The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-01-17

was flying fast from point to point OF
every possibility that lay between
Black rock and the tollgate. He washed
the froth off Graylock's nose; frightened
the saddle girth; paid his toll and
mounted.
Thanks FIR the drink, Uncle AS
bury"
81 don't make no business O. water
in hosses,' the old man called after
him as he rode away, but a boss like
that-he's welcome t. drink the well
dry"
The concealed ~house-boat the
woodsman pondered the significance of
it; the possibilities of it; the horrible
threat of it as he galloSed down the
road.
He glanced at the sun-within half
ain hour of the tree-tops. He had blum
dered-Hopkins had just undercut
him-but maybe the light would hold
to redeem the blundef. His jaw tight
ened and he gave Graylock the rein,
closely scanning every inch of the road
and every foot of river-that came
into view as he passed.
Two miles above Black rock, just
where a by-road, a mere wagon track,
led off across the wooded bottoms. he
found what he was looking fora mass
of horse tracks, with a print or two of
a boot heel that he knew.
His lips twisted into a hard grin;
frightened till they squeezed every mite
of mirth out of it. He had lost the
trail like a hound at fault, had actually
run by it-and here it lay, right where
he had crossed it hours before.
He mad been bending low in the sad
die. He Strengthened and rode eau
tiously down the by-road through the
dank and dismal bottoms. Where the
narrow by-road approached Mud haul
he again found what he was looking for
Brownie hitched to a tree, restless
and ~prancing from side to side.
Hiding Graylock in a thicket. he n
buttoned his blouse, loosened his re-
voIver in its holster and crept down
place Of the houseboat; crawled close
to its lurking place-it was gone.
He came out Of the bushes and found
where the %gangplank had freshly
SCARED the mud searched the shore
for footprints found them-the marks
of a shapely small shoe, and the print
of a stylish boot heel.
A speck of color caught his eye near
the scar of the gangplank-a spot of
gold on the dank mud. He stepped for
ward and bent over it. The next mo-
ment he had snatched up something
and stood gazing at it-a yellow or
child, tiattened and faded, in all likeli-
hood the very one he had found for her
the Friday before-lady slipper day.
Over the mans fine face spread a light
that TRANSPORTED it.
But there was a task calling-tense;
insistent; mayhap horrible. Taking
out his pocketbook, he put the flower
carefully away; frowned hard down
the river shore.
Knowing that the narrow by-road led
through the wooded flats almost to AL
pine island, angled sharply and crossed
to the bluffs something more than a
mile above Black rock, he went back
to Graylock, left Brownie prancing and
the weeds, and rode cautiously
On down the river.
Just short Of the point where the
harrow road angled toward the bluffs,
he again hid Graylock, went on afoot
some distance farther and stole through
-bo trOOc ta thu ,ixynr honLy
Creeping down to the edge of the
water, with n caution so great that a
crane wading a rod or two below failed
to take the alarm, Jack crawled out
among the limbs Of a cottonwood that
had uproOted and loeped I'VE the
stream and peered down the sides Of
he island, lying less than two hundred
below.
A short distance down the south side,
almost completely hidden among the
and riding at the end of a rope
to a tree on the bank, lay a
small houseboat with a skiff tied at it's
'ide-unmistakably the anne tiny craft
hat had found concealment at The
head of Mud haul.
The wOodsman was just stealing
Jack through the limbs Of the cotton
wood, with the bold intention Of creep
ng farther down the bank and swim
ming out to the island, when a man
,ame out of the snug little cabin, care
ully closed the door, fumbled D while
IS if locking it and stood on the diminR-
i've forward deck looking guardedly
bout.
There was no installing the somber
rock coat, neck stock and high hat
t was Caleb Hopkins. A moment he
TODD listening at the door; glanced
round again in every direction and
over the side of the houseboat
nto the skiff.
As he rowed up around the head Of
he island and across the north chan
to shore. he passed within less than
fly yards of where the woodsman lay
oncealed. his eyes hard and danger