Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1922-12-07
week lacking one day. You have sc,

door, and down INTO the fringe OF tall
cane he went, parting his way 10 the
canoe that lay nosing the messy bank.
Only now that she was gone and
night had come did he remember-re-
member that this girl who had be-
Witched the swift minutes with him
was the daughter OF his sworn enemy
Stepho In Yitte.
A voice called him as he was curS-
ing himself for a traitor TO his father's
memory. On n point OF land he saw
three men standing. One OF them
beckoned him, and he turned In to-
ward them. One Of them spoke:
"WouId you be kind TO set us
across? The night he comes, and we
would not be lost In the swamp. We
will get to the river. Would you,
p~lease?"
yes, but l don't know that my ca.
noe VIII hold four. We may get q
ducklng."
He pulled alongside and steadIed the
canoe while they got In. Now he pad
died carefully. The man who had
talked, and whom the other two adj
dressed as Toner. requested to be set
on a bushy shore where the water was
so shallow that the canoe was almost
stuck in the ooze. With his paddle
Drace propped his craft steady, for
them to get Out. Toner got out-and
with the quickness OF a cat snatched
a rope from beneath his coat and
threw about Braces arms.
Then the two men in the boat threw
themselves NJ on him. There was a
hard struggle In the canoe and then
out into the water. but they brought
him ashore, wound about with the rope.
Now they made haste TO tie him Sc
curefy. The canoe was dragged
ashore brace stretched out In 1t. and
now they took 1t on their shoulders
and fastened through the tangled un-
derbrush. He had fought hard. but
had not cried out. But as he was
carried along. he swore bitterly at
himself for not looking at first with
suspicion on the brutes who now had
him In their power.
"Ah, you would steal about and
spy" said Toner. But you steal about
no more. The carpetbaggers they say.
You brave2' and you say, Yes. / am
brave Then they say, You find old
Stepho.' And you go to find him. He
Is not at home. But his men, they
come just In time"
"You are liars. l vas"
"Ah, you com with the joke. To
morrow. we Will laugh. VIII your No.
you Will not laugh"
Drace lay quietly Juggling at the
ropes that bound him. If he could
spring out free, what a scattering he
would make OF them! They stopped,
entering some sort OF doorway. and
rested the canoe on the ground. Toner
lighted a candle, and Drace saw that
he was in an old cabin. almost ready
10 fall. They rolled him out on the
floor face down. and beneath his arms
they passed the paddle OF the canoe,
so that ne could not turn over. Then
the others went out, leaving Tonez
holding the candle.
Does the kind gentleman know why
they gone? They go TO get the dry
PUSHES and the dead bark. For whyf
To make the fire. II is not cold, NOT
But they will make the fire Of the cab
in. and when the morning come, there
will be the ashes of the kind gentle
man; and the people they Will say:
'Ah. he lie down to sleep, and burn
up "
Drace heard them pIllng their muir
fuel into a corner. Again he
appealed to them. tried threats, told
them that his friends would hang
them: but they laughed. Toner bend
ing over him with the candle.
"In a few minutes / light the blaze
and take the candle away . . You
talk Of Stepho's daughter. Remember
she may love me some. too"
"You Spanish devill"
s.The kind gentleman he come close.
I'm Portuguese. But no matter. When
stepho come, we tell him what We do.
and he pat us on the back and give us
n But the light would hurt the
kind gentleman's eyes when he lie
that way on his jaw. I will not stoop
so low with the candle . . Oh. what
a fine pile they getl 1t will make the
blaze beautiful. All ready, yes? viii
touch II of"
Drace could not see him. but he
the first crackle of the dried
rushes, saw the flame dim the candle
light. Now he cried aloud. the men
laughing, the mounting flame crack
ling louder. Toner came back to him.
"we leave you now. You will not
need this candle to light you to bed:
1 blow 1t out, sect And I take 1t
with me-"
They FASTENED out, and he heard
them laughing as they ran through the
u~nderbrush. With all his harnessed
might he strove to break the paddle so
that he might roll toward the door, but
II was strong, and he broke only the
tip of the blade. A louder cracking
told him that the dry boards above