The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-07-08

mo, not for almost a month
now" he answered. "The village
church is closed for the summer
you know, so Eb hasn't been COM
ing down. He always drops into
the drug store when he does show
up, and, since Pm apt to be there,
I'm almost sure to run into INN.
| went down there early this a.
m. to wait for some stuff I'd sent
for, so ! would have been certain
to see him. Why?"
"We were just looking for him,
that's all, Doc" replied Pat.
That's how we happened to dis
cover that Bob'd been hurt.
well, keep the patient aoso-
lutely quiet, and Pll come out to-
morrow to see how ne is" The
doctor shook hands with Clare;
"And don't worry" was his flnal
admonition as he breezed out the
door.
Hum, easier said than done,
! mumbled Hannah grimly.
Pat followed the doctor down,
stairs. After the ancient car had
chugged off down the winding
road ne walked down toward Dan
Dallas cabin intending to demand
the gun. The bullet that Bob had
dug out of the cupola wall was
now in Pats pocket, and he was
going to find out if it fitted the
rifle. If it did, he would have a
showdown with Dan at once. He
felt sure that Dallas knew more
than he was telling.
But Pat did not reach the cabin.
As he made his way around the
edge of the aspen grove, ne saw
something moving up the winding
trail on Squaw Mountain. He
stopped and watched. A man IN
white was plainly visible, weav-
ing his way in and out along the
curving loops of the path. For a
minute Sussie'S fantastic story OF
the white miner rushed back to
Pats mind.
"Apple sauce He said it aloud.
Then he started off at a brisk
run to follow. If there really was
white apparition he would soon
know it. e, ,,
The steepness of the trail slowed
down his impetuous pace to
steady effort. He had time to re-
view again the events since the
evening before. -.
The old house, crouchlng
Sphni4-like in the shadow of the
huge twin-topped pine. Murder
Gus shots in the dark. Eb gone
and now Bob lying seriously IN
jured. Things like that Just did
not happen, not in this unro-
mantle day.
Pat had come quite a way.
Those trees that h ad lowered
above him a few minutes ago now
were spindling tops. He looked
across at the Fosdick house,
thinking that the arrow mark IN
Lyman Fosdick's bedroom GER
tainly pointed in this direction,
too. Could it have meant, after
all, something as far distant as
Suuaw Mountain? A CLEAN OF
white ahead made him bend his
shoulders and once more take up
the rocky trail.
He began to save his breath
and energy, stopping at brief in
tervals, then trudging on again.
Whatever else the man IN white
might be, he was sure a bang-up
mountain climber, Pat decided,
after several more loops of the
trail. in which he did not seem to
be gaining on his quarry. What II
after all. he was following some
image of his own imagination, in
famed perhaps by lack of sleep
and anxiety over Bob? a.
He shook the idea from his
mind and .peered ahead. Yes,
there was no doubt about a dis
tinct white figure crossing a shale
drift at this very minute.
mo spook ever had to be that
cautious" Pat told himself, and
started on again.
As he rounded the curve that
brought him to the edge of the
shale, he was astonished to see
the man in white vanish suddenly
from sight. j,
"Well. I'll be" Pat hurried
across the sliding, sharp particles,
every bit of his sense of balance
brought into play to maintain his
position on the shifting footing.
At last he was over. Before
him yawned, the entrance to an
old mine. Could this be what the
arrow meant? Every claim in this
part of the country was duly re-
corded, as he well knew, so why
the mysterious hokum on Lyman
Fosdick's part?
The hole explained the disap-
pearance of the man in white,
however. Pat determined to in
vestigate further since he had
| come this far.
might as well be a complete
idiot while Pm at it," he told him.
self.
The entrance was still well tim
bered, he discovered, as with the
aid of a box of matches, and later
a cigaret lighter. he made his way
along the damp passage. Once ne
thought he heard a noise ahead,
but could not be sure it wasn't
bat. The walls showed unmis-
taxable signs of having been ex-
cavated for mining purposes,
though there didn't seem to be
any cross cuts, as yet.
Pats last match was gone, and
he was afraid the cigafet lighter
would give out. He decided to re-
trace his steps and, slipped the
lighter in his pocket. He was GER
tain he could find his way back
III IL L