The daily Alaskan., 1920-10-12
It Caught the Intruder Flat in the
 Mouth.

WOuETs
 hunter dared not look around, yer ne knew his mother was coming. With s-ep he would not have believed it possible for her to take she was be- tween them. her face ablaze with i'm nrrious dignity: her eyes like the pan thrr before the door of her den. She had shed her weakness as mantle. THc intruder covered: his lips moved. She raised her hand and pointed to the door. Again he tried tn speak. Her holy stirrucd; her arm grew rigid. Like a man compelled to re- treat before blaze. he half turned and backed away.
 The Pyarlhuntrr followed him, trnfIrd Mir mp Ihr blul'S, through the woods and out 10 thc river road, where tt came down from tine north, right arclcd cast and led away up the river 10 the village.
 When he hurried back his mother was again in her chair, the impcrlous outhurs, over, spent and trembling, She looked up at him curiouSly. He thought she was about to speak. She hcSita,cG: looked down.
 "I huNcn't seen him for twenty years. Hes thc-thc-othCr man."
 Tho Pcar'huntcr started; glanced urfrtlv at.hrr. She was rocking back and forth. the fingers of her thin hands lariug and unlacing ncrvouSly.
 The breeze from the door was gut taring inc candle. He crossed the floor to close it. As he brought 1t around. if scrapcd q small packet ahead of if along the floor. He picked if up and. after closing the door. car rfoI it to thc candle. l. was not big ger than ,hc length and wil,h of q mans two thumbs and w0S wrapped in brown paper II, unroIIed 1t. The first glance. as tEe folds fell apart and bit of ,lo,h dropped upon the table, hraurhr startled exclamation from him. It vas a rod mask.
 The IrDn-Cray-WorGan left her chair and came to !he table. The two oc thrn stc1d staring down upon inc hit of flaming cloth.
 4 sudden impulse seemed to sweeT tEe man. ln"oluHtarily his hand felt for tle pistol at his hip; he whirled toward the door The woman clutched his arm. He caught the appeal in her eyes; bowed his head; turned back to the table.
 A tense bit of Dantomime it had been, full enough of meaning. of hu- man interest, to anyone able to trace back through the years the snarled Iife-threads of the actors: the two river waifs staring down at the mask; the hard man striding away up the river road.
 The woman went back to her chair and resumed, her quick, nervous rock ing.
 And so he has come to this" she muttercd My poor, poor cousin! !! Whnt must have been her fate"
 She Ieant forward and sat still and thoughtful, her face prOpped in her palm. The man stood by the table, lingering the bit of cloth, his eyes, stern and severe, still irresIstibly drawn in the direction the intruder had gone.
 A hail came up from the hOusebOat. The sudden cry half startled them both, coming so close as 1t did on the heels of that tense moment barely gone
 "It's the Boss. I promised to go spcaring with him tonight"
 Stepping to the door, he opened 1t and answered the hail; came back; slid the teakettle off the fire; closed the damper of the stove; and Snuffed the candle.
 "Now, mother, don't attempt to clear away the dishes. Leave them till get back. I'll only be gone lit tie while"
 The woman made no answer, The