Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1920-12-14

east yard drst, and then the west. I'm
not aiming to leave any tracks. but
its so dark can't make sure" He
was talking rapidly. I'm not expectin'
to leave the Flatwoods, and-you, un-
less they crowd me hard; not Ill I've
run him down and found my proof.
But the odds are against me. If any
thing should happen. | want you to
have this money And the minute you
hear they've got me. you must go
| straight to the sheriff Don't risk the
woods another hour, Put yourself I'M
der his protection, and tell him why !;
have the money transferred to you !;
and-send for that surgeon"
The tears beat their way up into the
girls eyes in spite of her. and ran
down her cheeks. Her head bent low.
1t was the one thing he knew not how
| to face. His hard life hadn't taught
him that. The tears hurt him. What
had caused them? Maybe it was lust
a woman's way. Maybe he had done
wrong to come to her with his cuts
and blood and danger.
She raised her face after time. He
drew long breath: dropped his hand
to his side; stared in establishment.
She was smiling--srniling through the
tears-and the dimples were back. The
| ways of woman-utterly beyond him.
and past finding out! She smootled
the draft out in her hands and was
/ looking at him over IL.
Il wonder If l ought to take IT, she
unused to herself, as much rs to him.
| He took tho paper out of her hands.
/ folded it and with masterful air
/ thrust it under fold of the loose gar
ment across her bosom.
Il haven't soul in the world to
leave il TO but-you."
His slow eyes left her face and
stared hard at the basin of red water
Stepping over to the stand, he stopped
and snuffed the candle. The huge
shadow of him filed the room. Turn
ing away, after he had the candle
again at full fame. his eyes came back
to the thoughtful face of his compan-
| ion.
THAT revolver l saw yesterday on
the mantel--is it loaded?'
II think So"
She looked up In curious half cur
prise, as If the question had brought
her thoughts back from afar.
''May see it'll"
"Why-yes-"
He shaded the candle again while
she lifted the curtain over the door;
paused a moment to listen to the
heavy breathing of the sleeper in the
west room; crossed to the mantel over
! the fireplace and brought him the re-
volver.
Several minutes the man spared to
| its inspection: testing the action of
! the hammer, cylinder revolution and
! trigger pull; replacing the somewhat
/ corroded caps on the tubes with new
ones; even packing fresh grains OF
! powder into the tubes where he
thought necessary.
do you know how it use it?" he
asked, looking up from his inspection.
1--WE shot lots of squirrels with it,
sometimes clear in the treetops," she
answered. "And once killed a hawk
that pestered the chickens
A grin puckered his eyes for mo-
ment, then his brows lowered. An
other question, hard enc, had to be
asked. that set him raking over his
slim stock of words for ways to ask it,
''Do girls-I mean-haye you got any
| place about you-your dress-to car
ry it?'
She was looking at him, her eyes
frank and wide-eyes that had no
need to narrow.
Il haven't" she answered; but l
can make one"
Il advise you to-"
He laid the revolver on the stand
and turned back to her. The time had
come to go, and they both knew 1t.
For while they stood silent. Once
his hand reached toward her, but he
drew it back.
"WiIl you be ready to raise the
blind when blow out the Gambler he
! said at last.
She went to the window and the
next moment the room was In dark
/ ness.
| Two futtering spots Of white in the
gloom rolled up the blind, found the
strings that held 1t and whipped them
into knot. Then the girl stepped
back. The man crawled through the
window-with extreme care not 70
scar the ground outside.
It is past all knowing how her hands
happened to get into his. He bent his
head and laid his face upon them
suffered them to slip out of his fingers
at last; and turned away.
He was gone on the instant-gone
| as a shadow goes-never knowing
( that for long and long the duh window
framed 2 white face listening for
some sound of him to come back out
Of the night.
The woodcraft Of the Pearlhunter
was profound. 1t was about all life
had taught him. but il had taught him
that With the logical precision OF a
schoolmaster passing from one step of
problem 10 another, IL led him
straight to the trail Of the man he had
been following a short time before
which, Of course. took him In the d.
recfion OF Fallen Rock The man he
followed had doubtless gone back 70
the village by this time. This prob
ability he had already estimated and
set down in his reckoning at It's
proper value. Bot he had another pur-
pose in turning his steps toward Fall
en- Rock. lie was deliberately going
back 70 the cabin.
With every caution 70 leave no trail.
he picked his way through the woods
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