The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-04-23
CHAPTER xV-ContInued.

that was in him-to state that 1t never
keep 1t, with probably nobody ever
the wiser.
1t was too late to take II back to the
red-roofed cottage that night, and too
bulky to carry in his pockets Decid-
ing at last to hide 1t until next day
gave him a chance to take Texie into
his confidence, he wrapped the bundles
in towel !. raised the rug; very care
fully loosened a board of the floor; hid
the package under It; replaced the
board and rolled the rug back into
place with studied exactness.
Then he blew out the candle; raised
the blinds of the two small windows
and slipped out into the yard.
Twilight had long faded into dark.
Only an occasional candle picked out
the ragged outline of the village. A
dog fox back in the hills was trying to
tell the rest of the foxes how lonesome
he was. Over along Eagle run the frogs
croaked-wlthout interruption. He
listened to make sure.
CHANGING back at the cabin door to
make certain he had closed it. he
slipped across the corner of the or
chard; along the path at the base of
Black rock; into the little park and
stole In under dense clump of syringa
bushes barely three steps from the rus
tic seat at Whispering spring.
For those who know how to listen,
nature has thousand voices-and the
woods never sound false note A
good length Of the night was gone
when the frogs along Eagle run gave
him the cue he was expecting. He
could trace the progress of the rene
gade down the stream-doubtles fresh
from his task of making old money
out Of new at the deserted cabin--as
we'll as II he had his eyes upon him.
Presently there came the very faint
creak Of rail where the path crossed
the fence out of the fallow pasture lot
into the little park. A moment later
hulking form bulked huge in the
gloom Black Bogus stole out of the
shadows and crouched down among
the gnarled maple roots at the end of
the rustic seat.
The woodsman lay so close that he
could hear him breathe. After listen
ing intently for some minutes, the
hulking renegade raised his hands to
his mouth and gave the call of the
screech owl. Jack found out what he
wanted to know-Hopkins had not had
the chance to communicate with his
Again and again Black Bogus repeat
ed his call, at intervals of few min
utes, until he had given it a dozen or
fifteen times, each time growing more |
restless and disturbed. At last he ba- |
gan to swear, and the call began to re- |
semble less and less the plaintive wall |
Of the bird he Knocked. Finally he rose,
listened a moment and, with no very
great effort at concealment, stalked up
the path.
The woodsman rose and softly fol-
Owed; Swallowed him up the branch
and into the mouth of the hollow. At
the squalid. howell of dead Henry Spen-
,er he vaulted the fence, stalked up
loor.
Stepping noiselessly around through
The bushes, the woodsman crept up to
he chlnk between the logs under the
'estoon Of wild cucumber vines. He
was just in time to see Black Bogus
light the lamp, go to the ruined fire
place, lift up the slab of stone on the
hearth and feel under 1t. Nothing
here-he slammed the stone back,
licked it with his ragged boot, snatched
tut his pipe. lit 1t vIciously, smoked
lard for minute or more, blew out
he lamp, stormed out of the door and
Town the yard.
All the way up Eagle Hollow road
md to Loge Belden's cabin the woods
nan Swallowed him; watched him go
round to the back; heard him enter
md slam the door after him; slipped
lp to the small east window and lay
listening. The window was open a
cant inch or so at the bottom; he
raised himself even with the
harrow opening and cautiously peeped
within.
A match scraped, was laid to can
lie on a shelf over the crumbling fire
lace; Black Bogus whipped Off the
haired end of the wick; K fiared to
ull strength and the interior of the
abin came out of the dark.
The watchers eyes lifted in amaze
nent. The cabin was almost totally
ARE of furniture Of any klnd-no
eds no table or chairs-merely some
,ots and pans by the empty fireplace,
md two pallets on the floor.
On one Of these pallets, almost under
he window, lay Belden's sister; on
he other lay Loge. He raised up on
lis elbow as the candle fiared alight;
loticed the sullen glover on the face
# his associate.
"Well?"
"He didn't come out"
"H-lll an y'u had t bring 1t
'ack?"
what else?"
There came voice from the pallet
Inder the Window voice soft and |