The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-12-27

Han had already decided upon his
course Of action ana had hts answer
ready. lie knew perfectiy that Il
would only put Nelson on hts guard
n he stated his true position: and
bes,de.L he wanted word OF Exram. u
may have q wrong steer. Mr.. Nell
son. he said. but q man I met down
on the river-traiL out Of Snowy
Guicn. advised me 10 ooms hers. He
satd that he had some sort OF claim
mn here that his brother left him.
and tho n was a pocket country. he
thought there'd soon be q great rush
up this way"
4 hardly know who n could have
kkeen that you met" Nelson began
denbtfnlly. He didn't tell you his
name
.'Melvflle believe that was n.
And n xon1l tell me how TO find him.
IN try 10 so on tonight l brought
him some Of his belongings from
snowy Gnich---"
Melville. ehf guess I know who
you mean now. hut mol don't know
Of any claim unless It's over east.
beyond here. Maybe further down
the river
Ben made no reply at cnosi but his
mind sped like lightning. OF course
Nielsen was lying about the claim:
he know perfectly that at that mo-
ment he was occupying one Of Hiram
Mciviile's cabins He was first
class actor. too--his voice indicating
scarcely no acquaintance with or In
terest In the name.
He hasn't come up this way -
1en asked casually.
He hasn't como thru here thns
know Of or course Tn working At
my ciaina-with my partners-and ne
might have gene thru without our
seeing him. IL seems rather un-
likely"
Fen was really puzzled now. n
Ezrarn had ALREADY made hia presence
known and was camping somewhere
In the hills about. there was no rea-
son Immediately evident why Neiiaon
should deny his presence Ben found
himself wondering whether by any
~ehance Exrarn had been delayed along
the trail. perhaps had even lost his
way. and had not yet put In an APP
pcarance.
Tie told mo. IN the few minutes
that I talked 20 him. that his cabin
vas somewhere close TO this one--r
thought he said up this creek
There Is cabin up the creek q
way" Nelson admitted. but n isnv
the one he meant It's on my oiafrn.
and my two partners are living IN Il.
But when he said near 70 shi. one.
ne might have meant 10 miles That's
the way we Northern men speak Of
distaHce.-
There wss nothing more to ssy,
nothing to DO at present He aid
his farswefls 10 the efri. REFUSED IN
invitation TO pass ne night h shs
oAh1n- and rads his vay 10 IL gresn
Ank - ehe stream Pour hundred
fazes from the cabin. and psrhaps =
Ske number from shs cabin Of Ray
tnd CnaxSsy-ooscursd from hokh b.
ne fnicksts-hs pitched his camp
- hi cabin hs had Iefs Jsffery
losl1sua catsohissd his dausftsr. Try
~ 10 learn IN ~ could ooncernsns
ben- II wAs true That he carried the
oead Hiram's rifis. ana that the lat-
esrs pct wolf followed a. his hseia
but 4 was wholly probable that the
on man. Hiram's brother. with whom
~ Rad convened ~ the river. haA
DESIGNATED him 10 81 them He hsd
e<n courteous ana respectful
thruout the Journey 10 the Yusa.
Beatrics aid. and he had also saved
her from possfbb death m the fnnrs
81 the wolf the evening previous
Nelson decided that he would take
no steps at present but merely whit
and watch Developments
Meanwhile Ben had made HIS f4r~
and unpacked his horssa He con-
nned his riding horss WIN a psckst
rope: the others he turned loose.
Then he cooked . simple meal for
himself and tho eaunt servant At his
heels.
When the nfgtt had come down IN
nun. and a. he sat about the Flowing
Goals Of his supper fire. he had time
70 devote serious thought 20 the fate
q Ezram- II occurred 70 him that
perhaps the old man had discovered.
- distance. shs presence Of the
im-jumpers; and was merely wait
inR In the thickets for 4 chance TO
take action. n such were the case.
sooner or later thsy could Join their
fortunes again. II was also easy to
imagine that Ezram had lost his way
on the tourney out