The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-08-04

Louie Solomon struck town t'night.
Bell be down in tn nornin'."
Let i'm come
stick out fer tn five thousan'."
The Pearlhunter did not answer.
BE up t'morrow, sometime" the
voice doomed out again.
Come ahead"
The Boss tossed back no further
word. A hot argument OF some sort
had started in the boat, though such
a tumble of voices took part in 1t that
the Pearlhunter could not clearly make
out what 1t was about. AS near as he
could tell they were arguing the ques-
/ ton whether he should stick to the
five thousand or hold out for more.
The voices seemed about equally di-
vided, each one bent on winning the
i point, with victory apparently depend
ing on who could talk fastest and
loudest. A dry grin wrinkled his
face as the boat drifted on by He
had heard many an argument of that
sort-had taken part in few himself.
So Louis Solomon, the smoothest,
trickiest, shiftiest of them all, would
| be down in the mornin'." The eyes Of
/ the Pearlhunter narrowed. For some
| time he sat looking down the dark
streak where the river lay where the
wrangling voices were finally swal-
/ lowed up, and the creak of the oars
came back fainter and fainter.
| The flare in the east grew more in
| sistent, as if determinedato compel the
attention of drowsy world Long
spangles of crimson focused more and
more in a luminous core, barely be-
low the rim of the world. The core
grew glorious; slipped from behind the
hills and drenched the trees with pale
silver The brink of midnight; Almost
tomorrow! The best of today a white
arm thrust up in outline against the
gray logs of a three gabled cabin; the
best of tomorrow-what?
His jaws snapped together. He |
turned and re-entered the cabin. The |
dishes were still awaiting him. A |
glance and a backward jerk of his |
hand was all the attention they got. |
The candle had burned low. The draft |
that set in from the open door had |
guttered it deep. He blew it out, flung |
off his clothes and rolled into bed.
Five thousand" he muttered, drop
ping into the sleep that comes easy
to the woodsman. mot even Louie
Solomon can beat me if / stick right
there. That's what I'll do-stick-
right there. I'm not askin more, and
he shan't have it for-leSs-"
So long as the pulse of the woods
beat normal the sleep of the Pearl
hunter was sound. The boot of the
wi: the whine of the wild cat; the
howl of the wolves; never disturbed
him. In cabin or houseboat, or out
under the trees, he could sleep through
it ALL But let a false note creep into
the wild medley and 1t instantly
reached him. 1t was his training, and
could be counted on.
Some time away in the dead night
the false note came-guarded footballs
outside the cabin, and close to the wall
without start or stir the Pearlhunter's
eyes came open, every sense at keenest
pitch. 1t must have been near morn
ing. for the moon stood almost straight +;
in the open door He slid his hand
down his side, felt for the revolver ;
under the edge of his thigh, laid it /;
across his chest, and covered both
hand and revolver with a corner of ]
the sheet
An Arm Across the Moon.
A form blotted the moonlight upon !
the floor with a living splotch of |
shadow. An arm came in at the door;
a hand fumbled behind the easement. t
That was all. No face appeared. A I
m oment rtwo, and the arm disap- i
the splotch of shadow slid off I
the square of moonlight; the soft I
footballs slipped away around the east {
end of the cabin and muffled into 81 7
lence.
Very softly the Pearlhunter rose to i
his feet. The light outside was far a
too bright to risk venturing forth. 1t (
would have betrayed him instantly. .
He glanced around the cabin. The Z
moon had passed by the east window, \
so that is was in the shadow. He stole +
across the floor and peeped out i
through broken pane. 4
A man was picking his way up the 4
bluff He seemed in no great hurry, i
lor in the least disturbed. At the top
If the bluff he stopped and looked n
,ack In his brief instant of pause =
before striding away into the woods /,
he moon picked him out clear as day. o
{ was the Man n-tl1eF ancy-Vest. a
There was no more sleep for the :
He left the window, went r
n the cabin door and felt behind the i
easement where the hand had CROPPED "a
His fingers came in contact with 2,
inv bundle wedged between the. logs q
md the door frame. He drew II forth o
md unroIled it in the moonlight, deem u
ne it imprudent to light the candle. 5,
even before the moonbeams fell upon =
he thing he. knew by certain dis q
Iuieting premonition what II would
,rove to be-a red mask. n
He felt along the wall to the chick T
bove the table and poked his fingers n
etween it and the logs, where he had y
oncealed the packet the evening they :,
moved into the cabin. 1t vas still n
here. He drew it forth and COM =.
AIRED it with the other. They were xv
lmost identical. and Of a pattern -
nth the one he had seen that after
Don at the three-g abled cabin. ~
He sat down by the table and drop u,
ed his chin in his palm. What did II n.
lean? What must i mean-this last or
ne? He knew the meaning of the 60
by chance He had hi
cry plausible surmise as to the story di
T the other the one with the knife -.