The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-01-29
(continued nom saturday.

Continued nom saturday
Nj
The shot that wounded Jeffrey
Nelson carried far thru the forest
nisles. re-echoed against the hillS
and arrestinE. for one brcathloss
moment. all the business OF the will
dernesS. The feeding caribou swung
his horns and tried to catch the
tent. the moosc. grubhinE for water
roots in the lake bottom. lifted his
grotesaue head and stood like form
In black iron. Il came clear as a
voice 10 the cavern where Ben lay.
The man started vieleetly In ais
cot HIS entire nervous system
seemed 10 react Their there ensued
a curious state In which his physical
functions seemed TO cease-his heart
modonless In bis breast, his body
tensely rigid. his breath held There
was an infinite straining and travail
In his mind
The truth was that the sound acted
"a a powerful stimulant TO his rctard-
ed nervous forces, II was the one
thing hts resting nerye-system
.<needed: II was as II chemicals were
In suspension in a cruci6ie. and at a
slight jar OF the glass they made
mysterious union and expelled pre-
cipisation. Almost Instantly no rec
ogniEed the sound that reached him.
with clear and unmiEtakahle recog-
milton such as he had not experienced
since the night OF the accident. As
the report OF riflo. His mind Eave
. great leap and remembered ita
familiar world
A rifle-probahly discharged by
Beatrice IN q hunt after big game.
II was true that their meat supply
was low; he remembered now. Yet
II was curious that she should DO
hunting after dark. The gloom was
deep at the cavern mouth Besides.
he had always kept his rife from
her. fearing that she might turn II
against him he looked about him,
trying 10 locate the source OF the
flood Of light on the cavern floor.
II WAC the moon. ana II showed tina.
the girl was gone. He started TO lSit
up.
But his left arm did not react jus,
properly 10 the command OF his brain.
IL impeded him. and It's old strength
was impaired Fol a moment more
he lay quiet. deer In thought. OF
cnurse-hc had bern injured by the
falling tree. He r,menibered clearly.
now. And the rife had been broken.
The only possible explanation for
the shot was that n rifle had been
fired by sorne invader in their valley
kin all probability Nelson or one OF
his men. Beatrsce's absence would
also indicate this fact: perhaps she
had already Joined her father and
was on her way back to SNOWY Gulch
with him In that case. why had he
himself been spared7
He looked out OF the door Of the
cavern. trying 20 get some idea OF
the iateness OF tbs hour. The very
quality OF sae darkness Indicated
that the night was far advanced.
Nelson would not be hunting game
at this hour. Was his own war
planned long sgo--even now being
waged In ways beyond hi. kenf
HIS old concern for H~asrscr swept
thru him. with considerable difr.
Guilty he rot 70 his feet. then holding
on to N. wail. guided himself TO the
shelf where they ordinarily kept their
little store Of matches. He scratched
one Of them against the wall.
In the narins Hight his eyes may
a swift but careful appraisal ef his
surroundings. The girls CT Ind not
been slept IN: and 10 MS great
arnazement he saw that their food
supplies were spent. gtill holding TO
the wall he walked to the car.
mouth.
instantly his keen eyes saw the
far-ofr gieam Of the campfire on the
distant margin Of the lake. For all
that the hour was late. /, burned
high and bright. He watched Il,
fvaeuely conscious Of the insldious
advance OF ghastiy fear. Beatrice
was his ally ro=s-,-if these weeks had
sent home ore FART 10 him n was this
and her absence mirfls easily indi-
cate that she was helpless In the
ensmy's hands. The ,sSsug suggested
ugly possibilities. YET Ne could no,
aid her. He could scarcely walk:
even the krife that he wore al his
belt was missing. probably carried
by Beatrice when she gathered roots
n the woods
But presently all questions az IA
hiH course were settled for him. His
straining ear caught the faintest, al
most imperceptible vibration in the
ARA sotind-wave 30 dim and OBJ.
you're that II seemed impossible that
the human mind could interpret it,