The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-02-20

In the glowing embers another fac
began to form, slowly-a face hand
some In spite Of its forbidding beard
formidable spectacles and drawn
peering eyes. Every act Of the eccen
tric preacher-schoolmas since tn
day the Milford stage dropped hin
in front Of the post office, passed be
fore his mind-every act, as far al
known, had been scrupulously circum
spect.
Dreaming there by the dead ember'
Of the fire, the woodsman found him
self analyzing the preacher, In his
careful way, from shiny boots to higf
hat. The ill-health excuse ne hat
never believed, or rather, had set II
down to an imaginary ailment-tht
man looked absolutely fit to enter 6
cross-country relay. He eliminated the
elaborate frock coat, stiff neck stock
high hat and spectacles-dlvested OF
all oddities and accessories, there re
NAMED tall and very capable man.
Then, there was the ivory-handled
six-gun that happened to thud against
very deft hands feeling over the stacks
of clothes-a circumstance that had to-
tally escaped the other members of
the SEEMING party. Besides, there was
the perfect agreement of the heel
prints on the dusty deck Of the con-
cealed Observation-Disclosures circum-
stance that he alone knew.
If he was college professor and a
minister what was he doing In the
Flatwoods? II he was not, still, what
was he doing In the Flatwoods?
AS he pondered, suddenly the dark
face that had flared up from the floor
of the woods and glowered at him
over the log, slid into his mind. So
close 1t came upon the heels Of his at
tempted analysis Of the preacher that
the two thoughts fused into one. The
connection was startling. 1t brought
him up out of his chair and left him
staring through the open cabin door
into the night.
Was there q connection? Might 1t
be possible that Ken, crime-stained
and low-fallen, had sneaked back to
the Flatwoods, and the preacher, be-
Ing college friend, was trying to be-
friend him-possibly save him? But
no ; there was the letter-it was abso-
lutely genuine.
The woodsman Strengthened and
stretched to rouse himself from the
wild spell Of the thought, to drag him
self back from the drift of it; felt the
revolver at his hip; crossed the floor
and stepped out into the yard.
The night was unruffled; the woods
breathed softly in the pale starlight
Back In the hills a red fox was bark
ing; over In the bottoms q plover
whistled his melancholy call; the
lonesome wall of timber wolf drift
ed down out of Eagle hollow.
But for the true woodsman the night
has messages that other ears do not
hear. AS he stood in the yard sitting
the sounds that rode the air, he sud-
denly bent forward and stood keenly
listening. The frogs In Eagle run, just
below the bridge In front of Uncle
Nick's, had abruptly stopped croaking,
only to begin again after moment,
while the frogs farther down fell ST.
lent-somebody was walking along the
bank Of the little stream. Somebody
frogs do not stop croaking at the
tread of cattle or other like animals
1t was near midnight. Why should
anybody be prowling in so secluded a
spot at such an hour? The alert and
experienced woodsman could even
gauge the speed of the prowler by the
successive silences that fell as he
moved down the stream. He was 60
Ing slowly-possibly creeping.
From the bridge at Uncle Nicks
foot-path led down the east bank of
Eagle run and divided short dis
lance below, one fork leading around
the base of Black rock to the War
hope homestead, the other on down
the stream, through a small pasture
lot and into the park-like orchard and
grounds of Simon Colin. 1t was along
this fork of the path that the night
prowler was apparently stealing
The woodsman hurriedly closed the
cabin door, ran across the corner of
the fallow yard, and the next moment
was creeping cautiously along the fork
Of the path that led around under the
dense shadows at the base of Black
rock.
The caution Of Jack Warhope was
seldom at fault. There was always
the chance that the woodcraft Of the
man he followed was as fine as his
own. He paid him the compliment of
keeping back from the stream, out of
earshot Of the frogs, and silently took
gp the trail.
Where the path crossed the fence
INTO the little park the prowler
stopped and stood for some time lis
tening intently.
1t Is law of the woods-fundamen
tai and primary, whether stalking anil
mails or men-that the woodsman
must never move while the creature
hs staiSs Il still. Jack. hardly twenty