The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-04-02

floor a time or two; siouched down
upon the box and, without turning NJ
the light. again hunted his pipe.
II must have been well toward mid
night, and the cramped position Of the
man behind the rubbish heap had
grown almost unbearable, when, after
many peeps through the narrow slit
light and very softly slipped out Of
the cabin
The woodsman rose, listened to the
low swish Of Black Bogus receding
steps among the weeds until there
came the creak of the rails as he
climbed the fence into the Eagle Hol-
low road. Opening the door with the
utmost caution, Jack slipped out and
stood listening-the steps had turned
down the road toward the village. He
closed the door and followed.
He had not Swallowed the renegade
far until it became plainly evident that
he was very Indifferent woodsman.
Sticks snapped under his feet, bushes
slapped back into place as he brushed
against them, and once or twice his
boot struck the ground with a clumsy
thud. Clear down to the mouth of the
hollow Jack stalked him. He took the
path that led along the east bank Of
the stream, and, when he came to the
fork, followed the branch that led to
the little park.
The woodsman stole after him, TAX
ing the path himself this time and
grinning dryly at the compliment he
had paid the fellow the night before
in thinking he might notice the croak-
ing Of the frogs. 1t was a refinement
of woodcraft Of which Black Bogus
had probably never dreamed.
Down into the little park and to the
seat at Whispering spring the hulking
shadow crept; again, as on the night
before, the man crouched down
among the gnarled maple roots by the
rustic seat.
The windows of the red-roofed cot
tage were dark. The place lay serene
and peaceful, with no spark Of light
alive to show that it was awake to
the sinister web Of evil slowly weav-
ing about 1t.
After an interval spent In listening,
the crouched figure among the gnarled
maple roots lifted his hands to his
mouth and again the lonesome wall
Of the screech owl shivered out upon
the night The woodsman seized the
favorable moment to steal closer and
to conceal himself In a clump of
shrubbery much nearer than he had
ventured the night before.
Black Bogus had given his rather
clever imitation Of the screech owl
three times, and was on the point of
giving it again, when the parlor door
opened and the tall figure Of the
preacher, without his glasses and
with the stoop gone from his Shout |
ders, came out on the porch. With a
step that carried no suggestion Of /
mincing nervousness he came down /
across the yard. The white butt of |
the six-gun at his side looked as If /
1t belonged there
He went straight to the spring; took I
down the dipper. making a very obvi-
Gus amount of clatter In doing so:
dipped himself a drink; hung up the
dipper; turned back toward the
house; stopped by the rustic seat, ana
held out his hand
Black Bogus reached In the breast
of his coat, drew out a package, the
bunch of bills, without a doubt-and
laid it in the waiting hand The
preacher put 1t inside his shirt bosom;
turned away; hesitated; came back a
step.
Bogus, be ready any night now
the hurried tones barely carried to the
man hidden in the shrubbery-"there's
4 barrel O. money in there. / wouldn't
a believed any man would risk SO
much about i'm, and that old, QUITO
late safe-a horse jockey could open
t. It's all right slippin' the goats
le patted his breast-'in among the
sheep like we're dom; and it's lucky
We printed a-plenty down the river
III O. them new plates; and that was
great idea of mine-mussin' 'em up
n leaf mold dampened with tobacco
pit SOS they'd look like old bills. The
levil 'imself couldn't tell 'em.
1T works, and we'd carry it through.
My for one thing-Warhope He's
uspicious. l saw 1t that first evening
I the supper table. That's why l went
n that fool seinin' spree-t' throw i'm
Il; and that's why couldn't leave no
otes under the slab at the old cabin
S we'd planned. Where he got his
lue don't know. but he's got 1t. 1
ad the devils own time blindin' them
awk eyes of his this afternoon.
"Warhope land { think Loge had
m right at the point of six-gun and 4
IT i'm beat i'm on the draw"
AN me-had i'm at the point of a
nife there in the schoolhouse," the
ian among the maple roots broke in
why didn't y'u let me alone?"
The other whirled on him, and his {
oice thickened.
CTO BE CONTINUED)
Z-fk