Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-10-13

Copyright. 1920. by Little. Brown g Co.

Anu SnOWDlfQ-l didn't like his looks.
He's too gaunt and he's too hungry
and haven't a bit Of doubt ne waited
In that brush for us to come, intend
Ing to attack us-and lost his nerve
the last thing. That shows he's des-
perate. l don't like him, and I wouldn't
like his pack. And whole pack might
not lose its nerve"
"Then you think we'd better turn
back?"
Yes, I do, and not come out any
more without whole pocket of shells.
I'm going to carry a rifle, too, just as
Lennox has always. He's got only
fiesh-wOund. You saw what you did
with two cartridges-got in. one flesh
wound. Three of 'em against a pack
wouldn't be great deal of aid. I
don't mean to say you can't shoot, but
a jumping, lively wolf is worse than
a bird in the air. We've gone over
three miles; and he'd lead us ten miles
farther-even if he didn't go to the
pack. Let's go back"
IF you say so. But I don't think
there's the least bit of danger. We
can always climb a tree"
"And have 'em make a beautiful
circle under 1t! They've got more pa
tience than we have-and we'd have
to come down some time. Your father
can't come to our help, you know. It's
the sign of the tenderfoOt not to think
there's any danger-and I'm not going
to think that way any more"
They turned back and mushed in
silence long time.
u suppose you'll think I'm a cow
ard" Dan asked her humbly.
"Only prudent, Dam" she answered,
smiling, Whether she meant it he did
not know. ''Tm just beginning to I'M
derstand that yOu-llving here only
few months-really know and under
stand all this better than I do" She
stretched her arms wide to the wilder
ness. 81 guess it's your instinct"
"And I do understand" he told her
earnestly. ''I sensed danger back
there just as sure as can see your
face. That packard it's big, one
is close; and it's terribly hungry. And
you know-you can't help but know
that the wolves are not to be trusted
in famine times"
II know it only too WE'LL" she said.
Then she paused and asked him
about a strange grayness, like snow
blown by the wind, on the sky over
the ridge.
Bert Cranston waited in a clump of
exposed thicket on the hillside until
he saw two black dots, that he knew
were Dan and Snowbird, leave the
Lennox home. He lay very still as
they circled up the ridge, noticing
that except for the pistol that he
knew SnOwbird always carried, they
were unarmed. There was no par
ticular reason why he should be inter
ested in that point. It was Just the
mountain way always to look for
weapons, and it is rather difficult to
trace the mental processes behind this
impulse. Perhaps 1t can be laid TO
the fact that many mountain families
are often at feud with one another.
and anything in the way of violence
may happen before the morning.
The two passed out of his sight.
and after a long time he heard the
crack Of Snowbird's pistol. He
guessed that she had either shot at
some wild creature, or else was mere
ly at target practice-rather a COM
mon proceeding for the two when
they were on the hills together. Thus
1t is to be seen that Cranston knew
their habits fairly well. And since he
had kept close watch upon them for
several days, this was to be expected.
He had no intention of being inter-
rupted in this work he was about to
do. He had planned 1t all very well.
The elder Lennox was still HELPLESS.
CranstOn had noticed that when Dan
and Snowbird went out, they were
usually gone from two to four hours:
and that gave him plenty of time for
his undertaking. The moment had |
come at last to make a thorough |
search of LennOx's house for those In
eliminating documents that Dan had
found near the body Of Landy Hill
dreth.
The only really dangerous part of
his undertaking was his approach. II |
by any chance Lennox were looking
out of the window, he might be found
waiting with a rifle across his arms.
1t would be quite like the old noun
taineer to have his gun beside him,
and to shoot it quick and exceptional
ly straight, without asking questions,
at any stealing figure in the snow. Yet
Cranston felt fairly sure that Lennox
was still too helpless to raise a gun
to shooting position.
He had observed that the noun
taineer spent his time either on the
fireplace divan or on his own bed.
Neither of these places was available
TO the rear windows Of the house. So
very wisely, he made his attack from
the rear.
CTO BE CoNTINUEDO