Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-07-12
THE TIGERS TRAIL
By EDISON MARSHALL

The elder Hayward chortled from be-
yond the table.
"A good wetting might teach him
manners" he suggested. what about
it, S%outhley?"
The ON was insistent, and perhaps
it had a scornful quality, too.
"Of course, he can't go until the rain
is done. | won't send out my ears
on a night like this"
The girl whirled to me. Appeal
was all over her.
"You can't go till tomorrow" she
pleaded. "Tell me, doctor, you won't
go till the storms over?"
81 can't very well, if yolr father
won't let his airs go out" | tried to
speak bitterly; but ever after her be-
trayal, the very look Of her softened
me.
| found young Southley sitting be-
fore a little fire in the library, and
he called to me as | passed. In spite
of the warmth of the night the little
flame looked hospitaDle and kindly.
"Heavens, what a night he ex-
claimed. II suppose you've heard
about-about the tiger?"
"Of course, | know the legend. Any
thing new?"
Hasn't old Hayward told you? He
and my father have been out talking
to the servants, just a little while
ago. He's quite an old beast, you
know. Well, the colored people say
he is walking to night"
"Nice little thing to think about as
! drop to Sleep" | suggested.
isn't it ?" We have an old gard
ener that we call Nose. Nose was
in town today, and he came back rid
ing a horse about eleven O'Clock. Rath-
err it was somewhat before eleven, be-
cause you and the older Hayward were
out on the golf green for your late
evening walk"
go on" | urged. "Mose was rid.
ing home. | suppose he saw the
ghost-tiger floating through the air
or riding a broomstick-"
Nothing quite so bizarre as that
Pm sorry to say, but Pm feeling rath-
er serious Long. If our tiger had
done nothing except ride a broom, OF
fly, or something, it would have been
a good legend to tell u children
and toast to in good vintages. But
unfortunately-our tiger took other
ways of m~anifesting himself. All he
did was brighten Moses horse-and
leave his track in the EARTH"
The man spoke wholly without en-
otion. He smiled a little, too-a
rather wan, hopeless smile that was
singularly upsetting the spirit.
"His track" | echoed. "You don't
mean that"
"He saw a great yellow and black
cat as large as a pony. But that
isn't quite all. Nose kept his head
He told himself it was a delusion, just
as you and ! have told ourselves many
times. So he controlled his horse.
then looked down at the moonlit road
1t was covered with dust, and he saw
just what | told you"
| spoke very quietly.
Tracks"
"Yes-as big as his two hands
clear across the road. He wanted t
take father and the Haywards and
down to see them. | think all OF us
except father, who is rather old fol
such excursions were going, but some.
thing has evidently diverted them
They were to meet me here"
II suppose the rain has spoiled then
now" :.
weakened them, anyway. or
course, the colored people are terri
fed. The night the tiger first wen
wild was just on such a night as this
in the middle of the storm. The1
say on such nights as these-he like:
to come back into the warm dry house
and play in the curtains"
q few minutes more we were out
side where the rain beat upon US.
The road was already washed Will
water. 1t didn't seem possible tina
if there had really been mysterious
tracks in the dust, that they coul'
have endured the storm.
"I've got some fine plans for to
morrow-if it just clears up, The
youth told me joyously as we tramp
ed up the road. think he was try
ing to divert his mind, as well a.
mine. from the business at hand.
"I'm sorry, Ernest" | told HIM
"Im going home tomorrow"
"Going home? Good Lord, why
thought you'd stay to see u
through. Of course, | can't blam'
you" ,,
give got to make a living" toll
him lightly. ats time went U
work" =,
"But you were going to stay a full
!, week-and you promised sis last nigh
, that you would make it ten days o
two weeks"
: "Did she tell you that?" .
"Tell me? / should say she die
She danced a highland fling"
1t didn't make the scene OF tn
, hour before any more pleasant to re
t member. She had seemed glad whe
! had told her that | had postpone
my departure. And even now III
{ nests words filled me with a strang
soaring ~gladness that tried to mgr
1 off. She had proved the hour befof
how much she really cared. She be
longed to Villas, not me, in spite {
the fact that she had been ready I
kill him when / opened the door {
. the den. / remembered every smll
each had been an epoch-evef
n softness in her dark eyes, every tn
t NOR of her lips.
/ We tramped through the downpou
and soon we came to the point th'
ri