The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1921-04-20

, and made 10 suffer His hatred of
Cranston that had made him turn
states evidence In the first place had
been carried with him 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
midnight-great, white flakes that al
most In an instant covered the leaves
1t was the real beginning of winter
and all living creatures knew it. The
wolf pack sang TO il from the ridge
wild and plaintiye song that made
Bert CranstOn. sleeping in n lean-to
on the Umpqua side OF the Divide
swear and mutter i'm 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 n candle
and placed il out of the reach Of the
night wind. His face looked swarthy
and deep-llned In its light.
"Well?" he demanded. "What did
you find?"
"Nothin'." Jim Gibbs answered gut
turally. IF You ask me what 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 out?"
His tone except for an added note
of Savagery, remained the same. Yet
his heart was humping a great deal
louder than he liked To have il. Realiz-
ing that the SHOWS were at hand. he
had sent Gibbs for last search OF
the body. 10 find and recover the evil
dence that Hldreth had against him
and which had not been revealed either
on HildrethS person or i'm his cabin.
He had become increasingly appre-
henSive about those letters he had
written Hildreth, and certain other
documents that hal been in his pos
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 I'M
covcred-and men are already search
in for clues. And moreover-I think
they've found them" He paused,
weighing the effect of his words. His
eyes glittered with cunning. Rat that
he was, he was wondering whether the
time had arrived 10 leave the ship. He
had no intention of continuing TO give
his services to a man with rope
moose closing about him. And Grams
ton, knowing this fact. hated him ms
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 20 away and let me
sleep"
1t was a bluff; but il worked. II
Gibbs had gone without speaking.
Cranston would have known no sleep
that night. But the man became more
fawning.
I'm tellln' you, fast as l can" he
went on, almost whining. 81 went to
the cabin. just as you said. But
didn't get a chance to search it"
"Why not?" CrnnSton Numbered.
His voice re-echoed among the snow
wet pines
"lll tell you why Because some
one else-evidently n cop-was al
ready searchin' it. Both of us know
there's nothin there, anyway. We've
gone over IL too many times. After
a while he went away-but didn't
turn back yet. That wouldn't be Jim
Gibbs. ! Swallowed him. just as you'd
want me 10. And he went straight
back 10 the body"
"fesT Cranston had hard work
curbing his impotence. Again Gibbs
eyes were full OF ominous specula-
lions.
He stopped AT the body, and II was
plain he'd been there before. He went
crawling through the thickets, lookin'
Tor 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, IL wasn't
there when ! looked, after he1l gone.
You should've thought OF II before
But he found somethin' else whole
lot more Important roll of papers
ITO BE CONTINUED