The state herald., 1921-04-08

81 haven't II soul In the world ia
leave IL to bui--you."
His slow eyes left her face and
stared hard mt the basin of red water
Stepping over to the stand, he stopped
and snuffcd the candle. The huge
shadow of him filled the room. Turn.
ing away, after he had the candle
again AT full flame. his eyes came back
20 the thoughtful face of his compan.
ion.
"That revolver saw yesterday on
the mantel-is 1t loaded?"
81 think So"
She looked up In curious half sur
prise, as IL the question had brought
her thoughts back from afar.
'May see it?"
'Why-yes-"
He shaded the candle again while
she lifted the curtain over the door
paused moment to listen to the
heavy breathing of the sleeper In the
west room; crossed to the mantel over
the fireplace and brought him the re
volver.
Several minutes the man spared to
its inspection: testing the action of
the hammer, cylinder revolution and
trigger pull; replacing the somewhat
corroded caps on the tubes with new
ones; even packing fresh grains Of
powder into the tubes where he
thought necessary.
''Do you know how 1t use IT." he
asked, looking up from his inspection.
"Tve shot lots OF squirrels with it,
sometimes clear In the treetops," she
answered. ".And once killed Il hawk
that pestered the chickens"
grin puckered his eyes for mo-
ment, then his brows lowered. An
other question, hard one. had to be
asked, that set him raking over his
slim stock of words for ways 10 ask 1t.
"Do girls-l mean-havc you got any
place about you-your dress-to car
ry it?"
She was looking at him, her eyes
frank and wide-cyes that had no
need 10 narrow.
II haven't" She answered: but
can make one"
II advise you to-"
He laid the revolver on the stand
and turned back TO her. The time had
come 10 90, and they both knew II.
For II while they stood silent. Once
his hand reached toward her. but he
drew II back.
''Will you be ready TO raise the
blind when blow out the cnndle?" he
said nj last.
She went TO the window aud the
next moment the room was In dark
ness.
Two iinttering spots Of white In the
gloom rolled up the blind. found the
strings that held It and whipped them
into knUt. Then the girl stepped
hack. The man crawled through the
window-witli extreme care not to
scar the ground outside.
II is past all knowing how her hands
happened To get into his. He bent his
head and laid his face upon them;
suffered them to slip out of his fingers
nj last; and turned away.
He was gone on the lnstnnt-gone
as n shadow goes-neyer knowing
that for long and long the DUH window
framed n white face listening for
some sound OF him TO come back out
Of the night.
The woodcraft OF the Pearlhunter
was profound. 1t was about all life
had taught him. but II had taught him
that. With the logical precision OF a
schoolmaster passing from one step OF
n problem 10 another. II led him
straight TO the trail OF the man he had
been following short time before
which, OF course. took him In the d..
rcctlon OF Fallen Rock. The man he
followed had doubtless gone back to
the village by this time. This prob.
ability he had already estimated mud
sci down In his reckoning at Its
proper value. But he had another pur.
pose In turning his steps toward Fail.
on Rock. He was deliberately going
back to the cabin.
With every caution TO leave no trail.
he picked his way through the woods
to the edge Of the bluffs, stole over
md down toward the cabin. The first
glnnce nj the black bulk OF II, squnt-
ted In the deep gloom under the up
standing rocks, brought him to In.
stnnt pause. There wns light with
In. He crouched down In the bushes
10 consider what this unexpected cir.
eumstnncc mennt before vcnturing nm.
other step.
No sound came from the cnbIn. The
night was intensely stiil. Not nm oar
stirred the river The waterfall nlonc
frctted the silence. The Pcnrlhuntcr
iln'tcncd himself In the weeds and
bushes and foot by foot worked his
wny until he wns nblc nj Inst tn bring
his fncc level with the tiny opening.
with his eyc close. the chlnk afforded
"A IN lal l& a.. l...a ..t.