Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1921-11-11

him. But because Dan had learned
the lesson of standing still. because
his olive-drab sporting clothes blended
softly with the colored leaves, Grams
ton did not detect him. He turned
and strode on down the trail.
He didn't move quite like a man
with innocent purposes. There was
something stealthy, something sinister
in his stride. and the way he kept
such u sharp lookout in all directions.
Yet he never glanced to the trail Tor
deer tracks. as he would have done
had he been hunting. Without even
waiting TO mediate on the matter,
Dan started to shadow him.
Before one hundred yards had been
traversed, he could better understand
the JOY the cougar takes In his hunt
ing. 1t was the same process-a eau
tious, silent advance In the trail ot
prey. He had to walk with the same
caution. he had to take advantage of
the thickets. lie began to feel II curl
Gus excitement.
Cranston seemed to be moving more
carefully now. examining the brush
along the trail. Now and then he
glanced up at the tree tops. And all
at once he stopped and knelt In the
dry sbruhbery.
AT first All that Dan could see was
the glitter of a knife blade. Grams
ton seemed to be whiting II piece OF
dead pine into fine shavings. Now
he was gathering pine needles and
small twigs, making a little pile Of
them. And then. Just Al Cranston
drew his match, Dan saw his purpose.
Cranston was AT his old trade-set-
ting a forest fire.
For two very good reasons. Dan
didn't call to him at once. The two
reasons were that Cranston had a rifle
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. n 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 to Dan. The fire
would have a tremendous Roadway be
fore he could summOn help. Although
it was near the lookout station, ever!
condition pointed to a disastrous fire
The brush was dry as finder. not Sc
heavy as to choke the wind. but yeI
tall enough to carry the flame int
.Ao %roo to-e Tl,n .<iH hranyu n, thu
, ridge would certainly carry the fam
!, for miles through the parched Divide
: before help could come. In h mean
time stock and lives and homes woul'
be endangered, besides the i%rreparabl'
:, loss of timber. There were man.
things that Dan might do, but givini
up was not one of them.
After all, he did the wisest thing o
0 all. He simply came out In plain sigh
and unconcernedly walked down tn
4 trail toward Cranston. At the sam
instant, the latter struck his match.
As Dan was 10 longer stalking
Cranston Immediately heard his steI
N He whirled, recognized Dan. and 70
one long instant in which the worl
SCtlucu ~ lldNC iiiC III piSiits ~ bhan
Il complete revolution, he stood pei
fectly m%otionless. The match f1ared |
his dark fingers. his eyes-full of sir
III gular conjecturing-rested on Dan
face. No instant of the Iatter's lif
mad ever been fraught with create
peril. He understood perfectly wha
U was going on in Cranston's mind. TIL
fire-fiend was calmly deciding whethe
10 shoot or whether to bluff It on
One required no more mora courae
thar the other. 1t really didn't max
a great deal of difference to Cranstol
But he decided that the killing WI
o worth the cartridge. The 9th
course was too easy. He did not eve
dream that Dan had been %shadowir
him and had seen his intention. II
ii would have laughed at the idea that
u "tenderfoot" could thus walk benin
him, unheard. Without concern. |
scattered with his foot the little hes
y of kindling. and slipping his pipe in
T his mouth. he touched the fiariI
! match to it. 1t was n wholly adm
able little piece of acting, and won
have deceived any one who had n
seen his previous preparations. TIL
y; he walked on down the trail iowa,
Dan.
Dan stopped and lighted his ov
", pipe. II was n curious little true
d. And then he leaned back against Z
great gray trunk of n fallen tree.
"Well, Cranston," he said civil
Is, The men had met on previous {
1t casions, and always there had be
n the same invisible war between the
lie "How do you do, Falling" Cranst
lly replied. No perceptions could be
he blunt as to miss the premeditated
IN. suit in the tone. He didn't speak
his own tongue at all. the short. &,
ne tural "Howdy" that Is the greet
MS of the mountain men. He pronounc
a all the words with an exaggerated p
ley cision, an u%nmistakable mockery
his Dams own one. In his accent
90 threw a. tone of sickly sweetness, n
ere his Inference vas all too plain.
~ -. c;r,,ly oonipp Cotlipp n nnfIEs