White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1924-09-05

ANhIlllNhRNHIENllHHNlHhlHllTnblDHIHiNlAI.
Good enough" he whooped. mot
cut leg in the bunch! Say, that was
some crossing!"
They were almost into the belt OF
trees below when John, still higher up
han Bunt, refined in and said: What's
that?"
whats what?" asked Blunt, and
turned his horse uphill again, seeing
Johns gaze riveted on something far
off over the tree tops.
"Is that smoker" asked John.
Bunt rode up beside him, and peer
ed, eyes puckered.
NOW is that smoke or a kind OF
haze from some crik-fall over there?"
he inquired Of the air. "Too blue for
foam of steep fall. Too small for
forest fire unless it has just begun.
Campfire, guess"
Game warden?" suggested John,
hoping for the best.
Game warden maybe" said Blunt;
I'VE could make sure il it was fire
or the haze of foam over fall by
staying here till dark. If it was a
fire we'd see light then. But we'd
be no forader then. We better git
on"
He clicked to the battered pack
horses and they logged on in to the
lower trails. 1t seemed soon as if they
rode down into the night.
"Say, it does go dark in them
Places" said Blunt. tits all turning
blue through the trails. Therell be
no more sun down here today. Gurn
black next, before we know! We got
to amble on. We were held up too
long over that powwow with the
Scott outfit. We can't camp here.
It'll be dusk before we hit a place
where there is water and feed for
the horses. There they go stringing
around again in this little bit Of open
place. I'll head them. You keep
them going behind"
This time, back on clear trail again,
ZIG QdCh-HOu1OS AOO0O0 liz uA 64A6s
They too understood, doubtless, the
signs of coming night, and had conf
dence that their human companions
would find them grass and water at
the days end. They went down the
sloping trail in the dim late light that
made the straight soaring cedars spec
trail, unreal, with dropped heads, loose
legs in dropping jig-jog motion
after Bunt's horse; and John, sitting
back in the saddle with loose lines,
brought up the rear. The effect Of un.
reality was increased by the quietness
of the fall Of the hoofs. There was
hardly sound, the hoofs falling NUT
fled in drifts of clover and bark and
tamarack needles. The bell on the
neck of one Of the horses, with it's lit
tie -tinkle, was the loudest sount
they made. 1t was ghostly cavalcadt
in the twilight of the big timber.
Sunddenly Blunt stopped and waitet
till the string made up on him. There
they stood, head to tail, some indeed
closer, ranged alongside, one or two
not having stopped promptly enough
on the steep incline. Bunt backed hi.
horse so that the head of the leading
pack-pony was level with him. Tha
was one that had little bell under It'll
neck, for aid in finding the buncl
should they stray when unsaddled ant
looking for feed. He fumbled will
the bell, and even while Jack wonder
: ed what he was doing Blunt explained
Just putting wedge of Spanish
moss l hauled off a cedar in tina
BELL" said he. Whatever that wa
! you saw, smoke of fire, or foam iron
some steep erik over rocks, it give
= me hint We don't want to COM
tinkle-tinkling along throug the wood
now, telling any possible folks tina
we're coming, till we see who the pos
sible folks may be.
The packhorses stepped on eagerl,
after him In the quickly deepening
dusk.
1T don't ring any MORE" he re
marked. We're about as quiet a
ghosts on this linely trail"
: AS he spoke the silence was les
broken than accentuated by suddel
babbling scream. 1t made horses an,
men shudder for moment. A 81
lence horribly cleft-and then accen
, tuated!
, What on earth was that?" sal,
John, still feeling as If an electric cur
? rent tingled in his spine and neck.
20, some cougar" said Blunt. "Wha
, it meant l don't know. They dom
teach cougar language at the school
, attended. Git along, you cayuses! al
! along!"
Had they been mounting up 1t nigh
not have seemed that the dark cam,
with much celebrity. AS 1t was, will
every few yards, dropping down int
that gulch, it seemed that anothe
wave Of gloom washed over them
When they gained the bottom-land tht
I~~ IL H. u