The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-07-26
CHAPTER VIII.
The Girl With a Basket,

|
| dingles of the woods and soothed the
Pearlhunter5s face, red with the stifle
| and reek he had just left. He filled
| his lungs with dt-June-he tasted it
with his lips.
With half an eye on the door of the
Mud Hen, half an ear over his Shout
der, he crossed to the bank.
What name?" inquired the old
| banker, making out the receipt, after
| having placed the pearl away in the
vault.
The color set the tan on the young
| mans face afire. 1t was something
he had not foreseeu--that a name
would be required; and he had none.
| A pearl worth thousands, but no name
he would gladly have given the one
for the other. He found himself wish
ing he had not brought the pearl to
! the bank, that he had taken chances
| on guarding it himself.
What name?" repeated the banker,
looking over his glasses out through
the window
mered.
Northumberland"
Observation-Disclosures
TITS all I have
"Pearlhunter-well-
The banker had his mouth already
set to say something more-but he
didn't. Instead, he took a better look
at the tall young fellow on the other
side of the window. Dipping his pen
into the well a second time, although
1t was already overloaded to the drip
ha
receipt.
"Just bring this with you when you
| want your pearl, earlhunter."
And if I lose it?"
''Then-well-just bring your face.
Yes, that will do-your face. I reckon
you won't lost it,"
The old fellow chuckled as if he
had surprised himself making a joke.
1t usually puts a man in a good hu-
NOR to discover that he has made a
joke. The banker stood rubbing his
bony hands together while the Pearl
hunter walked out.
What next? The Pearlhunter stood
on the sidewalk outside of the bank
door and debated that very question;
question in two parts; first, whether
to go back to Fallen Rock; second,
whether to make another try after the
Boss. He finally decided in favor of
the Boss. The thought drew his eyes
toward the Mud Hen across the
street. The Man-in -the-Fancy- Vest
was standing just inside" the door.
At the moment, a young woman
with a basket on her arm came out
of a grocery a block up the street
and walked rapidly down toward the
saloon. The man just inside the door
apparently was watching for her. She
seemed to know that he would be
thereto dread that he would be-to
judge by the way she hurried past.
The man stepped out on the sidewalk
as the girl came opposite and tried
to stop her. He even stepped in front
of her. She turned out around him
and, with a bare word or two in re-
Spouse to his efforts to engage her
in talk, hurried rapidly on.
He stood looking after her till she
was block or more down the street
road would be the better word, since
the River Road formed the one street
of the village-and then deliberately
followed.
All thoughts of the cabin at Fallen
Rock, of the Boss sprawled over a
table at the Mud Hen, instantly fled
the mind of the Pearlhunter. His
somewhat passive face livened; into
his slow eyes came a quickened inter-
est. He hardly knew why he followed.
He simply found himself walking after
them.
She was probably some girl in from
the country-from the woods. He did
not know her, but he did know the
man that followed her-followed
against her wish, for he had marked
how she hurried by the saloon, ard
her evident anxiety to escape the un-
avoidable encounter.
They had passed the outskirts Of the
village and were well down the River
Road that led to the deep woods about
Fallen Rock when he allowed himself
to come in sight of them again. He
might have overtaken them, possibly
without exciting suspicion. his way
lying the same as theirs. But the
hard circumstances of life had taught
the Pearlhunter many handy les
son-keen observation; still tongue:
elf-reliance: caution. And he knew
the man he followed. Given that same
bit of knowledge-the chance discov-
cry that came with the picking up of
the red mask in the old cabin-the
Flatwoods would have been up in
arms. But that information he could
not give. for the very good and sub
stantial reason that he had no proof.
So he deemed it best to keep out of
sight and bide his time till the man
he followed disclosed his full inten-
tions.
The River Road. as it follows along
under the brow of the cliffs below
Buckeye, makes many turns. The
girl and her pursuer were walking
fast when the Pea rIhunter neened