American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1921-04-29
BOOK THREE
The Payment.
CHAPTER l.

The Lennox home, in the wilderness
of the Umpqua Divide, looked rather
like an emergency hospital for the first
few days after Dams fight with Whis-
perfoot. Its old sounds of laughter
and talk were almost entirely lacking.
Two injured men and a girl recovering
from a nervous collapse do not tend
toward cheer.
But the natural sturliness OF all
three quickly came to their aid. of
course Lennox had been severely In
jured by the falling log, and many
weeks would pass before he would be
able to walk again. He could SIT up
for short periods, however; had the
partial use of one arm and could pro-
pei himself-after the first few weeks
at a snail's pace through the rooms
in a rude wheel chair that Bits inge-
nuity had contrived. The great nvid
scratches that Dan bore on his body
quickly began to heal; and before a
week was lone he began to venture
forth on the hills again. Snowbird
had remained in bed for three days;
then she had hoped out one bright
afternoon, swearing never to go back
into it again. Evidently the crisp, fall
air of the mountains had been a nerve
tonic for them all.
Of course there had been medical
attention. A doctor and a nurse had
motored up the day after the accident;
the physician had set the bones and
departed, and the nurse remained for
a week. to see the grizzled mountain
eer we'll on the way of convalescence.
But 1t was an anxious wait, and Len
nox's car was kept constantly in readi-
ness to speed her away In case the
SHOWS should start. At last she had
left him in Snowbird's hands, and BIZ
had driven her back to the settlements
in his fathers car. The die was now
cast as to whether or not Dan and
the remainder Of the family should
winter in the mountain. HI snow
clouds deepened every day, the frost
was ever heavier in the dawns, and
the road would surely remain open
only q few days more.
Once more the three seemingly had
the Divide all to themselves. Bert
Cranston had evidently deserted his
cabin and was working a trap-line or
the Umpuua side. The rangers left
the little station, all danger of fire
past, and went down to their offices
in the federal building Of n of thu
little cities below. Because he wat
worse than useless in the deep SHOWS
that were sure to come, one of thu
ranch hands that had driven up witt
Bill rode away TO the valleys the las
of the live stOck-the horse that Dal
had ridden to Snowbird's defense.
Nothing had peer heard of Land
Hildreth, who used to live on tn
trail TO the marsh, and both Lenno
and his daughter wondered why. Their
were also certain officials who ha
begun to be curious. AS yet, Da
had old no one of the grim find h
had made on his return from hunting
And he would have found 1t an e1
tremely difficult fact to explain.
II all went back to those inne
springs of motive that few men ca
see clearly enough within themselv'
to recognize. Even the first day. whe
he lay burning from his wounds,
worked out his own explanation IN r
GARD to the murder mystery. L
hadn't the slightest doubt but tn
Cranston had killed Hlldreth to pr
vent his testimony from reaching Il
courts below. OF course, my 9TH
member of the arson ring of hillm'
might have beer the murderer; y
Dan was inclined to believe that era
stcn, the leader of the gang, usual
preferred to do such dangerous woI
as this himself. If 1t were true, som
where on that tree-clad ridge clu
would be left. Moreover, 1t was Who'll
possible that the written testimol
Hildreth must have gathered had ne
er been found or destroyed. d;
didn't want the aid Of the courts
find these clues. He wanted to wo
out the case himself. 1t resolved
self into a simple matter Of %vengeanc
Dan had his debt to pay, and he wal
ed TO bring Cranston to ruin by
own hand alone.
While It was true that he took
Their more than h casual inter'
that most citizens feel in the destrl
ton Of the forest by wanton fire. a
had an actual sense Of duty to do
that he could to stop the activities
the arson ring, his motives. strip
and bare, were really not utilitarii
He had no particular interest In E
dreth's case. He remembered him 81
ply as one of Cranston's disreputaI
gang, a poacher and a fire bug ri
self. When all is said and done,
remained really a personal issue
tween Dan and Cranston. And ?
sonal issues are frowned upon by !