White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1924-09-26
THE WoLFER
FREDERICK NIVEN
Author of Hands Up!" 1.-THE Lost Cabin Nine" etc.
Copyright 1923
DODD MEAD AND COMPANY


He chung to the hope that Blunt
might not have been killed, chung to
the hope that his wound might not be
fatal. He made an attempt to get
back to Bunt at once by saying:
Don't you think 1 should go and
see-go and see about burying Bunt?"
What, don't you think he's dead%
Sure. l said bury him"
"Oh, yes. But what you said amt
necessarily what you think. He is as
dead AS"
IF you have a shovel handy"
Il have-old Adams shovel, and all
his tools, too. They're over at my
camp. just couldn't go in his shack
He had his tools right in his tunnel.
l made camp over there. Look
here, lad, you can unpac khere. How
you feeling?" His mind laept from
one theme to another wits astonishing
CELEBRITY.
All rlRnC, Sdlu JONI.
"You are. The altitude don't affect
you? Well, it affects me. 1t affected
my horses. When they got up here
they just started to roll hilarious. And
l had tarnation job getting them up,
and the packs off, and then they just
rushed around as if the bulldog flies
were on them; but they weren't. 1t
was just the altitude. 1t affects men
and animals both-or men and
lower animals should say. 1 remem-
Der my mother teaching me that.
Men are animals she said. Hoses
are lower animals Your partner is
sure dead; l can sure draw a bead"
John shuddered, hearing that, re-
calling how recently he had heard
Bunt's announcement: Drunk or So
Der l can sure slam down a gun" He
had not disliked Blunt during these
days alone with him. In many ways
he had admired him. And dead-sud-
denly dead, cut off from life, this life
at any rate, all we know of with cor.
tainty!
"I'll help you unpack, my son." said
Larry.
The friendliness of that my son.
sounded almost creepy to John. There
was something fawning in the way 1t
was said. Larry seemed desperately
| dasirnus OP comma n i0nshiD
Larry had pitched his camp out OF
right of Bush's shack, in as 1t were, a
bay of the woods up through which
Bunt and John had cut their way.
Above were the upland meadows and
then precipices, the zigzag edges OF
rock against the sky, the wedges OF
high snow, in Swallowed corries, that
would not melt all summer. The
camp was just lean-to tent between
two trees, with pile Of blankets ant
tins and sacks stacked there, and be
fore it the ashes of fire.
"Sit down! Sit down! Squat OF
the blankets and let us talk. DroI
your rifle. Leave it there. Yol
wouldn't shoot me up, nor me you.
amt a dangerous character, like The
men that got you in their tolls; that's
the words"
Suddenly twig snapped loudly, ant
Jack restrained start; then thost
queer grey eyes of Larry Shanks were
peering at him, considering, cunning
"You made no remark about tina
twig swapping" said he. .
mo. took it for granted you heart
it tool"
ooh, that's it. l thought you may
be wondered il it was Blunt Bradley
not dead! He's dead all right. That
just twig swapping with change o
atmosphere. That's nothing!
"Now, look here: Maybe he offere
you half-share, that fellow Bun
Bradley. The Wolfer was fool t
quit and go out to the plains"
He had evidently forgotten his cal
lier decision as to where Walt was
II didn't think Blunt would quit some
how. l wasn't bit astonished to Sc
it was him coming along when tn
sound of all that ax-work in the wood
came up to me, and l went snakin
down to the creek to see who wa
there. Kind of astonished to see yol
with him sittin' at the fire, but
think: That young man will be com
pany for me. I'll give him half-shar
in the prospect-just for his CON
pany That's mel I'll give you hal
share, for your company. Yes, younl
fellow. I'll go half-shares with you
sell this prospect-on conditioner
condition" and he paused, as
to give opportunity for Jack to ask
What condition."
But Jack was not interested in tn
condition. He was merely counting
the days and thinking of how soon tn,
Wolfer would come up that trail, con
sidering to himself that the three
days delay in that comparatively lit
tie strip of timber, at least as tn;
birds flew over, was maybe highl.
providential. Alone with Larry Shanks
his policy, he thought, was one of hu
moring.
"You don't ask the condition" sal.
Larry, his face all wrinkled up like
the face of worried child. It wal