The Belding banner-news., 1921-03-30


mistakahle evidence Of the passage OF
n bullet. What had happened there
after, he could only guess.
He got back quickly on his horse
He understood, now, why nothing had
been heard Of the evidence that Landy
HiIdreth WAS 70 turn over to the
courts as 10 the activities OF the arson
ring. Some One-probahly Bert Gran
ston hhmself-had been waiting on the
trail. Others had come thereafter
And his lips set in his resolve 70 let
this murder measure in the debt he
had "a pay Cranston.
The Lcnnox house seemed very ST
lent when, almoS+ an hour later. he
turned his horse into the corral. He
had rather hoped that Sncwbird would
he M the door 70 meet him The dark
rcss had Just fallen. and all the lamps
were lieuted. lie strobe into the liv.
ing room. warming his hands an in
slant hcSide the fireplace. The fire
necded fuel II had evidently been
reelected for nearly an hour
Then he called Snowbird. His voice
echoed In the silent room. unanswered.
lie called again. then went 10 look for
her. 4; he door Of the dining room
he found The note that sire had left
for him.
II told very simply and plainly. that
her father lay injured I'm his he'd. and
ne was to remain and do what he
could for him. She had gone for help
10 the ranger station.
He lcaped through the rooms to Len
noxS door. then won't in ON tiptoe.
And the first thing ne saw when he
opened the door was the grizzled
mans gray face on the pillow.
you're home early. Dan" he said.
"How many lid you get?"
II WIS entirely Characteristic.
Shaggy old Woof Is too proud to howl
over the wounds that lay him low. and
ths gray old hear on the bed had par
taken of his spirit
Good Lord" Dan answered. "ilow
badly are You hurt?"
Not 50 bad but that I'm sorry that
Sn0wbird has gone drifting twelve
miles over thc hills for help. It's
dark MS pitch"
And II was Dan could scarcely
make ont the outline of The Somher
ridges against the sky.
They talked ON. and their subject
was whether Dan should remain to
take care Of Lennon. or whether he
should attempt To oyertake Snowhird
with the horse. or course the girl
had ordered him 70 stay. LennoX. ON
the other hand said that Dan could
not belp him In the least, and desired
him to follow the girl
"Tm not often anxious about her"
he said slowly. "But II is a long walk
through the widest part of the hi
vide Some way-I can't bar accidents
tonight. ! don't like 10 think Of her
on those mountains alone"
And remembering what had lain he
side the trail Dan felt the same He
had heard. long ago. that any animal
that once tasted human flesh loses IT'S
fear of men and is never 10 he trusted
again Some wild animal that still
hunted the ridges had. In the last
month, done just that thing. He left
the room and walked softly to the
door
The night lay silent and mysterious
over the Divide He stood listening
The girl had started only an hour be-
fore. and II was unlikely that she
n
miles of the steen trail i'm that time.
Although the horse ordinarily did not
climb hill more swiftly than q hui
man being, he didn't doubt hut that
he could overtake her before she
went three miles farther. But where
lay his duty-with the injured man
I'm the house or with the daughter on
her errand of mercy in the darkness?
Then the matter was decided for
him. So faint that IL only whispered
at the dim. outer frontiers Of hearing.
sound came pricking through the
ing to the faint sounds Of the forest.
and the incredible silence Of the night
enabled him TO hear II at all. But he
knew what 1t was the report OF
pistol Snowbird had met an enemy
In the darkness.
He called once TO Lennox. snatched
the shotgun that still stood where he
had placed 1t in the corner Of the
room. and hastened TO the corral The
mare whlckered pIantively when he
took her from her food.
When Snowbird first heard the step
In the thickets beside her. she halted
bravely and held her lantern high. She
understood at last. The very extremity
OF the beams found a reflection in two
very curious circles of greenish fire /:
fire that was old upon the world be-
fore man ever rubbed two sticks to-
gether to strike flame. OF course
the dim rays had simply been reflect
ed on the eyes OF some great beast %
prey.
She Identified II at once. Only the
ewes Of the fellnes. with vertical pu-