The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1921-01-27

| and strobe on down the trail.
| He didn't move quite like man
with innocent purposes There was
something stealthy, something sinister
| in his stride, and the way he Kept
such q sharp lookout in all directions.
Yet he never glanced to the trail for
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. It was the same process eau
tiaus, silent advance la the trail or
prey. He had to walk with the same
caution, he had to take advantage OF
the thickets. He began TO feel 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 shrubbery.
At first all that Dan could see was
the glitter of a knife blade. Grams
ton seemed to be whiting a piece OF
dead pine into fine shavings. Now
he was gathering pine needles and
small twigs, making little pile OF
them. And then, just as Cranston
drew his match, Dan saw his purpose.
Cranston was at his old trade-Get-
ting a forest fire.
For two very good reasons, DaI
didn't call to him at once. The two
reasons we're that Cranston had rife
and that Dan was unarmed. 1t 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 4*A'y one
was needed.
But the idea Of backing OUT unseen,
never even occurred to Dan. The fire
would Rave a tremendous Roadway be-
fore he could summon hefp. Although
it was near the lookout station, every
conditions pointed go a disastrous IRE.
The brushN was dry as finder; not SO
heavy as to choke the wind, but yet
the tree tops. The stiff breeze up this
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 irreparab1e
loss of timber. There were many
things that Dan might do but giving !
UP was not one Of them
After all, he did the wtsest thing OF |
all. He simply came out in plain sight |
and unconcernealy walked down the |
trail toward Cr4nston. AT the same |
Instant, the latter struck His match!
AS Dan was no longer stalking |
Cr2nstOn Immediately heard his step I
He whirled, recognized Dan, andl for /
oEse hong instant fin which, the worf5' 1
seemed to have time in plenty to make |
complete revelation, he stood per. I
fectty mOtionless. The match fared ina /
his dark fingers, Els eyeS-fNll Of sim /
gulsr onjecturing-rested" on Dams /
face. No instant Of the Eatter's 1if9F
had ever been fraught with greater
peril He understood' perfectly what /
was going ON in CfGnStOniS mind. The /
fre-ffend was calna1ty deciding whether (
to- shoot or whether, to, bfHfR it. out. {
One required no more moral cOurngS
than the other. It really didn't make |
a great deal Of difference TO Cranston.
But he decided that the Killing was
net worth the cartridge: The other.
course was too easy. He did not even /
dream that Dan had been shadowins@ /
him and had seem his intention. He
would have laughed at the idea that d /
"tendeffoot'' could thus walk behinda [
Elm, unheard. Without concern, h& |
scattered with lbs foot the little heap |
ST kfr3ling, and, slipping his pipe irta |
Mis- mouth, he touched the f1arin2
match to it. TT was a wholly admir-.
able Httle piece Of acting, and would,
have deceived any: onen who had rOf
seen his previous preparations. Then
ne walked on down, the trail toward
Dan.
Dan stopped and lighted his OWL
pipe. It was curious little truea
And then he leaned hack against the
great gray trunk of az fallen tree:
We'll, CFanston:'' he said cSuiifS
The men had met en- Previous oe>
easions, and always there had been
the same Invisible war between them
''How do you dos Failing" GranstoG
replied. No perceptions COULD be St
blunt as to miss the premeditated I'm
suit in the tones He didn't speak in
his own tongue at all, the short, gut
tural '4Howdy'" that is the. greeting
of the mountain, men. He pronounced
all the words with an exaggerated pre-
cisioR, an lanSnistakable n10ckery 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 milksor
and a wl1Ste-lfver; just as plainly as
II he had used the words.
The eyes of the two men met