcy's heavy countenance
plainly showed defeat. Gray bearded
: old Bildad Torrey walked up to him,
pokGd him in the side with a crooked
d. forefinger. and said in voice that
carried easily to Battery D. Guthrie.
:lIow much'd We lose, Mart?'' =
. -Four dollars. snarled Curcy; but
what's it to your ,E .s
He showed his teeth like an en-
ragged panther, caught the old man by
the coat collar and shook him rough
ly. Guthrie's jaws clicked at the sight.
He made for the door, rushed in and
stopped sauarely facing his enemy.
Quit THAR lie clipped.
Curcy let fall his hand and grinned
sheepishly. He was afraid of that big
iron king of a man who. though he
rarely fought save for the pure sport
Of lighting. could fight any kind of a
battle well. .A. ~
let me see you on the outside,
Mart" muttered Battery B.. And sup
pose you gof first" ~ ~ -
: For Curcy was not one whom a wise
man would trust at his back. !, ~
Together they went down the wind
ing, scrub bordered trail that led from
Wildcats Glory to Long creek. When
they had reached little open space
where there were no treetops to shut
out the light of the stars Guthrie put
heavy hand on, his companions
shoulder and they halted. -.
Mart began Battery b, following
the line Of a plan that he had laid,r
'1've, got tho money you took, from
the pay car" H., -
"You--you've got" stamrnersd
Curcy, when Guthrie broke in:se =; s'-
Yes I've got 1t. I found It in
hole half mile this side OF the cut.
in a thicket, under.a big oak that has
been struck by lightning. I came here
to tell you, Mart, that you'd better
leave while there's time to leave.
] That fellow Erlanger is an oi1icer,
Mart, and he's been Watching you.
You'd, better 80 right now:"; IL,
For IT. Curcy disappeared, would not
that lend to his. story Of 'hndfns thS
money sufficient color to make 1t be-
iisvable? He figured that itswould:
Even IN the darkness ne! could see
Curcy shrink! There was no doubt IN :
curcy's mind that Battery b had
spoksh trpthfuily; Otherwise how :
would Battery b know where ne had
hidden the proceeds Of his hold. .uHq
Though Gathrie's was tho l,ner' intel
iiGence, there entered curcy's mind !
!. thing that the other had not Thought
; of-tf the two Of them were brought
20 trial would not the payinaster and
his assistant rsceEntze the voice Of
thstreal robber? VI NJ
The real robber.. saw That !he was
beaten. He listed Battery b. Guthrie
with an old hatred and. "a terrible
hatred, HIS cowardly sepi demanded a
/, red vengeance, II he hed to run away
he would, run away for something
biggers than hoidipS up = pay; chr. . J
Does ErlanEer, know--hsve you told
him YETI" he sked. - ~
II haven't told him YETI. answered,