Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1920-11-11
CHAPTER x.
The Candle in the Granny.

All the way back to Fallen Rock the
PearIhunter pondcred the scene he had
gaZed on through the chink in the
cabin wall: the mans TRANSPORTED
face; his actions with the picture-that
above all-the picture. 1t puzzled him,
angered him. That such a man should
have her picture; his mother's-with
he arkly beautiful face and wonder
full eyes-warm against his breast. 1t
was another reason why he should
hunt him down.
The Pearlhunter was as brave as
the woods make them but it is no dis
credit to his manhood to say that
his blood "a a little faster as
ne stepped down off the rock into the
water and waded through the falls.
Every, inch of the way had to be felt
out with his fingers before his feet
could be trusted to follow.
The roar of the falls had dulled a
little when suddenly a sound came out
OF the dark just ahead-a sound like a
garment rubbing against some rough
surface. The Pearlhunter stepped to
n side of the passage and 1attened
himself against the wall. Out of the
dead silence the sound came again. A
grin loosened his face. The very
sound he had half expected-a horse
~contentedly munching his hay.
The P~earlhunter came out from
against the wall and inched his way
deeper into the b%lackness of the pass
age. 1t abruptly widened until he was
no longer able to reach from one wall
to the other with his outstretched
arms. Though denied the use of his
eyes, he knew that the passage broad
~ expanded just there and became a
a He stood in the very entrance
of it.
The next step-there was no help
for flight! Desperate and danger
ous-the first spark, and the cave
might spring to life. Still, it was bet
ter than to stumble over a sleeping
man,; or walk into a knife. With his
revolver balanced, his face to the open
cave, he reached his left hand along
the wall to the farthest stretch of his
arm, bringing his body as far as posi-
bic from the light, and with his fin
gers fumbled out a spot suitably
smooth and dry-fOr there must be no
failure. The match scraped. A tiny
flame leaped away from the rock. It
lighted up the place surprisingly.
The cave was not large-hardly
twice the size of an ordinary room.
The first swift glance showed him that
except for the horse-it was empty.
The stub Of a candle caught his
eye, stuck by its w tallow to an out
standing stool of shale just beyond the
mouth of the passage. He crossed the
passage and held the match to the
wick. In the better light he studied
the place more closely.
The ave could not have been far
below the ground, for an oak root had
found its way through the wall. 1t
was to this that the horse was tied.
For a moment he was strongly
tempted to stay where he was till his
prey returned the following night and
then rid the FlatwoOds of him. and
trust what evidence he already had TO
prove his case.
But q better plan had been forming
ever since he came into the cave. and
there was much vet to be done; though
the ave would have made a good hid
ing place during the coming day-al-
ways provided the bandidt did not
chance to return before his time.
Selecting a spot that he judged to be
about right for the take-otf, he leaped
at the falls, and, half to his surprise,
landed on the fiat rock outside. It
was like breaking through the crust
Of creation into a new world. Mar
yelling at the small amount of water
that had chung to him, he sprang over
the two Intervening rocks to the shore.
lie hurried around to the front of
the cabin. raised the latch, entered
and closed the door. Snatching up
some cold biscuits and strips of fried
bacon, he hurriedly made six sand
Wlches and stuffed them into his peck
cts. Resting at the spring long enough
TO eat two of his sandwiches, he
drained a gourd of water, crossed the
below the falls and hurried
away up the bluffs into the deep
A mile and more north of the wa
terfall, Wolf Run bends west to dou-
bic and twist and loop through a tan
gle of hills and gulches known as Fox
Den, the widest and most inaccessi-
Bile district Of the Flatwoods. The
had heard of the place.
lie resolved to take his chances there.
The spot was no great distance above
three-gabled cabin.
Away up the bare front of a cliff his
eye lighted on the mouth of what APP
peared to be a cleft in the rock. Wolf
Kun washed against n narrow ledge at
the very foot of this cliff. He spread
fiat against the face of the
rock and strained from creyice to GREY.