Williams news., 1921-08-19

| cured to you to carry extra ones in
 your pocket?'
 ''Father is always telling me to-and | several times I have. But I'd shoot | them away at target practice and for ] get to take any more. There was never
 any danger-eXcept that night with a
 cougar. did intend to-but what does l 1t matter now?'
 l Were a couple of wise ones, going l after that wolf with only three shots l to our name. Of course by himself | he's harmless-but he's likely enough
 to lead us straight toward the pack. 1 And Snowbird-I didn't like his looks l He's too gaunt and he's too hungry | and haven't bit of doubt he waited | in that brush for us to come, intend ing to attack us-and lost his nerve the last thing. That shows he's des- perate. don't like him. and wouldn't like his pack. And a whole pack might not lose it's nerve"
 s"Then you think we'd better turn
 back?''
 "Yes. I do, and not come out any
 more without a whole pocket of shells
 I'm going to carry a rifle, too, just as
 LennoX has always. He's got only
 fesh-wound. You saw what you did
 with two cartridges-got in one flesh
 wound. Three of 'em against a pack
 wouldn't be great deal of aid I
 don't mean to say you can't shoot. but
 a jumping, lively wolf is worse than
 bird in the air. We've gone over three miles; and he'd lead us ten miles farther-even if he didn't go to the pack. Let's go back"
 eff you say so. But I don't think there's the least bit of danger. We can always climb a tree.''
 And have 'em make beautiful circle under it! They've got more pa tfence than we have-and we'd have to come down some time. Your~father can't come to our help, you know. It's the sign of the tenderfOot not to think there's any danger-and I'm not going to think that way any more."
 They turned back and mushed in silence long time.
 "I suppose you'll think I'm cow ard" Dan asked her humbly.
 "OnIy prudent, Dan," she answered. smiling. Whether she meant it he did not know "I'm just beginning to un- derstand that you-living here only a few months-really know and under stand all this better than I do." She stretched her arms wide to the wilder ness. "I guess it's your instinct
 And I do understand" he told her earnestly. "I sensed danger back there just as sure as I can see your face. That pack-and it's>a big one is close; and it's terribly hungry. And you know-you can't help but, know that the wolves are not to be trusted in famine times."
 l"I know 1t only too we'll" she said.
 Then she paused and asked him about a strange grayness. like snow blown by the wind. on the sky over the ridge.
 Bert Cranston waited in clump of exposed thicket on the hillside until he saw two black dots. that he knew were Dan and Snowbird. leave the Lennox home. He lay very still as they circled up the ridge. noticing that except for the pistol that he knew SnOwbird always carried, they were unarmed. There was no par ticular reason why he should be inter- ested in that point. It was just the mountain way always to look for weapons, and it is rather difficult to trace the mental processes behind this impulse. Perhaps it can be laid to the fact that many mountain families are often at feud with one another. and anything in the way of violence may happen before the morning.
 The two passed out of his sight, and after a long time he heard the crack of Snowbird's pistol. He guessed that she had either shot at | some wild creature. or else was mere ly at target practice-rather a com mon proceeding for the two when | they were on the hills together. Thus | 1t Is to be seen that CranSton knew | their habits fairly well. And since he | had kept close watch upon them for several days, this was to be expected. |
 He had no intention of being inter- | rupted in this work he was about to l do. He had planned 1t all very well. The elder Lennox was still helpless. i Cranston had noticed that when Dan and SnOwbird went out. they were gone from two to four hours; and that gave him plenty of time for his undertaking. The moment had | come at last to make a thorough search of LennOx's house for those in- documents that Dan had found near the body Of Landy Hil- dreth.
 The only really dangerous part of his undertaking was his approach. If by any chance LennOx were looking out of the window. he might be found waiting with a rifle across his arms It would be quite like the old noun taineer to have his gun beside him. and to shoot ir quick and exceptional ly straight. without asking questions,