Cheyenne Wells record., 1922-11-30
CHAPTER XXI

CHAPTER XXI
When Linda returned home the
events of the night partook even OF a
greater mystery. The front door was
open, and she found plenty of evidence
that Bruce had returned from MS
tourney. In the center of the room lay
his pack, a rifle slanting across 1t.
At first she did not notice the gun IN
particular. She supposed 1t was
Bruce's weapon and that he had come
in, dropped his luggage, and was ut
present somewhere In the house. 1t
was true that one chair was upset, but
except for IN instant's start she gave
no thought to 1t. She thought that he
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-
garled It, the more Of puzzle 1t be-
came. She moved over toward the
pack and looked casually at the rife.
In an instant more it was in her hands.
She saw at once that 1t was not
Bruce's gun. The action. make and
caliber were different. Besides, 1t had
certain peculiar notches on the stock
that the gun Elmlra 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, Bruce?" 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
weapon. She couldn't conceive Of any
possibility whereby Bruce would ex-
change his fathers trusted gun for
this. Possibly 1t was an extra weapon
that he had procured on his journey.
And since no possible gain would come
of her going out into the forests to
seek him, she sat down to walt for his
return.
The moments dragged by and her
apprehension grew. She took the rifle
In her hands and, slipping the lever
part way back, looked to see IL there
were cartridge In the barrel. She
saw n glitter of brass, and it gave her
a measure Of assurance. She had a
pistol In her own rOOm-a weapon that
Elmira hnA procured, years before,
from a passing sportsman-and for a
moment she considered getting it also.
She understood Its action better and
would probably be more efficient with
1t II the need arose, but for certain
never-tobc:forgotten reasons she
wished to keep this weapon until the
moment Of utmost need.
Her whole stock OF pistol cartridges
consisted of slx-completely filling the
magazine Of the pistol. Closely
watched by the Turner's. she had been
unable to procure more. Many q
dreadful night these six little cylinders
of brass had been II tremendous con.
ISOLATION to her. They had been her
sole defense, and she knew thnt in the
final emergency she could use them to
deadly effect.
Linda was girl who had always
looked her situations In the face. She
wns not one to finch from the truth
and with false optimism disbelieve it.
She knew these mountain realms; bet.
ter still she understood the dark pas.
sions Of Simon md his followers, and
this little half-pound of steel and
wood with Its brass shells might mean
In the dreadful last moment of DESPAIR
deliverance from them. 1t might mean
escape for herself when all other wsys
were cut Off. In this wild land. far
from the reaches of law and withou,
allies except for a decrepit old wo
man, the pistol and its deadly loads
had been her greatest solace.
The hours passed, and the clouds
we're starting up from the horizon
when she thought she saw Bruce re-
turning. A tall form came swinging
toward her, over the little trail thn1
led between the tree trunks. She
peered intently. And In one instan,
more she knew that the approaching
figure was not Bruce. but the man she
most feared of anyone on earth, Simon
Turner.
Her thoughts came clear and true
1t was obvious that his was no mis-
sion Of stealth. He was coming boldly
freely, not furtively; and he must have
known that he presented a perfec,
rife target from the windows. Never
theless, 1t is well to be prepared 70,
emergencies. II life in the mountain,
teaches anything. It teaches that sht
took the ziNs and laid 1t behind n uttls