The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1924-01-31


he could appear to these tourists only
as game In the shape Of an animated
blotch on the mottled surface Of the
slope. Whatever sort Of game these
Fasteners thought him, they were
likely to keep firing till they hit him.
Although the shooting was wild, be-
ing down-hill and at long range, yet
the ridge commanded every square
rod of the basin, and there was fair
prospect that the poorest Of shots
night chance to spot him before he
should be able to get out Of range.
Grenlet determined to get rid OF
his disguise. To take OF his skin
and cast It from him ought, he rea-
soned to arrest the shooting. To
this end he flung himself on his back
In depression, which would serve
to lessen 9 triae the target space of
his body, and set frantically to work
upon the lacings of his goatskinc.
OF necessity, on account o. the
rough scrambling, the leather strings
which fastened the decoy suit had been
tied in hard knots. GPenlet's fingers
we're absolutely without feeling as
useless as dry bones. He tried to
beat them into warmth but lying on
ones back on the Ice, and in state
Of nervous fear, lie not conducive to
warming exercise.
In the meantime bis movements
were seen, or at least his animated
body, and the firing grew sharper and
more accurate. When slug struck
the frozen earth within few inches
of his head and he felt the sting Of
lead spattered into his face, flight be-
came the only recourse. He dared
not feign death, for fear that at closer
range some hunter might wish to
make sure with some final shots.
He considered briefly the lines Of
retreat, the routes to cover.
The way into the gu1rh below would
have been already speedy, but the
slope he had already reached was diff
cult enough, It's footho1d barely tena-
BILE. To return the way he had come
would have been to lessen the dis
lance between himself and the shoot
eTs.
So Grenlet chose a straightaway
scramble up the lower ridge, over
which the goats had fied-and he
would have been glad enough could
he have emulated the speed Of those
fortunate animals.
And now began a lodging, scran-
bling fight along a scarp full enough
of danger without the added peril Of
bombardment
The hunters at this moment were
guessing their range with a better
degree of accuracy. Their bullets
were striking. spat, spat, spat, within
a radius of ten or twenty yards.
At least four men were firing as
rapidly as they could work the mech
anism Of their guns.
Go! He went in every way that
mortal could go. lodging and curving,
leaping and scrambling, much Of the
time, Of necessity. on ALI tours. For
a minute the spat, spat of ounce slugs
followed. Then, to his Unreasonable
relief, the firing ceased. He scram-
bled straight ahead now, until sus-
picion of that lu1l in the firing attack
ed him.
He halted, and briefly scanned the
curved crest of the ridge in his rear.
And he discovered his tormentors rae
ing like a swarm Of monkeys across a
shorter and less steep slope Of their
heightss They were gaining ground
swiftly. and he saw that they would
considerably lessen their range be-
fore he could pass over his ridge.
Should he wait and trust to signaling
at nearer view?
He dared not. but turned to labor
of superhuman exertion in getting up
the icy slope. When he had little
more than covered half the distance
to safety the firing began again, and
from a point nearly athis level on the
ridge directly behind. The crack Of
rifles sounded distinctly nearer.
He dared not now halt for single
second. To present the uncertainty
of an erratica1ly moving target was
his only hope. Twice he was hit by
pieces of ice or of frozen earth knock
ed up by bullets. he felt the sting of
these missiles so sharply that for the
moment he believed he had been
wounded.
Then in a flash his reprieVe came.
He was slightly above the level OF
the shooters now, and a depression on
his left suddenly offered its protection.
He rolled into this little hollow JOY
fully. From this point his way round
q curve on the ridge and to its top
was of safe and easier ascent.
Once on the height. and with his
whole body glowing, his fingers tin
Cling from recent fierce exertion, he
speedily got out of his goat skins.
He turned the suit inside out and
wrapped it about his camera.
Dressed in wooden shirt and kha-
ki knee-breeches, he was seated in a
sunny spot on boulder when five
men, armed with rifles, came tearing
over the ridge.
They did not see him ct first, and
were surprised to discover him In
their path a moment later. Sweating
and painting. the tourists halted. With
T.