Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1924-04-03

The Door He Had Watched Hopkins
Fumbilnp Over No Had Locked
Padlocksd on the Outside
and listened--some one was moving
about inside the cabin, and speck OF
light showed behind a narrow crack
between the door und the jamb.
Very guardedly he crossed the deck
and brought his eye close TO the crack
lit commanded view OF a narrow
section OF the room. A candle was
alight somewhere ut the side. and u
shudow--one shadow--fiitted about
the moor. The shadow slid across the
section TINT he could see: deepened:
disappeared; and In Its place-Texie
She came to the door on the outside
OF which he was crouched and tugged
at the latch. us she had probably done
many times since being left prls
0ner. nut the stout padlocked hasp
neld firm. With an exclamation that
held just shade OF petulance. she
turned away.
lie watched her TN she passed out
OF range OF the crevice--doubtless 10
sound the walls for some other means
Of escape.
Hut the narrow opening had told
him what II heartened him much to
know. lie took bullet from his
pouch: nattened Il between his teeth
with his powerful fingers forced Il
noiselessly into the keyhole Of the
paddock In such way as TO make II
impossible TO insert the key; janmed
II so light with the blade of his pocket
knife that nothing short OF a lock
smiths tools could have dlslodged Il,
Crawling along the gangway to the
after deck. he rendered the paddock
On the rear door equally useless: lis
tened a moment to the quick restless
steps inside; crawled under the hand
rail to the bank and. with every pre-
caution known To woodcraft 10 hide
his TRAIL recrossed the island TO the
skin.
lie showed the skin Into the water
rowed up around the head OF ths
island, down the south channel ano
back TO the house-boat. Fastening ths
skin 10 the rail-. he unhltched the rop,
from the willow on the bank; spranR
lightly TO the forward deck. being
careful to keep out of range OF thu
crevlce between the door and lamb ;
picked up one OF the two light poles
with which such craft are propelled !,
pushed on: suffered the snug little
vessel To catch the drift Of the cur
rent and. being careful to keep well
within the shadow OF the willows let
II drift down the channel.
Far down toward the lower point OF
the island narrow pocket gashed
into the rather steep bank--a place
well known to the woodsman. Care
fully Withdrawing the boat from the
current ms he approached, he deity
turned the PROV: poled the little YES
sci into the slack water Of the poke,
and far up under the overhanging
vines and branches, where II would
likely escape anything short OF the
very closest scrutiny, either from land
or water; hitched II securely TO q
tree on the bank: went back TO the
deck and stood listening.
The girl inside the cabin had re.
peatedly wrenched at the doors as the
vessel drifted down the channel. Sew
erai times she had called the name OF
Hopkins. begging him TO release her
doubtless believing u was he that Sc,
the boat adrift. To all this the woods
man had returned no answer.
She must have known when the boat
stopped. must have heard the scrape
OF the limbs and vines as Il was poled
up into the pocket. for there followed
an interval OF silence. He could not
resist the longing to steal once more
to the narrow crevice where the bar
OF candle-light escaped. He brough,
his eye close: peeped within.
She was standing near the middle
OF the door. listening intently and ap-
parently In deep thought. A he
watched. he saw q sudden light leap
to her face and wake the wonder Of
her eyes She crossed the floor: came
close to the door and with the eau
ton Of wooderaft almost a. fine rs
his own, softly called:
| Jack
u took the utter sum Of the mans
resolution 20 keep still He watched
the wonder of her eyes transform 20
disappointment, anu despair; watched
y her stand ciaspins aud unclasplng the