The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-01-21
cHAprER XII.
The Attack on the Cabin.


agitation, swiftly crossed The room
The body was gone, actually Comet As
he bent over lncredulous, distressing
the evidence Of his own eyes, he could
perceive the stain Of blood III which
the man had fallen. but that vas all.
There was no sembIance Of d body
there
Judas Prlestl" he said soberly.
'"Thls beats anything ever saw. He
couldn't have been killed, bur never
saw him witch muscle after he
dropped. Gonel Da=u II | know what
70 make OF IT. Why, where could he
have gone tor There nln't but one way
out from this shack an he sure didn't
80 out there"
No. he couldn't" her voice qilayer.
ing. I'VE would haze seen him ii he
had"
Seen himI OF course, we would.
He must have revived and crawled
away. You bet, there amt no mystery
about M Dead men ainI moyln'
around an there amt no angels comm
down 70 carry that cuss on Wsat's
happened IS he got back strength
enough to crawl LIKELY he got into
that back room out o. sight. Any
how I'm g0n' to find out what's hap
pened, You keep ain eye nj that hole
in the wall yonder, while | scout around
minute. II YOU see anything movin'
IN sh0otin' distance, just blaze away.
Don't hesitate moment"
She went forward as he told her
without word and stared ont, yet
neryously turning her head about at
the slightest sound. Shelby waited
moment, listening, and then stepped
confidently forward across the thresh-
old of the inner door. He had no
doubt that he would discover Macklin
dead or alive, outstretched on the
floor. The fellow must he there; he
could have gone nowhere else. The
place was = black as night step
beyond the entrance and he had to
grope his way hlindly, unable to dis
tlnguish single object. There was
something grim and CHASTITY In feeling
about with his feet for nm unseen body
Then the fellow might stlll be alive
even dangerous. He stopped at the
disquieting thought and spoke sharply
into the gloom.
"Are you there, Macklln? Come,
speak up; nobody Is going to hurt
you"
There was no response, no move
ment, no sound Of a groan, no pulsing
Of breath. The stiffness was intense,
horrible. Shelby gripped himself and
began to advance slowly, guiding his
passage along the wall. expecting ev-
cry instant to encounter some ohsta.
Gle, His cropping feet touched nothing.
Inch by Inch he explored the floor of
the room, the perspiration heglnnlpg
to stand in drops on his forehead.
There wRs no body lying there. no
form OF a man, either living or dead !;
the place was absolutely unoccupled.
lie could hardly believe this true; his
mind refused TO grasp the fact; he
came back to the door dazed and un.
neryed. All nature, all reasoning told
him the man must he somewhere with,
In the cabin; any other thought was
simply impossible; vet where2 lie had
already explored every inch OF surface
to no result. SO hewildered and dun.
founded was he before this mystery
that he was even startled at the girls
voice asking an eager question.
"Is he there? Did you find hIm?"
mo; he's gone as though he had
pair OF wings"
Shut how could ne get outF"
That's what | say Everything Is
solid. no human could vanish through
these walls; there isn't a window moi
boarded up aud only that one door.
We wasn't outside ten minutes, nor
ten feet away from the step. A rat
couldn't have passed without bein'
seen. Blamed II Il don't make me
SILVER. for, by thunder. however Il
happened, he amt here; he amt no.
where In this cabin, An" he addtl,
peering at the door, "there aln't no
trail O. blood to show that he crawled
away; just that little pool what he
laid In"
Could he have got through the roof
or the floor?r
Shelby laughed despondently
Lord, ! don't easily see how he
could it's fifteen feet to them rafter,
an no opening, while, Judging from
outside. the fI0or must rest plum %
the ground Who shot him. anyhow
Did you see7"
"Yes. ] did" she explained eScitediy
Il was looking that way, toward wher,
the board was ripped Off the window
] just had a glimpse OF face benin,
the muzzle of the gun. X was WON
an; am sure 1t was woman, will
black eyes. Then the smoke obscure,
everything and she was gone
HShe must have been Pancha," b
admitted, struggling with the idea
"Wby, of course, that's all plat
enough. She overheard what he sal
and fred In mad passion"
"What do you mean? What are 20
talking about? This grip