The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-05-28
Tale of the Flatwoods
By DAVID ANDERSON
Author Of The Blue Moon"
Copyright By The Bsbbs- Merrill Ca
CHAPTER xVllI-Contlnued.

| cover that Ehe must nave Deen IN the
river, for her garments were complete
ly saturated and her hair hung about
her shoulders, sodden and dripping.
He was wrapping his hunting blouse
about her when, with startled ex-
clamation, he jerked away his hand
and held 1t up between his face and the
sky-it was smudged with blood. He
bent over the girl-blood was stream
ing from her right shoulder and run
ming down her side. That last bullet
from the edge Of the yard-it had
found the core of tragic target.
Picking her up in his arms, he ran
around to the kitchen, dashed the door
open and laid her on the sofa in the
sitting room.
He had wrapped her In blankets
matched from the parlor bedroom,
tore up a sheet for bandages and was
doing his best to stop the blood, when
there came the sound of a man run
ming across the yard, and the next mo-
ment Uncle Nick, doubtless alarmed by
that last shot-coming as it did upon
the heels of the housekeeper's story
was calling and pounding at the sitting
room door. Jack threw it open.
"Texies hurt he cried. Quick
Doctor Arnold-and Aunt Liza and
Mrs. Curry"
Without question the old man hur-
ried away.
The woodsman had brought the can
die out of the room where the dead
robber lay, closed the door and was
doing his best to stop the blood and
restore the girl to consciousness, when
the doctor ran in.
A hurried word or two and he was at
the hurt shoulder. The bullet-it was
his first care. With quick skill he hunt
ed 1t; fortunately located it almost i'm
mediately. 1t had just missed the lung,
ranged upward and lodged barely be-
meath the skin at the top Of the Shout
der. He made a small incisiOn and
probed 1t out.
He had washed the wound and had
1t nearly dressed when Aunt Eliza
came running in, followed an instant
later by Mrs. Curry, flurried and pant
ing. Changing Texie's sodden gar
ments for dry ones, while the woods
man built fire in the kitchen stove,
they laid her between warm blankets
In the parlor bedroom.
Picking up the candle, the woodsman
crossed the floor, threw open the door
Of the room where the dead robber lay
and motioned for the two men.
Even the doctor started, aghast at
the gruesome, huddled form sprawled
there among the Uttered. blood-spat-
tered money. Uncle Nick's muttered
Try brought the two women running |
from the sick room, to gaze with the |
to silence. by the tragedy |
hat had again visited the quiet cot
age.
The woodsman well knew that ques-
ions would be flashing through each
nind-had been since the discovery Of
rexie's hurt-knew that each looked to
lin for the answer. A low moan came
rom the parlor bedroom. That last
reacherous shot-he knew that the
nan with the red lock could never
,ome back. 1t had been a mistake to
Ihield him; blunder to trust him
blunder that was being paid for at
earful cost.
The doctor was the first to break the
ilence.
What does this mean?"-the ques-
ion was half demand.
1T means-Caleb Hopkins" was the
lard, incislve answer.
The doctor started; the two women
aught their breath; Uncle Nick swore,
cit ashamed Of it, looked foolish.
"This dead man"-the woodsman
ropped a hand toward the huddled
orm-"is Black Bogus" The two wom-
n looked at each other; shrank back
he doctors eyes lifted; he drew a
tep nearer and gazed hard at the
ody. Him and Hopkins and"-Loge
,elden, the man was about to say, but
bought Of the mountain girl, and he
idn't; besides, Belden had not shown
imself at the robbery-"they're both
utlaws and counterriters. Hopkins
you'd take good money out of the safe
nd put counterrit bills in place of 1t.
1T was him that killed Pap Simon
that is, Pap Simon run out on i'm
hat night while he was changin' the
f'r good money, and in the
cuffle died of heart disease. That
het off their game of course. so they
tanned t. make clean sweep thigh.
nd go.
"Hopkins-went t town and writ
ack letter t. Texie, maxim out 1t
vas from-Ken. The letter said he
vas sick in town and wanted 'er t
ONE to i'm. SO she went, leavin'
ote with Mis- Curry FIR me. The min
tie l got the note l knowed it was
hopkins. I'd ben suspicious of i'm
nd had ben watchin' i'm, so l rode
fter er as quick as l coud-clean t
he city, t. the place where the letter
aid Ken was sick; found | was off
he trail rode back as fast as Gray
ock could bring me t. try AID pick 1t
p.
Il found where Hopkins had headed
'exie Off up the road ways and got