White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-09-22

Phil chose the right hand. When
Wilson opened it pebble lay in the
palm. He flicked 1t away.
II stay" Phil said.
"I'll look my guns over while you
fix me up some grub to take. Prob
ably I won't get back till some time in
the night" Wilson said.
Phil turned toward the pack horse.
From McCann's left hand another
pebble dropped. It was the same size
and shape as the first.
Through the pines Wilson worked
back to the foot Of the cliff. In forgot
ten ages boulders had crumbled down
from above and among them was a
growth Of soapweed, scrub oak, and
manzanita. This offered cover while
he circled the park to reach the OPP
posite side Of the valley. 1t was at
least cover Of a sort. There were open
stretches to be passed where he stood
out on the landscape, an obvious alien
and intruder. He could only hope that
no casual glance wandering over the
park might become riveted on him and
harden to cold and wary intentness.
1t was easy for him now to doubt
whether the plan he had chosen was
the wisest. Would it not have been
better to have slipped out of the park
with Phil and returned for a posse,
taking it for granted that this was the
rendezvous Of the rustlers and these
cattle stolen ones driven here by them?
Certainly it would have been far safer.
For at any moment he might be seen
or Phil's presence discovered. But he
was thorough by nature. He wanted
to carry back with him definite proof
that he had located the outlaws and
not merely party Of prospectofs. Git
ner and Jasper Stark had given it out
that they were working a claim in the
hills, location unknown. It was pos
sible, though not probable, that their
story might be true Wilson did not
propose to risk being laughed at the
rest of his life for crying wolf !"
when there was no lobo in sight
While he moved forward through the
brush his worried thoughts went back
the horses. He wished now that he
had fatty refused to come with Phil
on this scouting expedition. If any.
thing happened to the boy he could
not forgive himself. This brother was
all that Julia had left. If she should
lose him, as she had lost her father
Jasper being far worse than dead-her
life would be clouded with tragedy.
She had put Phil in his charge, and
he had pledged himself to look after
the lad. Was he doing it now, leav-
ing him alone there among the pines
across from the cabin, where at any
moment the barking Of a dog might be-
tray him? He could say, of course
with truth that he had himself chosen
to take the greater risk, since Phil if
discovered had a way of escape open
while he would have none. But there
was always the possibility that Phil
might be killed and that he might
survive. In that case, how could he
ever look into Julias accusing eyes?
He was nothing to her, Of course. He
never would be. But she was the cen
ter Of all his cherished dreams.
He tried to find comfort in the re-
Election that if Phil were discovered
and captured Jasper would never let
his companions do the boy any harm.
That Jasper was scoundrel he knew,
that he was villain he suspected. 1t
was Wilson's conviction that he had
melted Gitner to kill his own father to
protect himself from being cut out of
Matthew Stark's will. But vile though
he was, the man would never stand by
and let his young brother be murdered
If he could help it.
All his senses were alert as he crept
forward, keeping close to the sheer
rock walls that shut in the sunken
valley. He made use Of every bush,
every depression, every hillock, that
might serve as a screen. But his un.
derlyng thoughts chung to the per.
plexity which somehow had come to
involve his life. A few months ago
he had been Free Now he was fet
tered fast by inhibitions. For instance,
If he should meet Jasper now face to