Evening star., 1922-12-24

he's killed hlmSeH. just "sit-ti"o
will tell
;THE white tents Of the Royal Gorge
road camp covered a grassy glade
{ just beyond that great cleft between
solid granite walls through which the
turbulent. swirling floods Of the Ar
kansas have bored an outlet SO mar
row that transcontinental trains
I barely find rcom to wind tortuously
between it's cliffs. For fifty miles up
! or down the Arkansas the road camp
: tents were the only suggestion Of
human life.
/ In this vast solitude. unlike a
prison az day is unlike night. a hum
dr.d convicts. unsuarded except by
two unarrned overseers. were building
an auto highway for the pleasure and
comfort of civilization faded tourists.
Among the hundred was Tiger For
gan. life-termer and one-time bad
man of the prison many miles away.
He was not now the pallid. prison
made creature who had faced War
den Tyrell two months before. His
muscles. hardened by daily outdoor
work and good food. were full and
strong. HIS step was springy and
virile. and his face bore the healthy
tan of sunshine and fresh air.
And yet. if one observed closely, it
seemed that all was not well with
Tiger ForCan. He seldom spoke and
never laughed. never sang. never
stopped and filled his lungs with free.
pure air of the great outdoors. At
night in camp he slipped away from
the singing. Card-playing. care-free
groups that gathered round the great
open fireS-slipped away to lie alone
in his bunk. During the long nights
while the men about him slept the
deep slumber Of healthy. muscle-tired
animals. Tiger Forgan lay awake
the persistent, dominating thought
which. though he banished 1t q hun
dred times a day. always returned the
instant his will relaxed.
All OF this was noted and appraised
by the men Of the camp-with vary
ing accuracy. The superintendent.
Capt. Goodwin. frowned as he watched
Forgan grubbinE away in gloomy
silence.
Keep your eye on that fellow For
gan" Goodwin said to his assista Mt
! He's keeping something in his mind
he don't share with any one. The
deputy warned me to watch him the
day I brought him from the prison
l wish Forgan were back inside the
walls
Hes the best worker in the
, bunch" observed the assistant
Don't let that fool you." cautioned
the captain. Hes smooth and cum
ming, Is .Forgan. He wants to lull
suspicion and then-bingo!-over the
hill he goes. Never let him out Of
your sight, jim
<
TTGER FORGAN dropped his pick
L and started for the water bucket
with the sinewy stride of a woods
man. Hans the Dane. with a furtive
glance over his shoulder for caves
droppers. edged closer to a comrade
and spoke in a whisper.
Bet yuh a plug he beats it dis
week. he said. II seen him meas
urin' de bluff wild his eye twicet dis
mornin.'
'Nothin' doin'." answered the other
Il seen i'm. too. I hopes he makes
| 1t. He's lifer. an'-sss-s-s-h, Here
comes one of caps pets lookin' fer an
earful"
They bent over their picks in
sudden silence.
Tiger Forgan, returning from the
drinking bucket. caught the quick,
involuntary glance Of the pair as
they settled to their work. He
scowled. then raised a trembling hand
and wiped brow beaded with sweat
in gesture half Of rebellion. half
OF despair. He hadn't heard their
words, but there was no need for him
10 guess at thenl-he knew. They
were wondering when he would "gc
over the hill
1t had been SO from the day of his
arrival. when big, good-natured Den
YER Dan linked an arm in his and
observed that no >one need ever be
caught in the hills as long as he had
food.
DE cookee leaves de fresh-baked
tent to cool at night said Dan,
pointedly. And a guy can cop all de
meat he can carry from de table.
Luck to yuh. pail"
a FEW days later Hollingwood. the
I \ convict clerk-snaky-eyed.s suave-
tongued and anxious for a parole
left the captains map Of the hills,
as If by accident. on the table beside
which Forgan sat reading. The
snitch's disappointment when he re-
turned and found it untouched was
obvious.
At first Forgan had been able to
smile freely at the unanimity of the
verdict that he would attempt an
escape. He knew he would never
betray the confidence he had read in
Warden Tyrells eyes when the war;
den laid his hand on his shoulder
and said:
That puts it up to YOU to stick
and make good, Forgan, doesn't it?'
But gradually Tiger Forgan's as
sured smile in the face Of the unani-
nous verdict faded. 1t died forever
on the night he found himself lying
awake planning how = man so
! minded could hope to escape from the
Royal Gorge road camp. He knew
absolutely he would not go if he
could, and yet the next day between
pick blows he found himself memoir
izing the contour of the cliff back of
the camp. A man would need to
know that cliff we'll to climb 1t in the
dc rlr la re solNfal1. ha N iShed tia In :.