, 1922-10-04

pense. The moment OF crisis was near
Sometimes h men glanced at their
leaders face, and what they saw there
Oiled them with a grim and terrible
eagerness. Simon was beginning 20
run r to form bis dark passions
were slowly mastering him. For a mn.
ment they all sat as II entranced in
a communion of cruelty, and to Bruce
they seemed like o colony Of spotted
rattlesnakes such as sometimes bold
their communions of hatred ON no
sun-blasted cliffs.
All at once Simon laughed-a sbam
hoarse sound that had, in its over.
tones, a note Of madness. Every man
In the room stSrted. They seemed 10
have forgotten Bruce. They looked at
their leader with a curious expectancy.
They seemed to know that that wild
laugh ~betokened bst n thing-the
impact Of some terrible sort of inspi.
| ration.
AS they watched. they saw the idea
take hold of him. The huge face dark.
ened. His eyes seemed to smolder MS
he studied his huge hands. .we've
decided to be merciful, after ALL" he
said slowly. But neither Bruce nor the
clansmen misunderstood him or were
deceived. They only knew that these
words were simply part of a deadly
jest tf.t in a moment all would IN
derstand. INSTEAD of filling you full
OF thirty-thirty bullets. as better men
than you have been filled and what we
ought to do-we're just going to let
you lay out all night-in the pasture
with your feet tied and your hands
behind your back"
No one relaxed. They listened. star.
ing, for what would follow.
you may get q bit cold before
morning" Simon went on, but you're
warmly dressed. and a little frost
won't hurt YOU. And I've got the place
all picked out for you And we're evna
going to move something that's laying
there so 1t will be more pleasant"
Again he paused. Bruce looked Vi.
1.-The thing that's lying there is a
dead yearling calf, half ate up. 1t
was killed last night by the killer
the old grizzly that maybe you've
heard of before. Some of the boys
were going to walt In trees tonight by
the carcass and shoot the Killer when
he comes back after another meal
something that likely won't happen I'M
til about midnight II he runs true to
form. But 1t won't be necessary now.
| We're going to haul the carcass away
down wind where he won't smell 1t.
| And we're going to leave you there In
its place to explain to him what be-
came of It,"
Bruce felt their glowing eyes upon
him. ExultatIon was creeping over the
clan once more their leader had done
himself proud. 1t was such sugges-
tons as this that kept them In awe of
him.
And they thought they understood.
| They supposed that the night would
be of the utter depths OF terror to the
tenderfoot from the cities, thai the
bear woul sniff and wande about
him. and perchance the mans hair
would be turned quite white by morn
Ing. But being mountain men, they
thought that the actual danger OF at
tack wal not great. They supposed
that the Unborn fear of men that all
animals possess would keep him at II
distance. And, IL by any unlikely
chance the theft of the beef carcass
| should throw him into such a rage that
he would charge Bruce, no harm in
| particular would be done. The man
was a Folger, an enemy Of the clan.
and after once the teIltnle ropes were
removed, no one would ask questions
about the mutilated, broken thing
that would be found next morning in