The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-12-16


ing. It was the same process-a eau
tious, silent advance in the trail of
prey. He had to walk with the same
caution. he had to take advantage of
the thickets. He began to feel a curl
Gus excitement.
Cranston seemed to be moving more
carefully now, examining the brush
along the trail. Now and then he
glanced up at the tree tops. Aud all
at once he stopped and knelt in the
dry shrubbery.
At first all that Dan could see was
the glitter of knife blade Grams
ton seemed to he whiting a piece OF
dead pine into fine shavings. Now
he was gathering pine needles and
small twigs, making little pile of
them. And then. just as Cranston
drew his match. Dan saw his purpose.
Cranston was at his old trade-set-
ting forest fire.
For two very good reasons, Dan
didn't call TO. him at once. The two
reasons were thar Cranston had rife
and that Dan was unarmed. 1t might
be extremely likely that Cranston
would choose the most plausible and
effective means of preventing an inter-
ruption of his crime, and by the same
token, prevent word of the crime ever
reaching the authorities. The rife
contained five cartridges. and only one
was needed.
But the idea of backing out, unseen,
never even occurred to Dan. The fire
would have a tremendous headway be-
| h~
1t was near the lookout station. every
condition pointed to a disastrous fire.
The brush was dry as tinder. not SO
heavy as to choke the wind. but yet
tall enough to carry the flame into
the tree tops. The stiff breeze up the
ridge would certainly carry the flame
for miles through the parched Divide
before help could come. In the mean
time stock and lives and homes would
be endangered, besides the irreparable
loss of timber. There were many
things that Dan might do. but giving
up was not one Of them.
After all. he did the wisest thing of
all. He simply came out In plain sight
and unconcernedly walked down the
trail toward Cranston. AT the same
instant, the latter struck his match.
AS Dan was no longer stalking,
Cranston Immediately heard his step.
He whirled, recognized Dan, and for
one long instant in which the world
seemed to have time in plenty to make
a complete revolution, he stood per-
fectly motionless. The match flared in
his dark fingers. his eyes-full Of sin
gular onjecturing-rested on Dams
face. No instant of the iatter's life
had ever been fraught with greater
peril. He understood perfectly what
was going on in Cranston's mind. The
fire-fiend was calmly deciding whether
to shoot or whether to bluff 1t out.
One required no more moral courage
than the other. 1t really didn't make
a great deal of difference to Cranston.
But he decided that the killing was
not worth the cartridgG The other
course was too easy. He did not even
dream that Dan had been shadowing
him and had seen his intention. He
would have laughed at the idea that a
"tenderfoot" could thus walk behind
him. unheard. Without concern. he
scattered with his foot the little heap
Of kindling. and slipping his pipe into
his mouth, he touched the faring
match to It. It was a wholly admir-
able little piece Of acting, and would
have deceived any one who had not
seen his previous preparations. Then
he walked on down the trail toward
Dan.
Dan stopped and lighted his own
pipe. II was . curious little truce
And then be leaned back against the
great gray trunk Of fallen tree.
"Wen. Cranston," he said civiliy
The men had met on previous &C
casions, and always there had been
the same invisible war between them.
"How do you do. Failing" CranstOn
replied. No perceptions could be 30
blunt as to miss the premedItated in
suit in the tone. He didn't speak in
his own tongue at all. the short, gut
tural "Howdy" that Is the greeting
Of the mountain men. He pronounced
all the words with an exaggerated pre-
cision. an unmistakable mockery of
Dams own tone. In his accent he
threw a tone Of sickly sweetness. and
his inference was all too plain. He
was simply calling Failing a milksop
and a white-liver; just as plainly as
If he had used the words.
The eyes of the two men met.
Cranston's lips were slightly curled in
an unmistakable Ieer. Dams were
very straight. And in one thing at
least, their eyes looked just the same.
The pupils of both pairs had contracted
to steel points. bright in the dark gray
Of the irises. Cranston's looked some
what red; and Dams were only hard
and bright.
Dan felt himself straighten; and the
color mounted somewhat higher in his
brown cheeks. But he did not try to
avenge the insult-yet. Cranston was