The Washington times., 1936-10-07

Then, from the seventeenth, there
was a period of warm weather.
The trees, bushes and underbruSh
were soon covered with foliage
and with flowers. The habitual
guests of the South-MoorS re-
turned in great numbers. The
birds arrived in thousands.
One day Wilcox found Swal-
low that still carried one of the
little bags under its wing. Did the
bag contain an answer addressed
to the young caStaWayS of the
Sloughi? No, alas. The mes
senger had returned without an
answer.
During these long, unoccupied
days, how many hours were spent
in the hall. Four months more
and then would begin the third
winter for the young colonistS of
Chairman Island. Discourage
ment was taking hold of the most
dauntless ones-with the exception
of Gordon, always absorbed in the
details of his administration.
Briant, too, was discouraged some
times, although he used all the
strength of his soul not to show it.
But events became so serious
that it was soon necessary for all
of them to give every ounce of
their efforts to the position which
they had to face.
X
November 81, while Doniphan
was fishing on the shore of Family
Lake, his attention was attracted
by discordant cries of about 20
birds lowering over the left side
of the river. They looked like
crows, and Doniphan would not
have been concerned with the
shrieking flock if its movements
had not been somewhat Surpris-
ing. After flying in circles that
got smaller as they approached
the ground, the birds formed
compact group and rushed down
to earth, where their cries became
louder in the middle of the high
grasses among which they had
disappeared.
Doniphan thought there must be
the carcass of an animal there. He
asked Moko to take him to the
other side of Zealand River in the
yaWl.
Ten minutes later they were
crouching in the high grass of the
bank. The birds flew away, pro-
testing with Shrill cries against in
truders who disturbed them dur
ing their meal.
There lay the body Of a young
mustang, dead only a few hours,
since it had not lost all its warmth.
How and why did the mustang
fall at the edge of the marshes, far
from the eastern forests where
they lived and from which they
never strayed very far?
Doniphan examined the animal.
It had on its side wound still
bleeding, wound caused by
gunShot!
The cabin boy pried into the
wound with his knife, and brought
out a bullet. It was more that of
ships gun caliber than that Of a
hunting gun. 1t could, therefore,
only have been fired by Walston or
one of his companions, since none
of the boys had fired single shot
for more than a month. But what
was particularly important to
know was when and at what place
had the mustang received that
bullet.
All Suppositions having been eX-
amined carefully, it seemed posi-
BILE that the thing had been done
only about five of six hours earlier
"a lapse of time necessary for the
animal, after having crossed the
Downslands, to arrive a few steps
from the river bank. Thence it fol-
lowed that during the morning one
of Walston's men must have been
hunting while getting closer to the
southern point of Family Lake, and
that the band, after having crossed
over East River, was probably ap-
preaching French Den.
(TO Be COntinued)
Translation from the original ''Deux
Ans de Vacances," copyright 1885, by
CeleSta Hamer-JacksOn; distributed by
King Features Syndicate. Inc.
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