The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-05-17

Z
| few yarda Assured that the water
would thus conceal his trail. he crept
across the narrow open space and
lowered himself over the bank.
cruuching knee deep In tho cold
stream safely under cover. Thus
protected. he waded slowly down.
ward. pausing occaHionally 20 peer
over tho rim OF rock, 60 make Ger
/ tain all was clear. lie saw no evi.
dcnco OF any guard. and became con.
WINGED the cabin also was deserted,
that II this was actually the place
whore Olga had been confined ON ar
| rival. she had since been removed
elsewhere.
! Yet he took no chances. relaxed no
possible vigilance aa he advanced.
Tho guard might be within. or sta
toned before the door. which must
be upon tho other side. Al he drew
nearer. the place appeared old. rather
Idtlapidatcd and long deserted shack
scarcely fit for human hahitation any
longer. Tho one window WINS board
cd up. and tho patched roof OF tho
lean TO naggcd dirnaiiy. The outside
chimney had lost It's top. and was
sfnokeicNs. while the growth OF weeds
about tho walls was almost impene-
/ trahlc. This was certainly not the
place. no one apparently had rvrd
there for many n year. He stared
At Il. with eycs just lifted above the
bank--a cheap two roomed log hut.
inexprcsSbly gloomy In the dark
shadow OF the woods. without sign
| OF lifa visible. sun. now he had
venturcd 80 much. u might be well
[ to take look inside. II Macklin de-
sired TO conceal the girls presence
from these other rufflans. he could
have found no better spot than this
In which 20 hide her. Even II not
there now. she might have been
placed there at first until other ar
rangcmenta could DO made. and have
thus left some token OF her presence
behind. AsHurcdly no harm could b.
done By hiz searching tho rooms. and
this WI s'd require only a moment or
two.
lie drew himself up into tho weeds.
and wiSglcd his way forward until he
obtained full view OF tho door. IL
was tightly closed. but unguardod
without. Indeed his search revealed
no sign that the hut had been visited
for months. until he camo within a
yard or two of tho long step before
the entrance: then he suddenly en-.
countcrcd footprints In the softer
ground. and was able 10 distinguish
where noncone-more than one. be
thought--had pushed a passage thru
the surrounding tanElo Of weeds. lie
studied these Hlgns intcutly. yet dis
ccrned nothing resembling a woman's
shoe. They wer. moccaHin tracks
mostly. yet he found two plain In
prints Of a narrow bootheei. such as
n cowboy might wear. The moo
casln shod feet. however. wcr, far
tho more numerous. they had passed
over the ground again and again. and
/ he even believed one. and perhaps
moro. OF the wearers had sat on the
doorstep lmpatiently stamping their
feet TO his judgment tn, place had
Indeed been under guard. and that
rcccntiy--ths marks wcrr compare,
lively fresh. and clean cut as tho
made within few hours.
Then. In NIL probability, this had
been tho prison where his wife wns
held He had stumbled upon H.
Here. undoubtedly. was the very spot
where she had been confined under
guard during tho past night yet she
certainly was not there now. The
deserted appearance Of the place was
proof positive that she had been
taken elsewhere. No sign remained
OF any occupancy. and even the
guard was gone. Voices sounded Oft
toward the broader expanae Of valley,
but too far away 20 present danger
even as he stood cautiously up. and
looked out over the tops OF tho weeds
he could see nothing to create alarm.
He was alone. unseen. unsuspected.
and yielded to tho desire TO learn
what was within the hut She might
have left some message. Some align OF
her presence, which would prove a
clue.
The outer door was secured merely
by a wooden latch. and opened easily
60 his touch. Afraid lest some un-
known eye Nigh, mark his move
ments. Shelby giided quickly in thru
the narrow opening, and instantly
pressed the door shut behind him.
He was IN almost total darkness. the
only light finding entrance between
| the ill-fltting boards at tho single
window. He felt his way blindly
across the room. guided by this dim
ray, and, discovering one Of the
boards somewhat ioosened. mana god
TO wrench IL free, thus permitting tho
gray daylight 20 gain entrance. This
gave him "A dim view OF the interior.
a nearly square room. inexpresslbly
dirty. and without furniture, except
rough bench thrust back against
one wall.
Straight across from where he
stood some black object lay upon the
floor. 80 lndistinct in It's outlines he
could not, In that faint light. de
termine what II might be--a pile OF
rags. perhaps. or shapeless heap OF
rubbish. He stepped forward. curious
to learn It's nature. yet stopped sud
denly. staring down In speechleas
horror. Ho was beside tho bodies OF
two men. both dead. Rripped TO.
gcther. stiffened in tho very attitude
with which death had overtaken
them. They had died fighting like
wild dogs. and their strange posture
told tho whole story Shelby. crush.
ing back the dread hs felt. tried 10
part them. but the stiffened limbs
would not yield. One was white
man. the other an Indian. the latter
shot thru the chest. the former ap.
parently choked 10 death. the rigid
red fingers Of his antagonist still
clutchlng his throat, Beyond. on the
floor. lay n revolver and knife.
CONTINUED Tomorrow