Charlevoix county herald., 1921-01-07

oeen carrleu Win MIN down INTO
death.
AS Dan stood wondering, he thought
he heard twig crack on the trail be-
hind him. and he wondered what for
est creature was still lingering on the
ridges at the eve Of the SHOWS.
The snow began to fall I'm earnest at
acknowledgement, white fakes that al
mos; In an instant covered the leaves
II was the real beginning Of winter.
and all living creatures knew II. The
wolf pack sang to II from the ridge
Wild and plaintive song that made
Bert Cranston. sleeping In a lean-to
on the. Umpqua side of the Divide,
swear and mutter In his sleep. But he
didn't really waken until Jim Gibbs.
one of his gang. returned from his
secret mission.
They wasted no words. Bert flung
aside the blankets, lighted candle
and placed IL out of the reach of the
night wind. His face looked swarthy
and deep-lined In Its light.
"Well?" he demanded. "What did
you fnd?"
"Nothin'," Jim Gibbs answered gut
turally. IF you ask me what l found
out. might have somethin' to an
swer"
"Then-" and Bert. after the man.
ner of his kind. breathed an oath
what did you find outy'
His tone. except for an added note
of savagery, remained the same. Yet
his heart was humping great deal
louder than he liked to have II. Realiz-
Ing that the SHOWS were at hand, he
had sent Gibbs for a last search Of
the body. TO find and recover the evi.
dence that Hildreth had against him
and which had not been revealed either
on Hildreth's person or in his cabin.
He had become increasingly appre-
hensive about those letters he had
written Hildreth. and certain other
documents that had been In his pos
session. He didn't understand why
they hadn't turned up. And now tie
SHOWS had started. and Jim Gibbs had
returned empty-handed. but evidently
not empty-minded.
1--WE found that the body's been un-
covered-and men are already search
in for clues. And moreover think
they've found them" He paused.
weighing the effect Of his words. His
eyes glttered with cunning. Rat that
he was, he was wondering whether the
time had arrived to leave the ship. He
had no intention of continuing to give
his services to man with q rope
moose closing about him. And Grams
ton. knowing this fact. hated him as
he hated the buZzard that would claim
him IN the end. and tried to hide his
apprehension.
go on. Blat II out" CranstOn or.
dered. "Or else 60 away and let me
Sleep"
II was q bluff; but II worked II
Gibbs had gone without speaking,
Cranston would have known no sleep
that night. But the man became more
fawning.
I'm tellin' you, fast as ! can" he
went on, almost whining. 81 went to
The cabin. just as you said. But !
didn't get q chance 70 search IT."
"Why not?" Cranston Numbered.
His voice re-echoed among the SNOW
wet pines.
"I'll tell you why! Because some
one else-evidently cop-was al.
ready searchln IL Both of us know
there's nothin' there. anyway. View
gone over II too many times. After
while he went away-but didnt
turn back yet. That wouldn't be jim
Gibbs. ! Swallowed him, just as YOU'D
want me to. And he went straight
back TO the body"
"Yes?" Cranston had hard work
curbing his impatience. Again Gibbs
eyes were full of ominous specula.
lions.
HE stopped at the body. and Il was
plain he'd been there before. He went
crawling through the thickets. lookin
for clues. He done what you and me
never thought to do-lookin' all the
way between the trail and the body
He'd already found the brass shell you
told me to get. AT least, II wasn't
there when ! looked after he'd gone.
You should've thought of II before.
But he found somethin' else whole
lot more important-a roll Of papers
that Hildreth had chucked into an old
pine stump when he was dyin'. II was
your fault. Cranston. for not gettin'
them that night. This detective stood
and read EN- on the trail And you
know-just as well as do-what
they. were"
"D-n you. went back the next
morning. as soon as ] could see. And
the mountain lion had already been
there. ! went back lots of times since.
And that shell amt nothing-but all
the time ] supposed | put II In my
pocket. You know how II is-a fellow
throws his empty shell out by habit"
Gibbs eyes grew more intent. What
was this thing7 Cranston's tone, in
stead of commanding. was almost
pleading. But the leader caught him.
self at once.
IL don't see why | need 10 explain
any Of that to you. What I want to
L. ta tas 81.