Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1924-03-20

They TotaIed Exactly Three Thousaps
Five Hundred Eighty Dollars.
red-roofed cottage that night, and toe
bulky to carry In his pockets. Decid
ing at last to hide II until next day
gave him n chance to take Texie into
his confidence. he wrapped the bundles
In towel raised the rug; very care
fully ioosened board of the floor hid
the package under IL; replaced the
board and rolled the rug back into
place with studied exactness.
Then he blew out the candle; raised
the blinds of the two small windows
and slipped out into the yard.
Twilight had long faded into dark
Only an occasional candle picked out
the ragged outline OF the village. A
dog fox back In the hills was trying to
tell the rest Of the foxes how lonesome
he was. Over along Eagle run the frogs
croaked--without interruption. He
listened 10 make sure.
CHANGING back at the cabin door to
make certain he had closed II, he
slipped across the corner OF the or
chard; along the path nj the base OF
Black rock: into the little park and
stole In under dense clump Of syringa
bushes barely three steps from the rus
tic seat ut Whispering spring.
For those who know how to listen.
nature has u thousand volces--and the
woods never sound false note. A
good length Of the night was gone
when the frogs along Eagle run gave
him the cue he was expecting. He
could trace the progress Of the rene
gadc down the stream-doubtless fresh
from his task OF making old money
out OF new at the deserted cahln-as
well as II he had his eyes upon him.
Presently there came the very faint
creak OF rail- where the path crossed
the fence out Of the fallow pasture lot
Into the little park. A moment later
hulklng form bulked huge In the
gloom; Black Bogus stole out of the
shadows and crouched down among
the gnarled maple roots at the end Ct
the rustic seat,
The woodsman lay so close that he
could hear him breathe. After listen
ing intently for some minutes. the
hulking renegade raised his hands a.
his mouth and gave the call OF the
screech owl. Jack found out what he
wanted to know--Hopklns had not had
the chance 10 communicate with his
confcdcrates.
Again and again Black Bogus repeat
ed his call. at intervals Of few min
utes, until he had given Il n dozen or
fifteen times, each time growing more
restless and disturbed. At last he ba
gan TO swear, and the call began to re
semble less and less the plaintive wall
Of the bird he Knocked. Finally he rose.
listened moment and. with no very
great effort at concealment. stalked NJ
the path.
The woodsman rose and softly fol
lowed; Swallowed him up the branch
and into the mouth Of the hollow. A,
the squalid howell of dead Henry Spen-
Ger he vaulted the fence. stalked up
the yard and pushed open the sagging
door
stepping no,selessly around through
the bushes, the woodsman crept mp to
the chlnk between the logs under the
festoon 90 Wild cucumber vines. He
was Just In time TO see Black Bogus
light the lamp, 20 to the ruined FIRE
place, lift up the slab OF stone on the
hearth and feel under II. Nothing
there-he slammed the stone back.
kicked II with his ragged boot. snatched
out his pipe. liz Il viciously. smoked
hard for a minute or more. blew out
the lamp stormed out of the door and
down the yard.
All the way up Eagle Hollow road
and 10 Loge Belden's cabin the woods
man Swallowed him; watched him go
around to the back; heard him enter
and slam the door after him; slipped
up TO the small east window and lay
listening. The window was open q
scant inch OF 80 at the bottom; he
guardedly raised himself even with the
narrow opening and cautiously peeped
| within.
A match scraped. was laid to can.
die ON a shelf over the crumbling fre-
place: Black Bogus whipped OF the
eharred end Of the wick: Il fiared to
fall strength and the interior Of the
cabin came out Of the dark.
The watchers eyes lifted In amaze.
ment. The cabin was almost totally
bare Of furniture OF any kind--no
beds; no table or chairs--mereiy some
pots and pans by the empty fireplace.
and two pallets on the fioor.
On one Of these pallets. almost under
the window, lay Belden's sister. on
the other lay Loge. He raised up on
his elbow as the candle fiared alIght ;
noticed the sullen glover On the face
OF his associate.
"weily"
-lie didn't come out"
Hill, an y'u had q hrlny ~