Washington telegraph., 1921-02-25
CHAPTER XII.

The Attack on the Cabin.

tant voice shouting. Shelby, startled
by these words and alarmed by her
agitation, swiftly crossed the room.
The body was gone, actually gone As
he bent over, incredulous, distrusting
the evidence Of his own eyes, he could
perceive the stain OF blood in which
the man had fallen, but that was all.
There was no semblance of body
there.
"Judas PriestW he said soberly.
This beats anything ever / saw. He
couldn't have been killed, but l never
saw him twltch a muscle after he
dropped. GOnel Darn II / know what
TO make of 1t. Why, where could he
have gone tot There amt but one way
out from this shack an he sure didn't
go out there"
mo, he couldn't" her voice quaver-
ing. ave would have seen him If he
had"
"Seen himl OF course. we would
He must have revived and crawled
away. You bet, there amt no mystery
about It. Dead men amt movin
I
down to carry that cuss off. What's
happened is, he got back strength
enough TO crawl. Likely he got into
that back room out O. sight. Any
how I'm goin' to find out what's hap
pened. You keep an eye at that hole
IN the wall yonder, while scout around
a minute. If you see anything movin'
in shootin' distance, just blaze away.
. Don't hesitate a moment"
She went forward as he told her
without word and stared out, vet
nervously turning her head about at
the slightest sound. Shelby waited
moment listening. and then stepped
confidently forward across the thresh-
old OF the inner door. He had no
doubt that he would discover Macklin
-dead or alive. outstretched on the
floor. The fellow must be there: he
could have gone nowhere else. The
place was as black as night; a step
beyond the entrance and he had to
grope his way bllndly. unable to dis
tinguish a single object. There was
something grim and CHASTITY I'm feeling
about with his feet for an unseen body.
Then the fellow might stlll be alive
even dangerous He stopped at the
disquieting thought and spoke sharply
into the gloom.
"Are you there, Macklin? Come
speak up; nobody is going to hurt
you"
There was no response, no move
ment, no sound of a groan, no pulslng
OF breath. The stiffness was intense.
horrible Shelby gripped himself and
began TO advance slowly, guiding his
passage along the wall, expecting ev-
cry instant to encounter some ohsta.
Gle. His cropping feet touched nothing.
Inch by inch he explored the floor Of
the room, the perspiration beginning
TO stand in drops on his forehead.
There was no body lying there no
form of a man, either living or dead;
the place was absolutely unoccupied.
He could hardly believe this true; his
mind refused to grasp the fact; he
came back to the door dazed and un-
uerved. All natHre. all reasoning told
him the man must be somewhere with
In the cabin; any other thought was
simply impossible; yet where? He had
already explored every inch of surface
10 no result. So bewildered and DUN
founded was he before this mystery
that he was even startled at the girls
voice asking an eager question.
SIS he there? Did you find him?"
mo; he's gone as though he had
a pair of wings"
"But how could he get out?"
That's what | say. Everything is
solid; no human could vanish through
these walls; there isn't a window not
boarded up and only that one door.
We wasn't outside ten minutes. nor
ten feet away from the step. A rat
couldn't have passed without bein'
seen. Blamed If II don't make me
shiver. for, by thunder. however IT
happened, he amt here; he amt no
where in this cabin. An" he added,
peering at the floor. there amt no
trail O. blood to show that he crawled
away; Just that little pool what he
laid In"
Gould he have got through the roof.
or the floOr?"
Shelby laughed despondently.
Lord, | don't easily see how he |
could dts fifteen feet to them rafters |
an no opening, while judging from
outside. the floor must rest plum on |
the ground Who shot him, anyhow? |
Did you see?'
"Yes. ! did" she explained excitedly |
81 was looking that way, toward where |
the board was ripped Off the window. |
] Just had n glimpse Of q face behind |
the muzzle Of the gun. II was a wom-
an; am sure It was p woman, with |
black eyes. Then the smoke obscured |
everything and she was gone" ~
"She must have been Pancha," he
admitted struggling with the idea.
"Why, OF course, that's all plain
enough. She overheard what he said
and fired In mad passion
what do you mean? What are you
talking about? This girl?"