The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-01-30

The act was purely involuntary, but a
sight met his eyes that instantly drove
every other consideration out of his
mind-from behind log a man was
glowering at him.
de ducked out of sight in a flash,
and the woOdsman stopped to his task
-carelessly; without so much as the
flick of an eye to betray that he had
seen anything at all-but he had
caught distinct view Of SLOUGH hat,
rough flannel shirt, open at the col
lar, a glare Of dark eyes that smol-
dered in face dark and scowling and
covered with stubble of black beard
the desperate of the festival.
Texie's startled whisper. as she had
fastened the bandages about his Shout
der the evening before. flashed across
his thought. The face behind the log
and the face of his memory rose to his
! mind as distinct as a reflection in
Whispering spring. Unbelievable
though it was-against all reason in
the light of that terrible letter-he
vague, half intangible, but none the
less resemblance.
With the tail Of his eye on the log,
the woodsman went on with his work,
apparently absorbed in it, really with
no other thought than to put as great
length of fence row as possible be-
tween himself and that scowling face,
and in as short time as was prudent.
The moment he thought himself out
Of sight, he took out rail of the fence,
crawled through the opening and, with
every caution known to woodcraft,
crept back through the underbrush to-
ward the log. The broken outline of it
at last came into view through a clump
of hazel. He raised his head ever so
little and lay listening. Not false
note disturbed the soft purr Of nature;
the pulse of the woods beat normal.
He dropped his head; crawled up TO
the log. The leaves were fiattened and
still warm, but the man was gone.
He searched the moss and leaves IN
til he found the trail-the scrape of a
boot in a spot of moist ground at the
foot of an oak. After that it was easy.
There were two sets of tracks. To his
surprise one set led back toward the
cliffs above the homestead. He fol-
lowed it. At point along the bluffs
that commanded the nearest view of
the cabin under the crimson rambler
the mussed leaves and broken weeds
horao-b O or,1D,p o< hr,Shac OF tho ra-v-
brink of the rocks showed where the
renegade had concealed himself Three
matches, with which he
had probably lighted his pipe, indicat-
ed that he had remained some time.
Jack glanced down at the tiny cabin.
the barn-lot, turned and followed the |
trail back under the trees.
Past the log it led. away TO the |
north, down the face of the wooded |
bluff and into the narrow road that |
Eagle hollow. He followed It |
within sight of the rude howell at the /
head of the hollow into which Loge
Belden and his sister had lately |
moved; stopped; studied the place
for a moment; finally turned,
climbed the bluff and, with an IN
feeling of hidden eyes
lpon him, returned TO his task at the
ence.
The forenoon was gone by the time
lie finished it, AS he trudged back,
he corner where he had found the
elbow orchid drew his eye irresistibly.
Raking away the dead leaves he dug
t up, being careful TO leave enough
oil about the roots to prsTent their
rithering. and carried It in his hands
ut through the trees and up among
he tumbled ramparts of Black rock.
In the tiny flower bed at the foot
f the sandstone pinnacle where the
hree names were carved, he followed
ut place in the rich leaf-mOld and
ct the orchid with the otherS-all of
hem doubtless having come there at
ifferent times in the same way: rose
} his feet and stood deeply ponder
NJ as his gaze rested on the three
ames carved in the rock. That baf-
ing resemblance, In spite of him, {
-ould creep back into his thought.
The bold frankneSS of the mans
ace settled TO a deeper thoughtful |
ess: he looked down at the new or ,
hid among the old. fresh and piquant I
5 when he dug it ort of the fence 5
orner; glanced toward the red-roofed I
ottage. and set his feet 10 the rough
ath that led down TO the fallow yard.
CHAPTER WI '