The state herald., 1921-01-14

I
the Divide all to themselves. Bert
Cranston Ind evidently deserted his
cabin and was working trnp-llne on
the Umpqua side. The rangers left
the little station, all danger Of fire
past. and went down to their offices
in the federal building Of one of the
little cities below. Because lie was
worse than useless In the deep SHOWS
that were sure to come. one of the
ranch hands that had driven up with
Bill rode AWAY TO the valleys the last
Of the live stOck--thc horse that Dan
hnd ridden to Snowbird's defense.
Nothing had been heard of Landy
Hildreth, who used to live en- the
trail TO the marsh. and both Lennox
and his daughter wondered why. There
were also certain officials who had
begun to be curious. AS yet, Dan
had told no one of the grim find he
had made on his return from hunting
And he would have found II NJ ex-
tremely difficult fact to explain.
II all went back to those inner
springs OF motive that few men can
see clearly enough within themselves
to recognize. Even the first day when
he lay burning from his wounds, he
worked out his own explanation In re
gard to the murder mystery. He
hadn't the slightest doubt but that
Cranston had killed Hiidreth 10 pre-
vent his testimony from reaching the
courts below OF course, any other
member of the arson ring of hillmen
might have been the murderer: yet
Dan was inclined to believe that Gran
stcn, the leader of the gang, usually
preferred to do such dangerous work
as This himself II 1t were true, some
where on that tree-clad ridge clues
would he left. Moreover, 1t was wholly
possible that the written testimony
Hildrcth must have gathered had new
er been found or destroyed. Dan
didn't want the aid Of the courts to
find these clues. He wanted to work
out the case himself 1t resolved It,
self into simple matter Of vengeance:
Dan had his debt to pay, and he want
ed 10 bring Cranston to ruin by his
own hand alone.
While 1t was true that he took ra-
ther more than the casual interest
that most citizens feel In the dcstruc-
tlon of the forest by wanton fire. and
had an actual SENSE of duty 10 do all
that he could to stop the activities Of
the arson ring, his motives, strippeI
and bare, were really not utilitarian.
lie had no particular interest In Hill
dreth's case. He remembered him sim
ply as one OF Cranston's disreputablc
gang. n poacher and fire bug hlm-
self When all Is said and done. II
remained really personal issue be-
tween Dan and Cranston. And per
sonal issues are frowned upon by law
and society. Civilization has toiled
up from the darkness In u great meas
ure To get away from them. But hui
man nature remains distresslngly the
same. and Dams desire TO pay his debt
was distinctly human emotion. Some
time breed will live upon the earth
that cnn get clear away from personal
vengeance-from that age-old code
Of the hills that demands blow
for a blow and life for life-but
the time is not yet. And after all, by
all the standards OF men as men. not
ms read In idealistic philosophers,
Dams debt was entirely real. BY the
light held high by his ancestors. he
could not turn his other cheek.
Just as soon as he was able he wen,
back TO the scene Of the murder. He
didn't know when the snow would
come to cover what evidence there
was. It threatened every hour. Ev.
cry wind promised It. The air was
sharp and cold, and no drop Of rain
could fall through II without crystal.
liking into snow. The deer Ind all
gone and the burrowing people had
sought their holes. The bees worked
no more In the winter flowers. OF
all the greater forest creatures only
the wolves and the bear remained
the former because their fear Of men
would not permit them TO 80 down
to the lower hills. and the latter he.
cause OF his knowledge that when
food became scarce he could always
burrow In the snow. No bcae. goes
into Information from choice. Wise
old bachelor, he much prefers to keep
Just as late hours as he can-as long
as the catiug places In the berry thick.
cts remain open. The cougars had
all gone down with the deer. the MI
era,ory birds had departed. and even
The squirrels were In hiding.
The scene didn't Offer much In the
way OF clues. OF the body Itself only
a white heap OF bones remained. for
many and terrible had been the agents
AT work upon them. The clothes. how
ever. particularly the coat. were prnc-
ucnily intnct. Gripping himself. Dan
thrust his fingers Into Its pockets. then
into the pockets OF the shirt md trous.
ers. All paper that would In any
way serve to Identify the murdered
man. or tell what his purpose had been
In Tan d,sS.t. sl.. s,... N sho s,l,ht