The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-10-03

1 Ing was crossed by band of silver light. Stan hurried because he knew that in half an hour riding would
 be almost as dangerous as in day light.
 He caught up the burlap sack of black mare. The night was still, with a chill silence that comes to the high country from its crowns of snow above the valleys.
 The black mare nickered softly through the thick brush and pat ted her. Sleek neck. Not 10 feet down the slope a white patch of moonlight was creeping upward. Fastening the sack securely behind the saddle, Stan prepared to mount. His hand rested second on one pocket of his jumper and he felt the cardboard he had taken from | Swergin. Pulling it out he stepped into the moonlight and looked at 1t curiously.
 A beautiful face smiled up at him, the face of Dona Asper. Her hair framed her face softly and she wore flmy evening gown that clung against the soft whiteness of her throat. Stan stared at the pie ture for Q full minute, then his eyes hardened. Swergin must have been in Dona's room. That was how he had come to catch Stan. Sinking down on one knee, the man stared at the picture he held: The white band of moonlight had moved up the mountainside. It cov- cred Stan's head and shoulders with a silver radiance. Stan was so wrapped in his thoughts that he failed to see light flare down in the cabin in which he had locked Swergin. The big timber boss had been able to open the door and was outside now with a grass torch looking for>his gun.
 The main building was a short 50 feet from where Stan was sit- ting. All at once he reused himself. Distinctly through the night he heard a sob. Stan looked about but could not pierce the blue of the shadows. Then he saw Swergin's torch and realized his own danger. Stan backed into the deeper shade and listened. The sobs were plainly those of a woman. Low, choking sobs, as though the person weeping was trying to keep them back but could not.
 Stan edged along under cover un- til he was nearer the sounds. He heard Swergin shouting down at eral voices answered. There was an interval of silence in which Stan starined his ears but failed to hear the sobs that had drawn him away from His horse. He was about to turn and run to his mount when he saw 0 slender figure pass Asper Delo's lighted window. The girl vanished instantly In the direction of the front porch but in the fleet ing glance Stan was sure 1t was Dona who was returned from the little group of spruce trees shading the north wall.
 Down at the corrals there was commotion. Sleepy voices shouted
 and saddles scraped along the ground. One rider dashed into the moonlight not 100 feet above Stan With an easy swing the tall cowboy was in the saddle and heading the black mare back into the timber. He was not thinking about the dan ger ahead of him in the moon- drenched patches of timber or along red walls of stone, lighted almost brilliantly; he was wondef- ing about the broken sobs he had heard from among the spruce.
 Nevertheless he put the black mare to gallop and headed up the mountain. He had to drop well down on the Pass Creek side in order to cross c rocky formation that would hide his tracks. Then there was stream to follow as a further blind. TO be caught at any one of these open places would mean instant death from & rife. AL ready Stan could hear the pounding of hoofs below and above him. Swergin had sent his fastest riders deep into the hills to head off the cowboy. A swarm of lesser hunt CTS would bring up the rear. Touch ing the mare's flank with spur, Stan gave her her head. There was little at stake, yet he had sudden ly taken new interest in living.
 Tho scene at the corrals was few erish. Dona ran up the steps to take her place beside Dudley who had not Joined the hunt. She had removed all traces of her tears of few minutes before and was now eagerly watching the scene below.
 "I'd like to go with them but I'm not going to-" Dudley whisper