The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-07-02

harm" Mr.. Golfer said, watchins
Stuart ineently. where's your
hOSS?"
81 don't know. Dead somewhere
on the rocks. Busted my canteer
and lost the water all out. had
no idea thirst would be like that
My tongue is still thick and hard
/ It was hellish."
/ CarOlee was Solicitous.
you tried to walk back? You
were lost again, STUART"
81 think | knew the way back,
but il was rough going. | spent
long time looking for water. /
was thirsty when | started. Then
| | got mixed up. Isn't there any
water in this mountain any
where ,"
This some in Peralta Canyon,
on the other side, if you know
where TO find it," the elder Cox
ter put in. Blunt it's miles from
here. You was in a bad way, son." y
Stuart nodded.
He W. entirely rational now,
feeling much stronger. And nc
was doing some close thinking.
Even. to him, a tenderfoOt from
Chicago, il didn't seem right that
his horse should have fallen over
high cliff. That horse had been
Sure-footed, with unusual horse
sense. lie wondered.
OF course, it could have been
an accident. Even accidental that
the canteen was smashed. But
accidents were happening rather
often. And that shooting at his
father two days ago-that was
certainly no accident. Or was Il?
/ Maybe some fool hunter, some
other tenderfoot from the east,
had mistaken Mr.. Blake for an
animal. People had been mistaken
for deer and killed.
I The Golfers, of course, had to
help Stuart out of the mountain
He wanted to walk, but CarOleC
insisted that ne ride and Silas
gave up his horse. CarOlec die
most of the talking for her fam
| lily.
"Were you hunting gold. too?"
she inquired, cheerfully.
"Well, yes, | was. In n way.
/ Not too seriously, but" He
glanced in some concern at the
other two men. 81 mean, | was
| Just tracing down some of the
clews that everybody knows about
more or less for fun. Pm not
wouldn't of course interfere with
anybody else. Just adventuring,
| You know what | mean
lie felt he was talking himself
into pocket. He had already had
one run-in with the Golfer men,
down town. He had no desire to
offend them again, especially
since they had apparently saved
his life.
But i'm him was growing a new
thought, too. These Golfers were
odd, clanniSh, all but the girl,
They had been quick to fight, even
to shoot. PerhapS-he unused ST.
lently for a mile or two.
"Say, where's the other broth
or, Paul." he suddenly asked.
! "He went out alone" Carolee
explained. said he had his own
ideas about hunting. Wants to find
q landmark, a rock shaped like a
horses head, that shows on dads
map"
"WaS he outlay before yes
terday?" Stuart asked.
why yes. And yesterday also.
Papa and Silas gathered wood
yesterday. Paul was due back last
night. but he didn't come. He has
water and food, though. The
same accident isn't likely to hap
pen again. mean, like yours
Stuart didn't reply to that. He
was thinking.
Paul Golfer had been in the
mountain alone, on both Tuesday
and Wednesday, and was still out
on Thursday. Paul Golfer had i'm
pulsively tried to kill Stuart with
his rifle, over a fancied insult
downtown. Paul, as we'll as his
brother and father, did not well
come "easternerS" or any other
men as suitors for Carolee, yet
she and Stuart had been keeping
company.
1t was beginning to sound sort
of melodramatic, Stuart reasoned,
like an old-time story book. But
by george it was also beginning
TO make senSei
He couldn't come out openly
and accuse them, or Paul. OF
shooting at Mr.. Blake, ST.. on
! Tuesday. Or of running Stuart's
own horse off the cliff yester.
day. He had no proof, and here
the Golfers were saving his life
anyway.
But it was Carolee. he reason
ed, who was aiding him.
Luckily for him she had ridden
with her men that day. She was
swell! He looked carefully at her.
He had never seen such natural
beauty. Back in Chicago ne would
already have been making ardent
love to her, but out here-well-.
Stuart promised himself to make