The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-06-27


him, her eyes very big and dark IN her
pale face. She was wearing mecca
sins, and without the high heels of her
riding boots she looked less tall than
he was accustomed to think of her, and
somehow Infinitely softer and more
easily hurt.
.Iean-what Is II ?"
kentucky-somebody Is walking all
around us-just as quietly as-one of
Joe st. Marie's ghosts"
All around US? What do ynn
neana'
Il mean around the layout hero
near the house,"
"How many Of them?"
Il only saw one. He was prowlng
through the shadows-I saw him plain
~. not more than ten horse jumps
away. He was carrying something on
his shoulders. Then thought heard
walking horse"
"Where did you see this?"
From the window of my room.
couldn't stand it alone there any more.
Sometimes think I'm going crazy"
Lets have look Kentucky
picked up his gun belt.
/ BE quiet she cautioned him. who
ever 1t Is doesn't want to be seen
that's certain. If we're going to find
| out who it Is. he mustn't know that
he's been seem"
| 20. K.n
| She CROPPED for his hand and led the
way through the cold darkof the long
ranch house.
Jeans room had two windows. one
/ Of which was wide open. At this win
dow she knelt, peerlng out and he
dropped to one knee beside her.
Il first saw him from my bed" she
whispered 'He went behind that
dwarfed spruce. For a while he stood
! there behind it-as II he was watching
the house Then he went on, walking
MS quietly as-as nothing human. As
he went out OF sight got up and came
TO the window, and | watched him
until / couldn't see him any more. He
went toward the pump house, and out
of sight"
Il don't see any sign Of him now
Jean seized his arm, and he heard
her breath In her teeth whats that?
There, close In the shadow of the
pump house2"
/ kentucky looked hard where she
pointed. As he stared. straining his
eyes against the bad light, he pres
emily began to believe that he could
make out the crouehing figure Of a
man.
For what seemed long time they
knelt there, their eyes fixed upon the
shadow against the pump house. Once
kentucky was certain that he not only
perceived the whole outline OF the
crouched figure. but had seen 1t move
and his hand moved toward his gun
But the shadow blurred and lost out
line, again. and he waited, insure.
When the telephone broke Into abrup
olucry In the house behind them thu
sudden burst of sound struck across
their tense nerves like the crack Of {
whip against fiddle strings Jear
jerked violently; then, pulling hersel
together, whispered, "D-n!" The tele
phone continued to ring.
Kentucky whispered, "One of us vii
have to answer that ] think yon't
better 20. I'll stay and watch TIL.
shadow here. If It's for me, please
take the message"
Jean Ragland hesltated, then SILENT,
obeyed. With his eyes riveted upoI
their mark, Kentucky listened for wha
seemed long time to the low murmu
/ of Jeans voice, two rooms away.
Presently, alone. and with his eye
, accustomed to their work, he saw tn
secret Of the mysterious shadow dis
! solve, SO that he finally recognized |
for what 1t was--a bush, d wago
spring, and broken blackboard vince
, Whomever Jean had seen prowl tn
J layout, and wherever he might be now
he was no longer in the shadow of tn
. pump house-and had not been, sine
they had watched that shadow tc
: gether.
Disguised, Kentucky rose. straight
enlng his cramped knees. One Ion
step from the window stood Jean Rae
!. lands bed. He sat down upon \
:, careful to avoid creaklng OF tn
] springs
Her bed was still warm to his hant
;, where Jean had lain and tried
sleep; and for moment he marvele
that the toss of circumstances shout
!, have brought him so near to this CIR
: even for &C little time. Then-he NJ
!, ticed something else
Something was wrong with the mn
I tress upon which he sat. Unmistal
: ably. there was something within thu
mattress that had nothing to do wilt
: sleep. Suddenly Kentucky dropped
: one knee beside the bed and thrus
:, his hand between the mattress and tn
sheet.
: Buried In the mattress his finger
found the polished wood of q riff
stock and beside It, dsmounted, tn
cool smooth steel of the barrel. For
moment his hand rested on these viii
something turned over In the pit Of h
d stomach and refused to 90 back INT
d place. He withdrew his hand. an
IS sat down Imply on the edge OF tn