The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-04-20
What did Tillson brag


about?"
'Oh, what a man he is in these
mountains. How many cows he
owns and how he is the big boss
here. Except for a brother, who is
boss too. He can even forecast
events, hke-oh I can't remember.
was tired of it by that time.'
Breck sprang up, shot by the sug-
gestion of her words. what did he
say? Anything about a fre?"
1t might have been that" she ad-
mitted.
"Tonight?"
He said later he had some i'm
portant business" Irene sighed.
"Please don't make me use my
brain. It's tired"
Breck looked down into her face.
1t was wholly innocent of any def
mite knowledge. No doubt Art had
Dragged in vague terms; nothing
she might repeat.
"Irene,' he asked, did Tillson
give any names? Or places, or peo-
ple?"
She turned imploring eyes TO him.
Must ! think?"
Enough to remember what you
were talking about. Was any noun
tain or meadow brought up?"
Irene counted on her fingers. "I
slept well last night and remarked
on it. He said something about
sleeping too. Then we talked some
more. Then he Dragged about know
ing so much. He said if ! would
look at the sky tonight over-is there
a sleeping mountain"
Sleeping Beauty" Breck urged.
Irene shook her head with little
scowl. 81 really don't know. Where
are you going?"
Breck had united Kit. Now he
said quickly, Promise me youth say
nothing about this"
Have told you something?"
Perhaps. Promise me-"
TN not talk" Irene promised,
He strobe on to the telephone,
dropped Kits reins, and rang head
quarters. Cook answered.
Dad" Breck asked, ''is Slim
there? No, don't call him. Tell him
to take the trail and meet me half
way. I've got some letters that
must 60 out"
TITS sort of late in the afternoon"
Cook began.
They're important!" Breck cut
/ in. He could not trust the wire. Too
much chance of his word being in
tercepted from one of the patrol in
struments.
A pause told that his meaning had
| gotten across.
"All right" Cook finished briefly
and hung up.
Breck strapped on his gun and
put an AK in the saddle scabbard.
The whole thing might be a false
clue; yet he read Art Tillson. The
boy would boast to make himself
big before Irene. After all, he had
told nothing she could understand.
Sleeping Beauty mountain came
into sight as he topped rise in the
trail some distance beyond Rock
House. 1t rose on the eastern rim
of the range, a high, barren crest
sculptured in the form of a woman
reclining. The peak was above tim
berline. but the wooded lower slope
| offered dangerous fire country
South of the mountain were the Pot
holes, and putting these conditions
together, Breck formed tentative
plans. They could be completed
when he met Sierra Slim.
AS he rode, his body grew tense
| for that was the mood of the forest
| and he strained to catch all sounds
beyond the limit of his vision. Kit
too, listened, and it was he who
stopped abruptly without command
when they were still an hour from
| the summit.
Breck rose in his stirrups, motion.
less until there came a faint thuo
ahead. Then he wheeled suddenly
from the trail. Hating off in a lane
of trunks, he sat waiting with his
eyes upon patch of light where
that other rider must pass.
Ito be continued)