The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1924-02-07

Al NhC luIt
began TO form. slowly--a face hand
some In spite OF It's forbidding beard
formidable spectacles and drawn
peering eyes. Every act of the eccen
trio observation-disclosures since the
day the Milford stage dropped him
in front OF the post office. passed be
fore his mind-every act. as far as
known. had been scrupulously circum-
spect.
Dreaming there by the dead embers
OF the fire, the woodsman found him.
self analyzing the preacher. in his
careful way, from shiny boots to high
hat. The ill-health excuse ne had
never believed. or rather. had set II
down to an imaginary ailment-the
man looked absolutely fit TO enter a
cross-country relay. He eliminated the
elaborate frock coat. stiff neck stock,
high hat and spectacles-divested of
all oddities and accessories, there re-
NAMED tall and very capable man.
Then. there was the ivory-handled
six-gun that happened TO thud against
the bottom OF the skin, and a pair of
very deft hands feeling over the stacks
OF clothes-a circumstance that had to-
tally escaped the other members OF
the seining party. Besides, there was
the perfect agreement of the heel
prints on the dusty deck OF the con
cealed Observation-Disclosures circum-
stance that he alone knew.
III he was college professor and
minister what was he doing In the
Flatwoodsl II he was not, still, what
was he doing In the Flatwoodsl
AS he pondered, suddenly the dark
face that had fiared up from the floor
OF the woods and glowered at him
over the log, slid into his mind So
close II came upon the heels of his at
tempted analysis Of the preacher that
the two thoughts fused into one. The
connection was startling. Ii brought
him up out of his chair and left him
staring through the. open cabin door
into the night.
Was there a connection? Might II
be possible that Ken, crime-stained
and low-fallen, had sneaked back 10
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-
luteiy genuine.
The woodsman Strengthened and
stretched to rouse himself from the
Wild spell Of the thought. TO drag him
'elf back from the drift Of II; felt the
revolver at his hip; crossed the floor
md stepped out into the yard.
The night was unruffled; the woods
'reathed softly in the pale starlight.
Back In the hills red fox was bark
ng; over In the bottoms plover
Thistled his melancholy call; the
onesome wall OF a timber wolf drift
d down out Of Eagle hollow.
But for the true woodsman the night
as messages that other ears do not
ear. AS he stood in the yard sitting ,
he sounds that rode the air he sud ,
enly bent forward and stood keenly
stening. The frogs In Eagle run. Just
Glow the bridge In front of Uncle !
icks. had abruptly stopped croaklng. '
My to begin again after a moment. d
lille the frogs farther down fell 81 r
was walking along the
INK OF the little stream. Somebody 6
frogs do not stop croaking at the a
cad Of cattle or other like animals. 7
Ii was near midnight. Why should I,
lybody be proving In so secluded "a
ot AZ such an hour7 The alert and | a
perienoed woOdsman could even
uge the speed Of the prowler by the \
sllences that fell as be ! n
'ved down the stream. He was go 4,
siowly-pOssibly creeping. r,
From the bridge at Uncle Nick's a m
ot-path led down the enst bank OF nj
gle run and divided a short dis
Ice below. one fork leading around h,
, base Of Black rock TO the War bs
pc homestead. the other on down ar
stream. through a small pasture ii,
and into the park-like orchard and
FUNDS Of Simon Colin. II was along
s fork Of the path that the night
'wler was apparently stealing
The woodsman hurriedly closed the
80 HR'AF Aaa AAADrN Tic COTUrT OF / IN
faliow yard. and the next moment no
) creeping cautiously along the fork or,
the path that led around under the wa
lse shadows at the base Of Black ina
K. al,
he caution Of Jack warhope was he
ION at fault. There was always mo
chance that the woodcraft Of the Tn
D he followed was as fine as his
l. He paid him the compliment Of sps
ping back from the stream. out OF sue
shot Of the frogs. and silently took cor
the trail. the
here the path crossed the fence the
the little park the prowler Il
ped and stood for some time lis moi
ng infently. ing
lie law Of the woods-ftndamen- yer
snd primary. whether stalking AMI nlpl
) or men-that the woodsman leal
{ never move while the creature spr,
tails L. still. Jsch, hardly twenty oak