The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-12-30

bpdiTiuS SUI CduSht at uSi thfodt. oiN
heard the steps again. and they were
in the thickets just beside her.
Two hours before Snowbird had left
the house. on her long tramp to the
RINGER station. Dan had started home.
He hadn't shot until sunset. as he had
planned.
He rode one Of Lemons cattle
ponies. the only piece of horse-fesh
that Bill had not taken to the valleys
when he had driven down the live
stock. She was a pretty hay, spir-
tied. high-bred mare that could whip
about on her hind legs at the touch of
the rein on her neck. She made good
time along the trail. And an hour be-
fore sunset he passed the only human
hnbitation between the marsh and
I.ennox's house-the cabin that had
been recently occupied by I.andy Hill
dreth.
He glanced at the place as he
passed and saw that it was deserted.
No smell of wood smoke remained In
the air. Evidently Landy had gone
down to the settlements with his
precious testimony In regard to the
arson ring. Yet II was curious that
no word had been heard of him. As
far as Dan knew. neither the courts
nor the forest service had taken ac-
ton. .>
He hurried on, four miles farther.
The trail entered the heavy thickets.
and he had to ride slowly. 1t was as
hr a <,sr
the whole Divide. And just as he
came to a little cleared space. three
strange. dark birds fung up on wide
spreading wings.
BE knew them at once. All noun
taineers come to know them before
their days are done. They were the
huzzardls. the followers Of the dead,
And what they were doing In the
thicket just beside the trail. Dan did
not dare to think.
OF course they might be feeding on
the body Of deer, mortally wounded
by some hunter. He resolved to ride
by without investigating. He glanced
un The buzzards were lowering in
the sky. evidently waiting for him to
pass. Then. mostly to relieve curl
ous sense of discomfort In his own
mind. he stopped his horse and dis
mounted.
The twilight had started to fail. and
already its first grayness had begun
10 soften the harder lines Of forest
and hill. And after his first glance at
he curious white heap beside the
trail, ne was extremely glad that It
had. But there was no chance to mis-
take the thing. The elements and
much more terrible agents had each
wrought their change, yet there was
grisly evidence in plenty to show what
had occurred. Dan didn't doubt for
an instant but that It was the skele-
ton of Landy Hidreth.
He forced himself to go nearer. The
buzzards were almost done. and one
white bone from the shoulder gave un-
mistakable evidence of the passage of
bullet. What had happened there
after. he could only guess.
He got hack quickly on his horse
He understood. now. why nothing had
been heard of the evidence that Landy
Hildreth was to turn over to the
rOnrts as to the activities of the arson
ring. Some one-probahly Bert Gran
ston hImself-had been waiting on the
trail. Others had come thereafter
And his lips set in his resolve TO LEI
this murder measure In the debt he
had to pay Cranston.
The Lennox house seemed very ST.
lent when. almost an hour later he
turned his horse into the corral. He
had rather hoped that SnowbIrd would
he at the door to meet him. The dark
ness had Just fallen. and all the lamps
we're lighted. He strobe into the liv.
ing room. warming his hands an In
slant beside the fireplace. The fire
needed fuel. II had evidently been
neglected for nearly an hour.
Then ne called SnowbIrd. His voice
echoed in the silent room. unanswered
He called again. then went to look for
her. At the door Of the dining room