The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-01-06


attention. A doctor and nurse. had
the physician had set the bones and
departed, and the curse remained for
week. to see the grizzled mountain
eer well on the way of conva1escence.
But it 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 Bill
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. The snow
clouds deepened every day. the frost
was ever heavier in the dawns. and
the road would surely remain open
only 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 on
the Umpqua side. The rangers left
the little station, all danger of fire
past, and went down to their offices
in the federal building of one of the
little cities below. Because he was
worse than useless in the deep SHOWS
that were sure to come, one of the
ranch hands that had driven up with
Bill rode away to the valleys the last
of the live stock-the horse that Dan
had ridden to Snowbirds defense.
Nothing had been heard of Landy
Hndrath xx-hn IN fuo n
trail to the marsh. and both Lennox
and his daughter wondered why. There
were also certain officials who had
begun to be curious. AS yet. Dan
had told no one of the grim find he
had made on his return from hunting.
And he would have found it an ex
tremely difficult fact to explain.
1t all went back to, those inner
springs of motive that few men can
see clearly enough within themselves
to recognize. Even the first day, when
he lay burning from his wounds. he
worked out his own explanation in re-
gard to the murdar mystery. He
hadn't the slightest doubt but that
Cranston had killed Hildreth to pre-
vent his testimony from reaching the
courts below. OF course, any other
member of the arson ring of hillmen
might have been the murderer; yet
Dan was inclined to believe that Gran
stcn, the leader Of the gang, usually
preferred to do such dangerous work
as this himself. If 1t were true. some
where on that tree-clad ridge clues
would be left. Moreover, 1t was wholly
possible that the written testimony
Hildreth must have gathered had new
er been found or destroyed. Dan
didn't want the aid of the courts to
find these clues. He wanted to work
out the case himself. 1t resolved it.
self into a simple matter of vengeance:
Dan had his debt to pay, and he want
ed to bring Cranston to ruin by his
own hand alone.
While 1t was true that he took ra-
ther more than the casual interest
that most citizens feel in the destruc-
tion of the forest by wanton fire. and
had an actual sense of duty to do all
that he could to stop the activities of
the arson ring, his motives. stripped
and bare, were really not utilitarian.
He had no particular interest in Hill
dreth's case. He remembered him sim
ply as one of Cranston's disreputable
gang, a poacher and a fire bug him
self When all is said and done, it
remained really a personal issue be-
tween Dan and Cranston. And per-
sonal issues are frowned upon by law
and society. Civilization has toiled
up from the darkness in a great meas
ure to get away from them. But hui
man nature remains distressingly the
same, and Dams desire to pay his debt
was distinctly human emotion Some
time n breed will live upon the earth
that can get clear away from personal
vengeance-from that age-old code
of the hills that demands blow
for a blow and life for life-but
the time is not yet. And after all, by
all the standards of men as men. not
as read in idealistic PHILOSOPHERS.
Dams debt was entirely real BY the
light held high by his ancestors, he
could not turn his other cheek.
Just as soon as he was able he went
back to the scene of the murder. He
didn't know when the snow would
come to cover what evidence there
was. 1t threatened every hour. Ev-
cry wind promised 1t. The air was
sharp and cold, and no drop of rain
could fall through 1t without crystal
lizing. into snow. The deer had all
gone and the burrowing people had
sought their holes. The bees worked
no more In the winter flowers. OF
all the greater forest creatures only
the wolves and the bear remained
the former because their fear of men
would not permit them to go down
to the lower hills, and the latter be-
cause of his knowledge that when
food became scarce he could always
burrow in the snow. No bear goes
into Information from choice. Wise
old bachelor he much prefers to keep
t,A Inn