White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1924-09-19

shoulder, but his finger was still on
the trigger. He peered at the man
who advanced on him, he also with
a rifle at the ready.
Don't shoot!" again the man said.
Il want to speak to YOU"
The voice, oddly strained though it
was, as of one tense to the verge of
arrangement, Jack seemed to know.
And as the man drew closer Jack did
know him. 1t was Larry Shanks, he
Of the queer grey eyes that were so
queer that to describe him as man
with grey eyes" had seemed to Dono-
van, of the Rossland Hotel, sufficient
description for anyone who encoun-
tered him to realize who was meant.
A shudder did then surely pass up
Jacks spine. He had a sense of the
horrible, as in nightmare. There lay
Blunt on his face motionless. Alone in
these still woods with their pendant
moss and the queer grey eyes of Lar
ny Shanks!
Where's the other one of your par
the Wolfer?"
He's not here" Jack evaded.
"Ah! Dead! Did Blunt kill him?"
He asked the question in an easy
tone of inquiry. There was no more
feeling in it than might be in the
voice of an average man meeting one
or two partners on Main Street, Jaf-
fiery, and asking: where's your
friend? Getting a shave? Having a
bath? Buying bag Of peanuts, or
what So it struck John, and in his
own intensity he felt an inclination
to laugh, wild laugh. The horror
Of the moment had unstrung him. But
he was not unstrung as was Larry
Shanks. Those grey eyes were the
eyes OF one demented.
Bunt's horse was plucking at the
leaves Of bush, stepping close to
where his master lay, inert, and John
caught the lines, led him aside. The
whole string took the movement d
that horse as sign that they were &C
advance. Their terror from the sho!
being over by then, they all stepo ID
up in line, winding in their mouths
tufts of grass, sprigs of shrubs to
their taste.
That's right" said Larry. Lead
EN- up here. There's hoss-feed at the
timber end, and there amt the same
terrible feeling of all the trees look
ing at you. You can see high up and
look at the rocks instead"
He posted along level with Fiske
The horses all passed Blunt without
fear, one or two bending their necke
and shifting curiously as they came te
him.
WELL" said Larry, you are well
out Of that company" He jerked his
head toward where Blunt lay. Terri
BILE bad company for young man like
you Your mother would sure be
panied, poor lady, If she could have
seen you in such damnable company
John glanced at him. They were
coming clear of the timber.
Crazy" he thought. Crazy"
, Shanks' next remark confirmed the
suspicion.
I'm right glad to meet you. Hon
est am. won't pretend anything to
you. I'm honest to you, am. I'm
glad to see you out of that evil com.
pany. Also / am glad to have you
here for myself. I've been in old
Adam Bush's tunnel and fired a
charge in it too, to see how the vein
shaped. Say 1t fair shook the whole
hill. But can't go near his shack
It's got little window each side OF
the door, little Sits of windows, and
the door In the middle. 1t keeps look.
ing at me. It's just face, you see,
nose and two eyes. And do you know
what think? think that shack has
got kind Of human, being up here
alone, and made by man. A nose
and two eyes-plain as anything. Did
you ever see a shack like that?"
ooh, yes" said John.
you did? Well, that's comforting.
My son, when heard all that ax-play
crashing down there l sneaked along
and took a look and made my
schemes. l says: "I'll polish off that
bad man Blunt, and the young fellow
tangled up with him (Which 1 COM
munes would sure be heart-break to
his mother back east If she was
ALVAREZ, he'll be my partner For
why? Because I'm plumb lonely.
can't hold it down. You can almost
see the shack now. We're coming to
where you can see 1t. Look, on the
edge Of that clump Of Douglas frs.
See the way 1t looks at us?"
| Eyes, / see what you mean"
The shack of logs was set back In
the shelter of deep wood of frs.
The windows were glassless, and hor-
izontal Sits.
This man." thought Jack, has to
be humored. That's my duty for the
time being. Later shall get back to
Bunt."
Ito Be Continued)