The Belding banner-news., 1921-03-02

and that Dan was unarmed. Ii might
be extremely likely that Cranston
would choose the most plausible and
effective means of preventing an inter
ruption of his crime and by the same
token, prevent word of the crime ever
reaching the authorities. The rifle
contained five cartridges, and only one
was needed.
But the idea of backing out, unseen,
never even occurred 10 Dan. The fire
would have a tremendous headway be-
fore lie could summon help. Although
IL was near the lookout station, every
condition pointed to "A disastrous fire.
The brush was dry as tinder, not so
heavy as TO choke the wind but yet
tall enough to carry the flame into
the tree tops. The stiff breeze up the
ridge would certainly carry the flame
for miles through the parched Divide
before help could come. In the mean
time stock and lives and homes would
be endangered, besides the irreparable
loss of timber. There We're many
things that Dan might do. but giving
up was not one of them.
After ALL he did the wisest thing of
all. He simply came out i'm plain sight
| and unconcernedly walked down the
trail toward Cranston. Al the same
instant, the latter struck his match.
AS Dan was no longer stalking,
Cranston Immediately heard his step.
He whirled, recognized Dan. and for
one long instant in which the world
seemed TO have time in plenty to make
complete revolution, he stood per-
fectly motionless. The match flared in
his dark fingers, his eyes-full Of sin
gular onjecturing-rested on Dams
face. No instant of the latter's life
had ever been fraught with greater
peril. He understood perfectly what
was going on i'm Cranston'S mind. The
tirefend was calmly deciding whether
to shoot or whether To bluff il ont.
One required no more moral courage
than the other. 1t really didn't make
a great deal of difference TO Cranston.
But he decided that the killing was
not worth the cartridge The other
course was too easy. He did not even
dream that Dan had been shadowing
him and had seen his intention. He
would have laughed at the idea that
'tenderfoot'' could thus walk behind
him, unheard. Without concern. he
scattered with his foot the little heap
Of kindling, and slipping his pipe into
his mouth, he touched the fiaring
match TO It, 1t was a wholly admir-
able little piece OF acting, and would
have deceived any one who had not
seen his previous preparations. Then
he walked on down the trail toward
Dan.
Dan stopped and lighted his own
pipe. 1t was n curious little truce.
And then he leaned back against the
great gray trunk Of fallen tree.
"WelI, Cranston," he said civiliy.
The men had met on previous oc-
casions, and always there had been
the same invisible war between them.
"How do you do, Failing" Cranston
replied. No perceptions could be SO
blunt as TO miss the premeditated in
suit in the tone. He didn't speak in
/ his own tongue at all. the short, gut-
tural "Howdy" that is the greeting
of the mountain men. He pronounced
all the words with an exaggerated pre-
cision. an unmistakable mockery of
Dams own tone. In his accent he
/ threw tone of sickly sweetness. and
his Inference was all too plain. He
was simply calling Failing a miIksop
and a white-liver: just as plainly as
| II he had used the words.
! The eyes of the two men met
I Cranston's lips were slightly curled In
an unmistakable leer. Dams were
very straight. And in one thing at
least, their eyes looked just the same
The pupils of both pairs had contracted
to steel points, bright in the dark gray
of the irises. Cranston's looked some
what red: and Dams were only hard
and bright
Dan felt himself straighten; and the
color mounted somewhat higher in his
brown cheeks. But he did not try to
avenge the insult-yet. Cranston was
still fifteen feet distant. and that was
too far. A man may swing a rifle
within fifteen feet. The fact that they
were in no way physical equals did
not even occur to him. When the In
suit is great enough, such considera-
tions cannot possibly matter. Grams
ton was hard as steel, one hundred
and seventy pounds in weight. Dan did
not touch one hundred and fifty, and
deadly disease had not yet entirely
relinquished Its hold upon him.
81 do very well, Cranston," Dan an
swered i'm the same tone. wouldn't
you like another match7 l believe
your pipe has gone out"
Very little can be said for the wis
dom of this remark. 1t was simply
human-that age-old creed to answer
blow for blow and insult for insult.
OF course the Inference was obvious
that Dan was accusing him, by innu-
| oudo NJ hfa Into ottamnf at aroon