The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-07-06

Saturday: Stuart gives CarOlee
 a beautiful braceiet. Romance be-
 gins to grip them both. As they
 part Car0lee tells Stuart she will
 call him from the Mesa should
 she need him!
 CHAPTER x
 Stuart tried all that evening to put two and two together concern ing the near tragedies in Supersti- ton, but he couldn't get Satisfac- tory four. He suspected the Colter men one moment, and dismissed his Suspicious the next. His regard for sCarolee helped with the dismissals.
 Next day, though he decided on further action. He would drive in for official counsel. He had leased an eight-cylinder car for their stay in Arizona, and he wanted to buy some things in ! Phoenix anyway. Superstition Lodge was only 40 miles from town. kt He drove directly to the Maricopa county courthouse and went in to see the sheriff. old Tex Leatherkood. Tex is older than the courthouse it. self, and even more impressive. He had been an officer in the l880'S and so had arrested Jacob Walz, the Dutchman for whom the lost mine was named, when that worthy came to town for an alcoholic stampede.
 'Knowed you was up thar" the old man told Stuart. We keep a general eye out on newcomers, Havin' any difficulties?"
 "Yes, sir Stuart answered. No thing you could put finger on, but"
 Stuart related details of his fa- ther's narrow escape in Superstition, then of his own experience in the mountain. He was about to tell why he suspected the Golfers when it suddenly struck him that he could mt do so. They were, after all, Car- olee's family. But she was so separ- ate and different from them in his own mind that he had literally for gotten the relation momentarily. He felt a trifle silly, having to change the course of his narrative to the sheriff.
 Cant see nothin' to worry about yet, son." old Tex told Stuart. ..Superstition is full of queer doin's. Most of it ain't so queer, when you git right down to 1t. Just lot of dudes like yourself goes there, and you ain't at home. This is a wild country, femme tell you. You're more t home in a busy town, ain't you?"
 Stuart smiled and admitted that it was so. But the shoting-what about that?" he asked.
 T don't know. ProbIy some mistake. do know that hardly a month passes, since was a young man, that some tale of bein' shot at don't come out of Superstition.
 Son, shots ain't bein' shot at. There's prospectors alw'ys takin' ore sample from up there. And hunters. And ranchers huntin steers. Any of 'em likely to shoot at rattlesnakes or painters"
 Stuart considered that mo- ment. while the old man eyed him. Then the sheriff resumed.
 "You take them two fellers at the Water Association here, name of Blaine and Briest. Honest young fellers. Said they was shot at. But 1t was deer season when they was up there, and men was huntin' in them hills"
 T tell you how 1t tis-f'r years, all my life, the's been tales about Superstition. That's how it got its name. Some people have been killed up there, and each one of lem makes a corral full of yarns come trailin' along. People are skit- tish when they go up thar. feel it myself. I can hear shots and figger I'm bein' shot at. Son, that moun- taiii's full of ghosts!"
 The sheriff chuckled a little. Stu- art smiled and nodded.
 T ought to know" Stuart agreed. sx saw plenty of them when I was craving a drink of water But dad swore the bullets struck near him.