The Jasper news., 1921-05-12

as he would bO obliged TO do to keep
up with swift-walking human figure
he cracks twigs like q rolling log.
She had the impression that the ami
NAL behind had been passing like
smoke at first, but wasn't taking the
trouble to do II now.
The sound was soft pat-pat on the
trail-sometimes entirely obllterated
but always recurring when she began
to believe that she had only fancied
its presence. Sometimes a twlg, rain
soaked though 1t was, cracked beneath
a heavy foot, and again and again
she heard the brush crushing and
rustling as something passed through.
Sometimes, when the trail was COW
cred with soft pine needles, 1t was
practically indlstlngulshable.
The animal was approximately one
hundred feet behind. 1t wasn't a wolf,
this season, and except in winter were
more afraid Of human beings than any
other living creature. 1t wasn't lynx
-one of those curiosity-devoured lit
tie felines that will new all day on a
trail and never dare come near It
was much too large for q lynx. The
feet fell too solidly. There were no
dogs In the mountains to follow at
heel; and she had no desire whatever
to meet Shag, the faithful hybrid that
used to be her guardian IN the hills.
For Shag had gone to his well-de-
served rest several seasons before.
Two other possibilities remained. One
was that this follower was a human
being. the other that 1t was cougar.
Ordinarily a human being is much
more potentially dangerous to wom-
an In the hills at night than a cougar.
A cougar is an abjeet coward and
some men are not. But SnowbIrd felt
any human foes. They would have no
advantage over her; they would have
no purpose in killing from ambush
and she trusted to her own marks
manship implicitly. While It Is an ex-
tremely difficult thing to shoot at n
cougar leaping from the thIcket, tall
man standing on a trail presents an
easy target. Besides, she had a vague
sense of discomfort that II this animal
were cougar, he wasn't acting true
to form. He was altogether too bold.
The animal on the trail behind her
was taking no care at all to go silent
ly. He was simply pit-patting along,
wholly at his ease. Ee acted as II the
fear that men have instilled in his
breed was somehow missing. And
that Is why she instlnctively tried to
hurry on the trail.
The step kept pace. For a long
mile. up a barren ridge, she heard
every step It made. Then, as the
brush closed deeper around her, she
couldn't hear 1t at all.
She hurried on, strainlng to the
silence. No, the sound was stopped.
Could 1t be that the animal. fearful at
last, had turned from her traff And
then for the first time q gasp that
was not greatly different from a de.
spairing sob caught at her throat. She
heard the steps again. and they were
In the thickets Just beside her.
Two hours before SnowbIrd had left
the house, on her long tramp to the
ranger station, Dan had started home.
He hadn't shot until sunset, as he had
planned.
He rode one OF Lennox's cattle
ponies, the only. piece OF horse-fiesh
that Bill had not taken to the valleys
when he had driven down the live
stock. She was pretty bay, a spir-
tied. high-bred mare that could whip
about on her hind legs at the touch Of
the rein on her neck. She made good
time along the trail. And an hour be.
fore sunset he passed the only human
habitation between the marsh and
Lennox's house-the cabin that ad
been recently occupied by Landy Hil-
dreth.
He glanced at the place as he
passed and saw that 1t was deserted.
No smell Of wood smoke remained in
the air. Evidently Landy had gone
down TO the settlements with his
precious testimony in regard to the
arson ring. Yet It was curious that
no word had been heard of him. AZ
far as Dan knew, neither the. courts
nor the forest service had taken &C.
ton.
He hurried on. four miles farther
The trail entered the heavy thlckets,
and he had to ride slowly. It was az
Wild a section as could be found on
the whole Divide. And Just as he