The Lamar register., 1920-10-20

unOn can beat me II / stick r.gnr' rcrc.
That's what III do-stlck-rlght here.
IN not askiu' more, end he shHn't
have II for-less-"
So long as the pulse OF the woods
bca, normal the sleep Of the Pearl
hunter was sound. The hoot OF the
owl; the wiHne Of the wildcat; the
howl Of the wolves: never disturbed
him. In cabin or house- -bont. or out
undef the trees. he could sleep through
II all. But let false note creep lnto
the wild medley shA II instantly
reached him. II WAS ~ training, and
could be counted on.
Some time away In the dead night
the false note csme-guarded footballs
outside the cabin. sB1 close ~ the
wall. Without start or stir the Pearl
hunters eyes cnme open, every sense
at keenest pitch. II must have been
near morning for the moon rood al
most straight in the open door. He slid
his hand down his side. felt for the
revolver under the edge of his thigh
laid II across his chest, and covered
both hand and revolver with q corner
OF the sheet.
form blotted the moonlight upon
the door with a living Nlotch OF shsd-
ow Al arm came in ~ The door;
baud fumhled behind the easement
That was all. No face appeared. A
moment or two, and the arm disap-
pesr-d; the splotch Of shadow slid on
the square Of moonlight; the soft foot
falls slipped away around the east end
Of the cabin and mufflsd into silence
Very softly the Pearlhunter rose to
his feet The light outside was far
too bright TO risk yenturinE forth. II
would hsye betrayed him Instantly
He glanced around the cabin. The
moon had passed by the east window
20 that IT was in the shadow He
stole across the moor and pssped out
through broken pane.
A man was picking his way up the
blum He seemed In no great hurry
nor In the least disturbed. At the top
Of the bluf he stopped and looked
back In his brief instant Of pause be
fore rtridinY away into the woods the
moon picked him out clear a. day. II
was the Man-in-the eFaDcy-vsst.
There was no more sleep for the
Pearlhunter. He left the window.
went TO the cabin door and felt behind
the easement where the hand had
groped. His fingers came IN contact
with a riny bundle wsdged between
the logs and the door frame. He drew
II forth and unrolled II In the moon
light. deeming II imprudent TO light
the candle. Even before the moon
beams fell upon the thing he knew BY
a certain disQuieting premonition what
II would prove 10 be-a red mask.
He felt along the wall to the chink
above the table and poked his fingers
between II and the logs. where he had
concealed the packet the evening they
moved into the cabin. IL was still
there. He drew II forth and compared
II with the other. They were almost
identical. and OF a pattern with the
oue he had seen that Afternoon at the
three gsbled cabin.
He sat down by the table and
dropped his chin In his palm. What
did It meant What must IL mean-
this last onef He knew the meaning
vf the nrst-dropped 0y chance. he
'ae 'Siy ibiSS ~ ~ tANN
story OF the other. the one with the
knife thrust through 1t at the three
gabled cabin. But this one-this last
ohst
The man wanted 10 hide that BIZ Of
cloth right there. But whyi The Pearl
hunter rsked his brain for the answer.
Why? He must have been ignorant
that the other was hidden behind the
chink. or why should he have taken
such pains to hide this one, He was
probably ignorant of the fact that he
had dropped the other one In the cab
In that night; possibly did Dot know
where he had lost Il. II was even con-
ceivable that the loss Of II may have
occasioned him no small anxiety. II
he did not know that he had dropped
the other mask In the cabin. he prob
ably was unaware that the Pesrlhuut-
er knew him. The young man sat still
a long time over that thought
That he could with such apparent
readiness supply himself with another
mask after the first was lost suggested
nearby rendezvous, undoubtedly
somewhere In the Flatwoods--a rem
devious. or a confederate. But that
was unlike him-to have q confeu-
crate. He was known to work alone.
And his horse-he would not likely al