The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-05-07
CHAPTER XvlI-Continued.

don't y'u?'
'eOP Slime Collins da'ter-the purity
leetle gal wi the brown hair an laugh
In eyes-well, reckon l do know 'er
No, she hain't passed the gate t'day
nary way-why?"
"Oh-she rid up this way"
did she?-no, she didn't pass" He
hobbled a step closer. "Ol Sine ha(
t. let loose at last, didn't e? Dern
shame, though, e had t. be bumped
off. Reckon they amt found the Teller
yit that done it?"
The woodsman made. no reply. 1t is
even doubtful if he heard. His mind
was flying fast from point to point of
every possibility that lay between
Black rock and the tollgate. He washed
the froth off Graylock's nose; frightened
the saddle girth; paid his toll and
mounted.
Thanks FIR the drink, Uncle AS
bury"
Il don't make no business O. water
in hosses," the old man called after
him as he rode away, s'but boss like
that-he's welcome t. drink the well
dry"
The concealed house-boat - the
woodsman pondered the significance of
it; the possibilities of it; the horrible
threat of it as he galloped down the
road.
He glanced at the sun-within half
an hour of the tree-tops. He had blum
dered-Hopkins had just undercut
him-but maybe the light would hold
to redeem the blunder. His jaw tight
ened and he gave Graylock the rein,
closely scanning every inch of the road
and every foot of river-that came
into view as he passed.
Two miles above Black rock, just
where a by-road, a mere wagon track,
led off across the wooded bottoms, he
found what he was looking fora mass
of horse tracks. with a print or two OF
q boot heel that he knew.
His lips twisted into hard grin;
frightened till they squeezed every mite
of mirth out of it. He had lost the
trail; like hound at fault, had actually
run by it-and here it lay, right where
he had crossed it hours before.
He had been bending low in the sad
die. He Strengthened and rode eau
tiously down the by-road through the
dank and dismal bottoms. Where the
narrow by-road approached Mud haul
he again found what he was looking for
hitched to tree. restless
and prancing from side to side.
Hiding Graylock in thicket, he I'M
buttoned his blouse, loosened his re-
volver in its holster and crept down
the mucky bank toward the hiding
place Of the household; crawled close |
to its lurking place-it was gone.
He came out Of the bushes and found |
where the gangplank had freshly |
Scared the mud; searched the shore
'or footprints; found them-the marks
If a shapely small shoe. and the print
If a stylish boot heel.
A speck of color caught his eye near
he scar of the gangplank-a spot of
,old on the dank mud. He stepped for
yard and bent over it. The next mo-
nent he had snatched up something
md stood gazing at it-a yellow or
hid. flattened and faded. in all likeli-
lood the very one he had found for her
he Friday before-lady slipper day.
)ver the mans fine face spread light
hat TRANSPORTED it.
But there was task calling-tense;
nsistent; mayhap horrible. Taking
ut his pocketbook. he put the flower
arefully away; frowned hard down
he river shore.
Knowing that the narrow by-road led ,
trough the wooded flats almost to AL ,
inc island, angled sharply and crossed
} the bluffs something more than
lille above Black rock, he went back
!, Graylock, left Brownie prancing and :
awing the weeds. and rode cautiously :
q down the river s
Just short of the point where the {
arrow road angled toward the bluffs, s
2 again hid Graylock, went on afoot t
,me distance farther and stole through S
lie trees to the river bank. {
Creeping down to the edge of the
at6r, WIFI Caution 50 great lIdt d
ane wading rod or two below failed a
take the alarm Jack crawled out Il
nong the limbs of cottonwood that O
I'd uprooted and Topped over the b
ream and peered down the sides of h
e island. lying less than two hundred t
rds below.
A short distance down the south side, o
most completely hidden among the s.
llows and riding at the end of a rope O
tched to a tree on the bank, lay
lall houseboat with skiff tied at its h
the same tiny craft k
at had found concealment at the p
ad Of Mud haul. W
The voodsman was just stealing n
OK through the limbs Of the cotton p'
'od, with the bold intention of creep In
Z farther down the bank and SWIM 1t
ng out to the island. when man kl
me out of the snug little cabin, care 81
Nv closed the door fumbled a while | Cl