The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-01-07
offered for their boss"
ALAN Garth, you're nnarvelous!"
ttIot at all IT lust happens ] know

moi at all. IL just happens KNOW
this game, and told you before that
Hubby is only commonplace wolf.
If he were wolverine, I'd have to
look sharp. AS it is, we'll stay up
here snug and cosy, and enjoy their
tea and sugar while you're learning
to use your SnoWShOeS."
By noon the next day Lilith'S ES-
kimo suit was finished. Her ankle,
though weak, was no longer sore or
swollen. Garth bandaged it firmly
with a strip of skin, and had her
begin practicing on her webs.
Not being hurried or excited, she
soon caught the knack of the snow
shoe stride. AS her ankle became
stronger and her feet hardened she
developed into a fairly fast snow
shoe runner.
Their last climb took them up
around the bend in the great cleft.
Before they turned back, Garth had
the girl fire the pistol. She neither
shut her aiming eye nor flinched as
she pulled the trigger. Each time the
bullet struck within foot of the
nearby mark that Garth set up.
''Not half bad," he approved. "I'll
let you go down with me tomorrow
morning"
Though the temperature had be-
come milder, it remained below
freezing point. AS on the other occa-
sion, Garth started downgulch two
hours before dawn. This time Lilith
trailed with him.
Hubby had moved his camp to the
lake shore opposite the stranded
cabin plane. A big fire of birch logs
threw it's welcome heat into the
front of the three-sided leanto. The
engineer and two of his miners lay
asleep, huddled in nests of spruce
sprays and dry moss.
The fourth man sat on log beside
the fire, his rifle between his knees.
He yawned drowsily.
The first slight tinge of dawn had
begun to gray the east. But among
the trees the night was still black.
A sudden flicker of light in the
darkness behind the leanto brought
the sleepy watchers head up with a
jerk. Beside the skin-clad man with
the lighted match, he saw second
man quinting at him along the bar
rel of pistol.
Garth put his fingers to his lips for
silence, and held a fuse-wrapped
stick of dynamite close to his match.
The miner let go of his rifle and
Strengthened upon his feet, his hands
high above his head.
The match flickered out. Garth
dropped the dynamite and darted
forward. He was none too quick. The
slight thud of the fallen rifle had
Weakened Hubby. AS Garth paused
behind the corner of the leanto, the
engineer peered out, with his pistol
thrust forward.
AS Garth jumped he struck with
the butt of his belt-ax. 1t cracked
down on Huxby's wrist. The engi-
neer's pistol dropped. With curse,
!, Huxby grasped at the weapon, but
Garth was quicker. AS he caught it
up, Huxby clutched at his throat.
Garth felled him with a tap Of the
ak butt on the temple.
Weakened by the sudden furry, the
two miners in the leanto were grasp
ing at the pair of rifles on which
Hubby had lain. Garth whirled the
pistol to cover them.
Hands up, and get out beside
your mate" he ordered. eve want
only the murderer. But we'll shoot
you down like dogs if you interfere"
One of the pair jerked up his
hands. The other man hesitated. The
miner outside called warningly:
''The jig's up, Laney. The other fell
| Tor
Laney lifted his hands and stared
out after his bed-mate. HuXby was
staggering up, still dazed from the
blow that had felled him. Wild with
desperate rage, he struck out furi-
ously. Garth side-stepped and thrust
in tripping foot.
The engineer pitched face-down
on the hard-crusted snow. Before he
could spring up again, Garth jump
ed upon his back. The blow knocked
him breathless. It was then an easy
matter to click Constable Dillon's
handouts on the wrists of the muir
derer.
"Stop that cursing, or I'll gag
YOU" Garth said There's a lady
present. All right, Miss Ramill. Join
U.S."
Hubby fell silent, to cape like the
miners at the skin-clad form that
came forward out of the black shad-
ows into the freight. The girl still
carried the constable's pistol raised
ready to shoot. Hubby saw enough
of her face in it's border of wolverine
fur to make certain Garth had not
been bantering him.
'sLilith! You?"
eyes, it's me, you cowardly sneak
killer! I came after you with Alan,
and he has let me catch you"
/ The murderer twisted around with
his back to her and the fire. His
head sagged forward. With a sudden
return of alertness, Lilith turned her
gaze away from his Swallowed pro-
file to watch the three lined-up min
erS.
Garth did not smile at the girls
needless caution. She had earned the
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