Middletown transcript., 1921-03-05

already it's first grayness had begun
10 soften the harder lines OF forsst
and hill. And after his first glance at
rhe curious white heap beside the
trail. he was extremely glad that 1t
had. But there was no chance to mis-
take the thing. The elements ana
much more terrible agents had each
wrought their change, yet there was
grisly evidence in plenty to show what
had occurred. Dan didn't doubt for
an instant but that 1t was the skele-
ton of >Landy Hildreth.
He forced himself to 60 nearer. The
buzzards were almost done, and one
white bone from the shoulder gave un-
mistakable evidence Of the passage OF
a bullet. What had happened there
after, he could only guess.
He got back quickly on his horse.
He understood, now, why nothing had
been heard Of the evidence that Landy
Hildreth was to turn over to the
courts as to the activities Of the arson
ring. Some one-probably Bert Gram
ston himself been waiting on the
trail. Others had come thereafter.
And his lips set in his resolve to let
this murder measure In the debt ne
had to pay Cranston.
The Lennox house seemed very 81
lent when, almost an hour later, ne
turned his horse into the corral. He
had rather hoped that Snowbird woulo
be at the door to meet him. The DARK
ness had just fallen. and all the lamps
were lighted. He strobe into the Nv.
ing room, warming his hands an M
slant beside the fireplace. The fre
needed fuel. It had evidently been
neglected for nearly an hour.
Then he called Snowbird. His voice
echoed in the silent room, unanswered.
He called again, then went to look TOT
her. At the door Of the dining room
he found the note that she had left
for him.
It told, very simply and plainly. that
her father lay injured in his bed, ana
he was to remain and do what ne
could for him. She had gone Tor neip
to the ranger station.
He leaped through the rooms to Len
nox's door, then went in on tiptoe.
And the first thing he saw when ne
opened the door was the grizzled
mans gray face on the pillow.
you're home early, Dan," he said.
"How many did you get?'
It was entirely characteristic.
Shaggy old Woof Is too proud to howl
over the wounds that lay him low. and
this gray old bear on the bed had par
taken Of his spirit.
"Good Lord" Dan answered. "How
badly are you hurt?
"Not so bad but that I'm sorry that
Snowbird has gone drifting twelve
miles over the hills for help. It's
dark as pitch"
And It was. Dan could scarcely
| make out the outline Of the somber
ridges against the sky.
/ They talked on, and their subject
was whether Dan should remain to
take care of Lennox, or whether ne
should attempt to overtake Snowbird
with the horse. OF course the girl
had ordered him to stay. Lennox, on
the other hand, said that Dan could
not help him in the least, and desired
him to follow the girl.
"I'm not often anxious about her"
he said slowly. "But 1t is long walk
through the widest part Of the d.
vide. Some way-I can't bar accidents
tonight. I don't like to think OF her
on those mountains alone"
And remembering what had lain be
side the trail. Dan felt the same. he
had heard, long ago, that any animal
that once tasted human flesh loses Its
fear of men and is never to be trusted
again. Some wild animal that still
hunted the ridges had. in the last
month, done just that thing. he left
the room and walked softly to the
door.
The night lay silent and mysterious
over the Divide. He stood listening
The girl had started only an hour be-
fore. and it was unlikely that she
cou,d have traversed more than two
miles of the steep trail in that time
Although the horse ordinarily did not
climb q hill more swiftly than a hu'
man being, he didn't doubt but that
he could overtake her before she
went three miles farther. But where
lav his duty-with the injured man
in the house or with the daughter on
her errand of mercy n the darkness
Then the matter was decided fol
him. So faint that it only whispered
at the dim, outer frontiers OF hearing
sound came pricking through the
darkness. Only his months OF listen
ING to the faint sounds Of the forest
and the incredible silence Of the night
enabled him to hear it at all. But he
knew what it was, the report OF q
nistol. Snowbird had met an enemy
in the darkness.
cro BE coNTINUED)