Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-08-18
CHAPTER Ill
Bower comes-and Goes.

BoWyer Comes-and Goes.
Wilton would not remain In bed
longer than two days. His hands had
not suffered much, but his feet were
badly inflamed and swollen, and his
arm would take weeks to mend. But
be could not rest, and insisted that he
must return, although 1t was clearly
evident that he was in no condition to
travel.
Molly almost cried with vexation
and alarm as she found that his deter
mination was unsuitable. By the
strongest persuasion she induced him
to remain over the Sunday.
AS for Mcdonald, he sulked In his
bed and said nothing.
Wilton had recovered consciousness
late on the afternoon Of his rescue.
That same evening his own sleigh had
appeared at the portage, with the two
halfbreedS. Weak as he was, Wilton
insisted on seeing them.
He was convinced that one of the
men had fred the shot by accident,
and had expected both of them to take
fright and vanish with the sleigh into
the wilds. He was startled by their
protestations of ignorance. They
swore that neither Of them had left
the camp until the afternoon, and per-
sisted In their statement that they had
not heard the discharge Of the rifle.
Following up their employers, they
had discovered bloodstains on the I'M
derbrush, according to their story.
They had picked up Wilton'S tracks
from the lower slopes of the ridge to
the edge of Big Muskeg, and had fol-
lowed them across the portage to the
factors store, where they had learned
for the first time what had happened.
Their story staggered Wilton. On
the face Of 1t, it seemed an impossi-
bility, for no one else could have fired
the shot. Yet, had either of the men
done so, it was the least likely thing
that he would have returned to brazen
out concocted tale.
Wilton was too weak to cross-ques-
ton them he resolved, however, that
the matter should be probed to the
bottom, and meanwhile decided to alb
stain from arohsing their suspicious of
his doubts.
It was on the Sunday afternoon
that, lying on his bed, on which Molly
had insisted, he saw through the win
dow a sleigh approaching the store.
He recognized the two men who
walked with the driver as Tom Bow
yer and Lee Chambers, the latter a
CONSTITUTIONAL engineer who had once
been employed by Joe Bostock, but
had left him for the New Northern.
He wondered what Tom Bowyer's err
rand was. he suspected that, learn
ing of their journey, Bowyer had come
to spy out the progress of the Mis-
satibi.
He was in no mood to welcome
either him or Chambers. Chambers
was suspected of having betrayed a
good many Of the Missatibi secrets to
the New Northern.
He decided to stay where he was,
unless Bowyer showed signs Of re-
manning But suddenly an exclama-
ton of anger from Molly brought him
sharply to his feet and into the store.
Bowyer had his arm round her and
was trying to draw her toward him.
Chambers, at his side, small man
with a sharp, mink-like face, was
staggering at the scene. Wilton's ad-
vent was like a thunderclap to the
pair.
In his flannel shirt and trousers, with
his left arm slung to his neck, Wilton
yet looked so menacing that Bowyer
released Molly at once and put him.
self into an instructive attitude of self
deefnse.
He was a man of about five and
forty, red-facsd, with red, thinning
hair, gray over the temples, and the
bold staring gaze that falsely passes
for candor, which some rogues acquire
in place Of the furtiveness Of weaker
souls-such as Lee Chambers.
Bowyer stared, and suddenly he rec
ognized his man.
"Why, it's VIII Carruthers!" he ex-
claimed with an affectation Of jovial-
ty. How'd you hurt your arm, WillY'
Molly came quickly between the
two men.
'You'll-you'Il perhaps realize that
this isn't Winnipeg" suffered Wilton
inaptly enough. He was quicker with
his fists than with his tongue.
''By George, 1t isn't" cried Bowyer
in cordial agreement. II seen to have