The Lamar register., 1922-09-27


''Nhn st that hissr:" he screamed.
Man, flere was =. snline. gallons Of
IL. soaking the she'd, before ever the
fire rolnr there They were soaked
with IL, Who did IL? show me the
d--n ~l;unl'" he Iigui-d. half beside
himself
"It doesn't matter now" said VII
ton.
Mc6-t ravcd. cur-ing and sobbing,
and suddenly rushed away into the
Smns. and was lost tn view.
Wilton was ninkiii. his way toward
his shack before i. occurred TO him
that Il" would met fin.i 't Yet there
was the safe lie would stay guard
over that. To his immense surprise.
however. he discovered that the shack
had escaped the conilagratIon. though
nothing remained of Eitty's but a few
hlrrkened beams. A backfirs had
been set successfully. The grass was
burned all about the place. and some
or the fimbers We're scorched. hut that
was all. The shack was an oasis In
the devastation or cinderS Jules
hal stuck to his post
Wilton knew there had been treach-
cry. He knew that Bowyer's appear
ance at the portage had not been
chance Bowyer had not driven miles
from Cold Junction by coincidence
Wilton had no doubt that the fire was
Of his making.
And even that did not matter.
At rhe door Of his shack he stopped.
He had II strange instinct OF danger
the instinct OF the beast returning to
its den. which tells It that something
has been there during its absence.
He unlocked the office door and went
In For moment he thought his sus-
plcions groundless. Then he saw thar
the door OF the safe was open. He
ran to IL. and found the papers inside
and apparently intact, Just as they had
been.
Jules must have scared the thieves
away before they could accomplish
their design. But how had they got
the combination;
Wilton shouted for Jules. and then.
remembering that the deaf-mute could
not hear him. went out Of the room
toward the little wooden outbuildins
which Jules had constructed for h..
abode. But the Muskegon was NOT
there.
lie went hack through the kitchen.
In the middle OF the room he saw
something dimly outlined on the noor.
lie StrucS d match and found Jules In
n pool Of blood. one side OF his head
l,nd been almost battered To pieces
with hatchct that lay on the foor
nearby.
Aud YET Jules was not dead. for, as
Wilton bent over him, he opened his
ey-s and smiled very falntly Into his
masters face. And the fingers Of one
outstretched hand quivered and point
ed toward the Office.
Wilton raised Jules gently In his
arms and carried him within, and laid
him on the floor. The Indian was al.
most AT his last gasp. and he seemed
struggling to express something before
he died.
The iiuttering fingers pointed up.
ward. All that was left of life within
the broken body seemed to be concen.
trated in them. Wilton watched them
The fingers squIrmed and twisted
II seemed to Wilton that there was
something in the room that Jules
wanted. They were pointing now
toward the safe. Wilton raised the
dying man In his arms and supported
the shoulders against his knees, 80
that Jules might see.
Jules pointed straight at the safe,
looked up. and nodded Wilton nodded.
Jules seemed to lose interest then. but
~.
pointed toward the wall behind VIII
ton shifted his position, and raised the
shade Of the lamp. to illuminate the
other half of the room.
The fingers wandered over tbc
woodwork, and stopped upon the ear
icature of Lee Chambers that Jules
had drawn. Jules Halfhead smiled
up into Wllton's face and nodded.
Wilton nodded Then Jules died.