The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-01-10
up his pipe. rei,ehted It and smoked

Another h0ur or more he smoked
and fdgeted finally turned the lamp
low; strobe to the door, opened ii q
narrow slit and peeped out.
But apparently enough of the night
had not gone for whatever purpose he
had in mind, for with a muttered
grunt. he closed the door; strobe i'm
patiently back and forth across the
moor a time or two; slouched down
upon the box and, without turning up
the light, again hunted his pipe.
1t must have beer we'll toward mid
night, and the cramped position of the
nan behind the rubbish heap had
grown almost unbearabIe. when. after
many peeps through the narrow slit
al the door. Black Bogus blew out the
light and very softly slipped out Of
the cabin.
The woodsman rose, listened to the
low swish of Black Bogus receding
steps among the weeds until there
zane the creak of the rails as HI
climbed the fence into the Eagle HoI-
low road. Opening the door with the
utmost caution, Jack slipped out and
stood listening-the steps had turned
down the road toward the village. He
closed the door and followed.
He had not Swallowed the renegade
far until it became plainly evident that
he was a very Indifferent woodsman.
Sticks snapped under his feet, bushes
slapped back into place as he brushed
against them, and once or twice his
boot struck the ground with a clumsy
thud. Clear down TO the mouth of the
hollow Jack stalked him. He took the
path that led along the east bank of
the stream, and, when he came TO the
fork, followed the branch that led to
the little park.
The woodsman stole after him, TAX
Ing the path himself this time and
grinning dryly at the compliment he
had paid the fellow the night before
in thinking he might notice the croak-
ing of the frogs. 1t was a refinement
of woodcraft Of which Black Bogus
had probably never dreamed.
Down into the little park and to the
seat at Whispering spring the hulking
shadow crept again, as on the night
before, the man crouched down
among the gnarled maple roots by the
rustic seat.
The windows of the red-roofed cot
tage were dark. The place lay serene
and peaceful, with no spark of light
alive to show that 1t was awake to
the sinister web of evil slowly weay-
ing about it.
After an interval spent in listening,
the crOuched figure among the gnarled
maple roots lifted his hands to his
mouth n again the lonesome wall
of the screech owl shivered out upon
the. night. The wOodsman seized the
favorable moment to steal closer and
to conceal himself in a clump of
shrubbery much nearer than he had
ventured the night before.
Black Bogus had given his rather
clever imitation of the screech owl
three times, and was on the point of
giving 1t again, when the parlor d0or
opened n the tall figure of the
preacher, without his glasses and
with the stOop gone from his Shout
ders, came out on the porch. With a
step that carried no suggestion of
mincing nervousness he came down
across the yard. The white butt of
the six-gun at his side looked as if
ii belonged there.
He went straight to the spring; took
down the dipper, making a very Obvi-
Gus amount of CHATTER in doing so:
dipped himself a drink hung up the
dipper; turned back toward the
house stopped by the rustic seat, and
held out his hand
Black Bogus reached in the breast
OF his coat. drew out a package. the
bunch of bills, without a doubt-and
laid it in the waiting hand. The
preacher put it inside his shirt bosom
turned away hesitated; came back a
step.
Bogus, be ready any night now
hurried tones barely carried to the
man hidden in the carbohydrates
d barrel o money in there. | wouldn't
IA believed any man would risk so
much about i'm, and that old, QUITO
date s%afe--a horse jockey could open
it. It's all right slippin the goats
patted his breast-"in among the
sheep like we're dom; and it's lucky
we printed a-plenty down the river
off O. them new plates; and that was
a great idea Of mine-muSSin' 'em up
in leaf mold d~ampened with tobacco
spit SOS they'd look like old bills. The
devil 'imself couldn't tell EN-.
1T works, and we'd carry it through,
only for one thing-Warhopel He's
suspicious / saw it that first evening
at the supper table. That's why | went
1n that fool seinin' spree-t' throw i'm
Jf and that's why | couldn't leave no
notes under the slab at the old cabin
IS we'd planned. Where he got his
,lue | don't know, but he's got it. [
the devils own time blindin' them
eyes of his this AFTERNOON.
ssXNarhann - nd . fhfplv oro AAL