The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-01-03

q black dead limb at the top of Eagl
Oak, towering high above the quicken
ing foliage, came into view. She raise,
her arm and pointed up and away t,
the lofty landmark.
That's where the big gray eagle
ben comm every summer-senc
white men first come t the Flatwoods
| guess. Look-jist over the top 0
that scrub poplar, stickin' up ag'ns
that white cloud"
y see It'll" the man of books ex
claimed, the simple gesture Of point
ing out to the distant landmark re
vealing the native grace that NIGH
still have been his but for the stopped
and studious air that life had imposed
upon him. 1T stands out against the
fluffy wilderness plain as a Flagstaff
Nobody in the Flatwoods would
think Of harmin'-"
She stopped, with a low exclamation
for the wOodsman had suddenly
Strengthened In his saddle and had
jerked his hand toward the cabin
squatting against the bluffs up TIE hol-
WV - tiS lOllOM Gu tHt l1OtlUu
of his hand and sat staring.
Loge Belden's sister had appeared
from behind the cabin and was running
toward them. She had nearly reached
the bushes that fringed what might be
called the front Of the yard, when Bel
den appeared In the open door. He
threw up his hand and called out a
word or two, which did not quite carry
to the three riders.
The mountain girl stopped and hest
tnted; turned and went slowly back.
Belden stood aside; she entered the
door; Belden closed 1t.
Jack vas watching the preacher.
He saw his quick grip on the bride
rein; saw him stiffen In the saddle
and glance uneasily about.
Astonishing! Quite extraordinary I"
escaped him as the tense brief drama
closed.
Mercy" Texie exclaimed, II v
knowed she was-crazy."
"She amt" the woodsman NUT
tered.
The preacher glanced around at him;
threw up his head and exploded his
blarey laugh. 1t was a queer moment
for a laugh, and a queer laugh for the
moment.
mot bad philosophy, that" he said.
people are not always as crazys as
they-act."
That the preacher was acting, the
woodsman fully believed, but the act
ing was just a shade overdone-a cir
cumstance that could hardly escape
such a mar as Jack Warhope, particu-
larry after the chance clues that had
first set his suspicious going. Why he
was acting and what part, the woods
WAS not missing any chances to
find out.
The three riders sat for some time
looking toward the cabin in the peck
ct, Texie and the preacher discussing
the astonishing drama that had 1ared
up for its tense moment in the elbow
of the hills.
But the drama evidently had but
one act, and that act was closed. 1t
seemed to the woodsman, as he covert
ly watched the preacher, lolling with
overdone awkwardness in his saddle,
that he showed just a shade of relief
that it was closed.
The sun, a red warrior on the home
ward trail, had %journeyed far down
the paling Businesses of the sky; had
ducked behind a huge cloud bank
piled like a breastworks across the
Presently, finding a loop-hole
in the turreted cumuli, he glared back
at the pursuing shadows; launched a
shaft that fell spent and %quivering
upon Eagle run and shivered into
glittering splinters upon the rifle.
Glum at the missped shaft, the red
warrior took his eye from the loop
hole; drew farther back behind the
Notifications; unstrung his
bow. The pursuing shadows stole
down the bluffs; dulled the water;
dimmed the woods walked the breeze
and shook the wild apple twigs till
the white blossoms showed the grass
symbol of the hopes of men, that
Dl0om, ON frult, die.
The girl noticed the shadows. Her
eyes left the cabin; glanced up and
down the opposite bluff, where, under
the brow of the wooded escarpment,
were already beginning to dim.
The girls rowing glance stopped at
a black walnut tree ten or fifteen
yards away where some frost-blasted
walnuts of the season before still
chung to a blighted limb. She swept
a finger toward them, dropped her
hand to the revolver at her belt and
.ooked around at the woodsman. He
caught the challenge In her eye,
and nodded.
With a quickness and skill that
her mastery of the weapon,
,he plucked the revolver from its hol-
,ter, raised it and fired. The first bull
ct cut a twig close to a walnut, the
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