The spectator., 1921-02-22
CHAPTER xl-Continued.

Harris, with great gasp for air, re- linquished his sudden and unexpected advantage. But Gardiner's head was again in command; he rushed through the door, half falling over the obstruc- tion as he went. and in an instant was lost in the gloom of the night.
 For some minutes Harris lay on the floor. recovering his breath. As the oxygen welled back into his lungs he began to realize that, save for bis choking. he was unhurt. With return ing strength his thought reverted to Allan. and. calling the boys name, he sprang to his feet. The first thing was to get light. He found matches in his pocket. struck one, and peered ea- gerly into the gloom as its flickering flame beat back the darkness. A blan- ket. rolled and stained, lay in the door, way. and within was a figure that might once have been a man. Harris heart almost stopped at the sight :"Al- lan," he gasped. my boy. Allan!" He tiptoed across the crumbing floor to- ward it. holding the match before him. A mans boot and part of trouser leg protruded from the mass. He held the match downward. leaning over them They were not Allan's.
 Thank God" he murmured, swell ing with a great hope, thank God for that"
 He struck another match and found the lantern. When he had lighted 1t he surveyed the little building. and saw Allan's gun lying at the end far thest from the door Not until that moment did he think of the money. Allan had been unpermost in his mind, and when he thought of Allan money was no consideration. But now great wave of understanding rushed Tn upon him. Yes. the bag was gone. They had been attacked by robbers. knowl- edge of their expedition had in some way got to evil ears, and while he slept Allan had been set upon. The boy had emptied his gun-the huddled mass in the doorway told that tale plainly enough-but other robbers had seized the cash and Allan had pursued them empty-handed. They had fired at him as he rushed from the building ITuI WHS tit HaSn ut SStN s itW sVN onds after the first loud report He was not quite clear as to his own share in the fight. but he saw the gen eral plan of It plainly enough. He be- gan 10 wonder what had happened to Gardiner and Riles. Had they been shot down as they wound through tre woods? This waS evidently the work ,f oil tn St of nnthinpr Harris never for a moment suspected his old neighbor of treachery. He was himself hard, graSping. money-seek- ing man. hut he had a code of honor none the less, and within it's limita- tions none was more honorable than he. To have done what Rifles had done would have been quite impossible for John Harris, and because it was i'm possible for him its possibility For Riles never suggested itself
 Harris had not vet fully realized the loss of his money. It was overshad- owed by the more tragic events of which one evidence lay before him. His anxiety for Allan loomed larger in his mind although he had little doubt the boy would take proper care of himself. and, even if unarmed. would come back with the money and perhaps with a prisoner. The fact that Allan had not taken his gun was reassuring; if there had been any great danger he would not have left It behind. But he must get out now and aid in the search.
 As he reached this decision his eve caught n gleam of something shining on the floor. He walked to it and found a revolver, fully loaded except for one chamber, which had been dis charged. This is evidence" said he -"important evidence" Harris had all the Old Ontario contempt for this kind of weapon, and knew compara- lively little about it, but he concluded from its appearance that it was al- most new. As he examined it his eye fell on the initials, "J. IT." cut in the grip.
 "J. IT," he said to himself. "J. T. Those initials seem familiar. I'll just leave this thing where l found 1t, un- til the police see it."
 NtptuCiiS tue NtuIpH til tne HuuI, he stole out the cabin, avoiding the silent obstruction in the doorway. Out side he stood for a moment undecided. The circle of light from his lantern might beacon Allan back to the shan ty. but it would also prove a signal to the robbers. if they were still in the vl- cinity. The roar of water came up from the valleys but above or through that roar suddenly he fancied he heard sound from the bushes near at hand lie held his breath and listened in- tently. Yes, there it was again-a hu- man sound. beyond question, half groan, half gurgle. He turned in the direction from which 1t came and stole quietly forward. Half-a-dozen yards from the building the light revealed. first a shadow, and then figure lying on the ground. With some trepidatiop Harris approached The mans arms