The Belding banner-news., 1922-02-22


living, did nothing like that.
"You can't tie up to no other man
while you belong TO Oscar, Miss Eve"
she ventured gravely.
"Well. l know 1T OF course / know
H." retorted Evelyn, resenting the
censure In the others tones: but I've
got to be free. I'm so frantic, l don't
much care how That's the way Os-
cars got to help me Anyway make
him understand he's got TO wait; he
must be quiet and not bother me. Then
come tonight, and let me know what
he says. VIII you. Polly?'
The squatter girl nodded. She would
rather have heen switched than see Os-
car Bennett again.
"Yep," she assented. "Tll hunt him
up late this afternoon and then hus-
tie right over to you. got to go now"
For some moments after Evelyn
left her, Polly watched the slim fig
ure on the path 10 the woods. Then
she suddenly remembered Marcus Mac
Kenzie and without backward
glance hurried swiftly toward the
south
Meantime three squatters from the
Silent City were In the Bad Mans
ravine. dressing the fish they had net
ted the night before. One enormous
man was seated on a fiat rock, his bare
feet almost touching the water as II
hurried by to the lake. On his shoul-
ders. with his legs wound tightly
around the mans neck, sat small
boy, little more than baby. He was
Shiverlng with cold and, as the spring
rain shot its drops upon his face. he
lifted a small hand and brushed them
away. Seemingly obliyious of the
weight against his swarthy head. the
man picked up a fish and contemplated
II with Scowl Then he proceeded to
clean il deftly.
The silence was unbroken for a long
time except by the rushing of the wa
ter, the gruesome running Of the
knives over the fish scales and a little
whlmper now and then, from the child
astride the mans neck.
IL heard in town." broke forth Lye
Braeger. that Old Mare MacKenzie's
comm home Here's where us squat
ters get HI flung at US good and
plenty"
Jeremiah Hopkins stopped his work
and frowned at the speaker.
He'd best be a-lookin' out for his
SELF" he muttered. "Mebbe he'll get a
taste Of the hot place IL he does any
struttin' around the Silent City"
"Mebbe," repeated, Larry Bishop
and no more. Marcus Mackenzie,
handsome, SNUG and rich, had been the
instrument that had moved the hands
Of the law to swing open the prison
doors and shove Larry Bishop inside
just when his young wife needed him
most.
Once in sight of the roaring water,
rushing In torrents from the Bad Mans
ravine, Polly sent out a peculiar little
trill and the hoarse answer of a
mans voice mingled with its echo as
II struck the enormous, up-roaring
rock slabs.
Polly's heart bounded and lost its
heavy weight of fear. Daddy Hop
klns had responded ponderously TO her
first call. In another moment she was
crawling up the jagged sides of the
deep gulf. AS she came up To them,
Hopkins companions waved her a
greeting, but stopped their work at
the sight of her sober face.
whats up, lassie?" demanded Hop
kins. You amt seen a ghost, have
your
"Worser'n that Daddy" she replied.
Much worser'n that Old Mares
home, an heard him say he's goin'
to root us squatters out of the Silent
City"
A brute-lke glare flashed into Lar
ry Bishops eyes.
"Did he, now, brat?" he muttered,
taking up his knife and looking at it.
Polly squatted down beside her faith
er, slipping one hand under his arm.
The other she gave TO the child. who
grasped 1t eagerly.
"Did he, now?" came in repetition
from Bishops throat.
"Yep," asserted Pollyop, with an
emphatic bob Of her head. IAN l come
to tell you all you'd best be a-lookin'
out for i'm. Daddy, he says you're
the worst man In the settlement, but
everybody knows he's liar"
He'd best be lookin' opt for his own
hide" Hopkins shot hack like flash
Of steel. II ain't in any mind to stand
much Of his CUFF, the dirty duffer."
Withdrawing her arm from her faith
er's, she leaned her chin on her hand.
She wanted to urge them not to worry
too much, to tell them of the other
man, rich like old Marc, who had ex-
pressed In tender tones kindly In
terest In their welfare. Somehow,
though, the words would not come. The
peaceful figure did not fit in with the
secret understanding that expressed it
self In the frowning, furtive glances
that passed from one to the other of