Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-11-03
CHAPTER XXI

When Linda returned home tn
events Of the night partook even of
greater mystery. The front door wa
open, and she found plenty Of eyidenc
that Bruce had returned from hi
journey. In the center of the room la.
his pack. rifle slanting across 1t.
At first she did not notice the gun IL
particular. She supposed 1t wa
Bruce's weapon and that he had com,
in, dropped his luggage, and was a
| present somewhere In the house.
| was true that one chair was upset, bu
except for an instant's start she gave
no thought TO it. She thought that be
would probably go to the kitchen first
| FOR bit to eat He was not In this
room, however, nor had the lamp been
lighted.
Her next idea was that Bruce, tired
out, had gone to bed. She went back
softly to the front room, intending not
to disturb him. Once more she noticed
the upset chair. The longer she re-
garded it, the more of puzzle 1t be-
came. She moved over toward the
pack and looked casually at the rifle
In an instant more 1t was In her hands.
She saw at once that it was not
Bruce's gun. The action, make and
caliber were different Besides 1t had
certain peculiar notches on the stock
that the gun Elmira had furnished
Bruce did not have.
She stood moment In thought. The
problem offered no ray of light. She
considered what Bruce's first action
would have been, on returning to the
house to find her absent Possibly he
had gone in search of her. She turned
and went to the door of his bedroom.
She knocked on 1t softly. "Are you
there, BruceT she called.
No answer returned to her. The
rooms, in fact were deeply silent. She
tried the door and found 1t unlocked.
The room had not been occupied.
Thoroughly alarmed, she went back
into the front room and tried to de-
cipher the mystery of the strange
She couldn't conceive of any
possibility whereby Bruce would ex-
change his fathers trusted gun for
this. Possibly it was an extra weapon
that he had procured On his journey.
And since no possible gain would come
IF her going out into the forests to
seek him. she sat down to wait for his
return.
The moments dragged by and her
grew She took the rifle
n her hands and, slipping the lever
part way back, looked to see If there
we're a cartridge In the barrel. She
saw glitter of brass, and it gave her
| measure of assurance. She had
pistol in her own room-a weapon that
tlmira hal procured, years before,
rom passing sportsman-and for a
moment she considered getting 1t also. |
She understood It's action better and |
would probably be more efficient with |
t If the need arose, but for certain
lever-to-be-forgotten reasons she
Wished TO keep this weapon until the
moment of utmost need.
Her whole stock of pistol cartridges
of six-completely filling the
magazine of the pistol. Closely
by the Turner's, she had been
Unable TO procure more. MANY
lreadful night these six little cylinders
# brass had been a tremendous con
olation to her. They had been her
ole defense. and she knew that in the
nal emergency she could use them TO
eadly effect.
Linda was girl who had always
DOked her situations in the face She
fas not one 10 finch from the truth
nd with false optimism disbelieye II
he knew these mountain realms: bet
pr still she understood the dark pas-
ions Of Simon and his followers and
his little half-pOund ~ steel and
God with its brass shells might mean
} the dreadful last moment Of despalr
eliyerance from them. u might mean
seape for herself when an other WAYS
ere cut on. in this Wild land far
'0m the peaches ~ law ana without
HES except for decreplf old wo.
an. fhe pistol and iis deadly loads
"a been hef gfeatesi solaee
The h0urs pissed. and ile clouds
ere starting up from the horizon
hen she ihoughi she sas Bruce ro.
lrDlng = fe'l form came swinging
ward beg over ihe linf irau ihnf
q between ilf yef Juul,s. she
'oged inlouly Apf ln 600 lnsiani
Ole sne fneH MAJ ile approaching
iurf Nps nW hrpre hul me nan she
ot fear'a ~ anyone o0 earih Simon
lfnef
ir lluntif HWf n'nal Hnd nur
500 nnllpm inm hlf Ans n0 m.
NJ "a MfallN ilf Npa 0omns hoHh
Il BOT NnIlHf Hni hn nn.| hal0
uHp ihW lu pfa0Wfl nOIsn
M lHiE1 llWN ii0 N'Ni.N NaI
HfN a "a NNN Az W NnUlfm IA
o sfW'r "A 'If W. iI0 NNllal
.hI HI|ilIN HH'|M II NI
.I II. |IN NUI uII III I.II.I .I..I