The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-12-06

minister what was he doing in the
Flatwo0ds? If he was not. still, what
was he doing in the FlatWoods?
AS he pondered, suddenly the dark
face that had lared up from the floor
of the woods and glowered at him
over the log, slid into his mind. So
close it anne upon the heels of his at
tempted analysis of the preacher that
the two thoughts fused into one. The
connection was startling. 1t brought
him up out of his chair and left him
staring through the open cabin door
into the night.
Was there a connection? Might it
be possible that Ken, crime-stained
and low-fallen, had sneaked back to
the Flatwoods, and the preacher, be
ing a college friend, was trying to be-
friend him-possibly save him? But
no; there was the letter-it was abso-
lutely genuine.
The woodSman Strengthened and
stretched to rouse himself from the
wild spell of the thought, to drag him
self back from the drift of it felt the
revolver at his hip; crossed the floor
and stepped out into the yard.
The night was unruffled the woods
breathed softly in the pale starlighto
Back in the hills a red fox was bark
ing; over in the bottoms a plover
whistled his melancholy call; the
lonesome wall of a timber wolf drift
ed down out of Eagle hollow.
But for the true woodsman the night
has messages that other ears do not
hear. AS he stood in the yard sitting
the sounds that rode the air, ne sud-
denly bent forward and stood keenly
listening. The frogs in Eagle run, just
below the bridge in front of Uncle
Nick's, had abruptly stopped croaking.
only to begin again after a moment,
while the frogs farther down fell ST.
lent-somebody was walking along the
bank of the little stream. Somebody
frogs do not stop croaking at the
tread of cattle or other like animals.
1t was near midnight. Why should
anybody be prowling in so secluded a
spot at such an hour? The alert and
experienced woodsman could even
gauge the speed of the prowler by the
successive silences that fell as he
moved down the stream. He was GO
ing slowly-possibly creeping.
From the bridge at Uncle Nick's a
f%oot-path led down the east bank of
Eagle run and divided a short dis
lance below, n fork leading around
the base of Black rock to the War
hope homestead. the other on down
the stream, through a small pasture
and into the park-like orchard and
grounds of Simon Colin. 1t was along
this fork of the path that the night
prowler was apparently stealing.
The woodsman hurriedly closed the
cabin door, ran across the corner of
the fallow yard, and the next moment
creeping cautiously along the fork
Of the path that led around under the
dense shadows at the base of Black
-ock.
The caution of Jack Warhope was
seldom at fault. There was always
nan he followed was as fine as his
,wn. He paid him the compliment of
back from the stream, out of
.arshot of the frogs. and silently took
Ip the trail.
Where the path crossed the fence
topped and stood for some time lis
ening intently.
1t is q law of the woods-fundamen- :
al and primary, whether stalking ami .
.als or men-that the woodsman 4
aust never move while the creature /
e stalks is still. Jack, hardly twenty !
tops away, stood quiet as the breath ]
f the night and waited. 1
With a final searching look in every /
ERECTION, the man by the fence I
limbed cautiously over and stole J
the creek bank into the. little
ark. Jack crept up to the fence, /
over and followed. :
At whispering spring the night J
crouched down by the rustic !
eat. put his hands to his mouth and !
cry c~leverly initiated the quaverlng
all of the screech owl. Jack seized
he favorable moment, crept up as .
ear as he deemed prudent and hid in
ne dense shadow of a clump of shrub
cry. 4
The night was so placid that dur
lg the intervals between the imita-
We calls the low murmur of Whisper.
g spring fell distinct and clear upon =
he silence. A few steps away the
ed-roofed cottage bulked large in
he gloom.
The man had already twice given
IS call and was about to give it a
lird time, when the parlor door at
lie front of the house rather noisily
1ened, and a man came down off the
orch and across the yard. AS he
alked over the brink of the slight
where the yard dipped to the
eek, he passed in outline for a brief
oment against the southern sky. 9
1t was the preacher.
His glasses were off. the stoop gone T
ON his shoulders and his step c
owed not a sign of mincing. He was u