Charlevoix county herald., 1920-12-31


herself entirely capable of handling
any human foes. They would have no
advantage over her; they would have
no purpose In killing from ambush !;
and she trusted to her own marks
manship implicitly. While II is an ex-
tremely difficult thing to shoot at a
cougar leaping from the thicket, tall
man standing on a trail presents an
easy target. Besides. she had vague
sense of discomfort that II this animal
were a cougar, he wasn't acting true
to form. He was altogether too bold.
The animal on the trail behind her
was taking no care at all to go silent
ly. He was simply pit-patting along,
wholly at his ease. He acted as If the
fear that men have instilled In his
breed was somehow missing. And
that is why she instinctively tried to
hurry on the trail.
The step kept pace. For long
mile, up a barren ridge, she heard
every step 1t made. Then, as the
brush closed deeper around her, she
couldn't hear II at all.
She hurried on, straining to the
silence. No, the sound was stopped.
Could II be that the animal. fearful at
last, had turned from her trail? And
then for the first time a gasp that
was not greatly different from a de-
buzzards, the followers or tne ueuu.
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
up. The buzzards were lowering In
the sky. evidently waiting for him TO
pass. Then, mostly to relieve a curl
Gus sense of discomfort In his own
mind, he stopped his horse and dis
mounted.
The twilight had started to fall. and
already its first grayness had begun
10 soften the harder lines Of forest
and hill. And after his first glance at
The curious white heap beside the
trail, he was extremely glad that II
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 II 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
a bullet. What had happened there
after he could only guess.
He got back quickly Oh his horse
He understood, now, why nothing had
been heard of the evidence that Landy
Hildreth was TO turn over to the
courts as TO the activities Of the arson
ring Some one-probably Bert Gran
ston himself-had been waiting on the
trail. Others had come thereafter.
And his lips set in his resolve to let
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
be at the door to meet him. The dark
ness had just fallen. and all the lamps
were lighted. He strobe into the liv.
ing room. warming his hands an In
slant beside the fireplace. The fire
4 nvfd fIu
neglected for nearly an hour.
Then he called Snowbird. His voice
echoed In the silent room, unanswered.
He called again. then went 10 look for
her. Al the door of the dining room
he found the note that she had left
for him.
II told. very simply and plainly. that
her father lay injured In his bed and
he was to remain and do what he
could for him. She had gone for help
TO the ranger station.
He Ieaped through the rooms to Len
nox's door. then went In on tiptoe.
And the first thing he saw when he
opened the door was the grizzled
mans gray face on the pillow.
you're home early, Dan." he said.
"How many did you getT
II was entirely characteristic.
Shaggy old Woof is too proud to howl
over the wounds that lay him low. and
this gray old hear on the bed had par
taken Of his spirit.
"Good Lord" Dan answered. "How
badly are you hurt?"
mot so bad but that I'm sorry that
Snowbird has gone drifting twelve
miles over the hills for help. It's
dark as pitch"