The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-04-17
done lf-MoTI done n" he sQueaTed IN


abject terror
He was grabbed by strong hands and
jerked, to his feet. While others held
him, the sheriff and several of the men
rushed into the cabin.
OF at the edge of the clearing stood
Rachel Carter and Isaac Stain. watch
ing the scene at the door.
zone look will be enough" the WON
an had said tersely. Twenty years
will not have changed Simon Braley
much. will know him at sight
You got to be sure, Mrs. Gwyn,"
muttered the hunter. EFF you got the
slightest doubt, say So"
81 will, Isaac"
"And ef you say it's him, fer sure
an no mistake, I'll foller him to the
end of the world but what 1 git him"
IF 1t is Simon Braley he will make
break for cover. He Is not like thar
whimpering coward over yonder. And
the sheriff will make no attempt to
bring him down. There is no COM
plant against him. No one knows that
he Is Simon Braley"
well, I'll be on his heels" was the
grim promise Of Isaac Stain, thinking
OF the sister who had been slain by
Braley's Indians down on the River
White.
One Of the men rushed out of the
cabin. He was vastly excited.
Don't let 60 of him." he shouted to
the men who were holding Martin.
There's HI to pay in there. Where
is Mrs. Gwyn7"
Il never done It'll" walled Martin,
livid with terror. 'T swear to God"
'Shut upw
"She's over there, Sam-with Ike
STAIN"
Ignoring the question that followed
him, the man called Sam hurried I'D to
the couple at the edge of the bush.
Better clear out. Mrs. Gwyn." he
said soberly. Il mean, don't stay
around. Something in there you
oushtn't to see."
What is it?" she inquired sharply.
well, you see-there's a dead man
in there-knifed. Blood all over every.
thing and"
'The man called Suggsr
Il reckon so. Leastwise 1t must be
him. Pears to be stranger to all of
US. Deader'n door nail. He's"
I'm not chicken-hearted, Mr.. Cor
bin," she announced. II have seen a
good many dead men in my time. The
sight of blood does not affect me. l
will go in and see him. Mol Please
do not stay me-"
Despite his protestations, she strobe
resolutely across the lot. AS she
passed Martin Hawk that covering
rascal stared at her, first without com
prehension, then with suddenly
awakened, acute understanding.
1t was she who sd'brought the au
thorities down upon him. She had
made "af1idavy" against him-she had
got him into this horrible mess by
swearing that he stole her sheep and
calves. True. he had stolen from her
there was no doubt about that-but
he had covered his tracks perfectly.
Any one of halfdozen men along the
river might have stolen her stock /;
they were stealing right and left How
then did she come to nx upon him as
the one to accuse? In a flash he leaped
to startling conclusion. Barry La
pellel The man who knew all about
his thievish transactions and who for
months had proflted by them. Hides,
wool, fresh meats from the secret lairs
and slaughter pens back in the track
less wilds, all these had gone down
the river on Barry's boats, products Of
a far-reaching system of outlawry,
i NJ 10 tofv ho, 4,
In the proceeds.
Now he understood Lapelle had gone
back on him, had betrayed him to his
future mother-in-law. The fine gen
tleman had no further use for him !;
Mrs. Gwyn had given her consent to
the marriage and in return for that he
had betrayed loyal friend And now
look at the position he was in, all
through Barry Lapelle. Sheep steal
ing was nothing to what he might have
to face. Even though Moll had done
the killing, he would have a devil Of a
time convincing jury of the fact.
More than likely, Moll would up and
deny that she had anything to do with
it-and then what2 1t would be like
the ornery slut to lie out Of 1t and let
'em hang her own father, just to pay
him back for the lickin's he had given
her.
All this raced through the fast
steadying brain of Martin Hawk as he
watched his accuser pass him by with
out look and stop irresolutely on his
threshold to stare aghast as what lay
beyond. 1t became a conviction, rather
than conjecture. Barry had set the
dogs upon him! Snakei Well, just
let him get loose from these plagued
hounds for half an hour or so and, by
glory. they'd have something to hang
him for or his name wasn't Martin
Hawk.
Isaac Stain did not move from the
spot where she had left him, over at
the edge of the clearing. His rifle was