The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1931-03-19

until we nave put ourselves be
yond the mass of rocks off there"
His words remained unfinished.
From behind them came cry. 1t
was not fierce nor one that seemed
to carry menace, and bore with it
strange and almost musical soft
ness. Jeems knew its meaning. The
Mohawks were on the ridge One
of them was calling his scattered
companions to evidence of their
passing which he had discovered.
Jeems FASTENED Toinette over the
rocks.
"They have found some sign of
u.s." he explained. ut may be one
of Odds claw marks on a stone, or
the scratch from nail in your
shoe. Whichever it is, they only
know we have come this way and
will still believe we have taken to
the plain"
Toinette saw how desperately he
was trying to keep from her the
real nearness of their peril.
Il have seen Indians climb over
rocks and windfalls. They are like
| cats-and | am so slow and
clumsy" she said. "You can move
faster than any Indian, Jeems. Hide
me somewhere among these rocks
and go on alone. / am sure they
will not harm me if they should
happen to discover where | am"
Jeems did not answer. They had
come to the rocks which he had
spoken of a few moments before.
Here, if anywhere, was a place for
concealment. 1t was filled with dark
and cavernous refugees, and where
the boulders met and crushed to-
gether were hidden pockets where
their bodies might lie unseen. Toi-
nette perceived these things with
heart that lightened with relief
and hope. She looked into Jeems'
face as he paused for a moment to
study the ground about them.
( dozen steps from where they
stood were three boulders apart
| from the others. One of the three
had split itself so that one-half of
| it was slab that formed a roof
for the crevice between the other
| two.
Jeems' eyes revealed a deeper ex-
citement as he pointed it out to
Toinette.
I'VE will hide-and in there!" he
cried. Make haste. Toinette! 1t
is smooth rock and will leave no
sign behind us. Go in and keep
Odd with you!"
He began to throw loose stones
about the huge boulder heap. Some
he flung over the top of it so that
they fell on the opposite side, and
at last he sent a few into the edge
of the valley, each farther than the
other. He finished by shooting an
arrow which descended in an open
space at the foot of the ridge.
Toinette watched him in amaze
ment and alarm until he command
ed her in sterner voice to crawl
under the stones. She waited no
longer but pulled herself a few
inches at time beneath the boul-
ders. Jeems, thrusting Odd ahead
of him, had greater difficulty in
performing the same feat, and for
a little while they squirmed and
twisted until they found dark re-
cess in which they could crowd
themselves and even sit upright
Jeems explained to Toinette the
meaning of his strange behavior
outside.
First they will find the loose
stones and the marks | made and
search for us in every hole and
Granny of the pile" he said.
when they discover the arrow
hope they will believe we have
fled into the forest"
They waited in silence where
in the beating of their hearts was
like the sound of tiny drums in
the gloom of their hiding place. A
shudder ran through Toinette. but
she whispered: Il am not afraid. .
She felt Jeems fumbling for his
Ratchet and heard him place it
quietly on the naked rock at his
side.
Then the rock itself seemed to
give forth faint sound as if some
one had tapped it gently with a
stick.
This sound grew into others
that were soft and swift, and
Jeems knew that moccasined feet
were all about them. Low voices
added themselves to the pattering
tread. TOinette fixed her eyes on
the crack through which came the
shaft of light, and occasionally it
was darkened as a body passed it.
The tread of feet came and went,
and they heard the clatter of
rocks. But for time all voices
died away, and it was this silence
which became almost unbearable
for Toinette. This clutch of a
danger which they could not see
or cope with seized upon her until
each moment she expected to hear
ghostly creature stealing into
their hiding place or to see a pair
OF naming eyes on level with
her own. 1t was a feeling of
horror instead of fear, and with it
came a strong desire to cry out
and ease her suspense in a scream.
Jeems, too, had almost found
himself in the grip of something
which he could not control. Not
more than quarter of an hour
passed in this suspense, but it
seemed to be a lifetime. Then
there were voices again which in
creased in number and excitement
until, above them all, yell rose
from the valley as one of the
searchers discovered the arrow.