The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1941-02-06
CHAPTER XVII

| rancn-a long time waiting lOi What
the next hours must bring. He had
been called up here to take part in
the c c trouble. SO far that part
had been a blind one. as uncertain
as what lay under the trouble it.
self. Yet any hour, surely before
another day ended, the sheer push
of events was bound to rip the
whole thing wide open.
| Next instant he dropped his ciga-
rette and crushed it, for at his move
ment something darker than the
night had fiicked out of the build
ing's inner patio. Someone had been
trying the door to Cash Cameron's
office! Cameron had come back?
In the dark, separate animals
were hard to distinguish. Candy
made complete circle around the
split log enclosure before a thing
was clear and suddenly significant.
Cameron had not come back. At
least his mount was not at the feed
rack nor had it been turned into
this bunch. Instead, Bent Lavic's
gray nag was missing.
Moving rapidly back to the shed
for his saddle, he pictured Lavic rid
ing tonight, out somewhere to get
/ in touch with the IT, Battles thun-
dered words had given him news to
carry. Guesswork, perhaps, Candy
realized; yet he determined to trail
the gray nag.
Candy swung up onto his palo-
mino and followed, at first lifting
the horse into an incautious rum
ming walk. Bent Lavic was deaf;
he could crowd close to the man,
and yet those gray eyes were sharp
as an owls. He pulled down.
Beyond timber and out upon the
bench the trail forked, one west, one
south, and again with match held
low Candy found fresh tracks hold
ing to their southwark course.
In an hour it was certain they
were leading to Willow Spring. He
moved at last along the dark hollow
of the hill cove, came to familiar
shallow ravine sloping gently up
ward. Here he dismounted as on
that first day and left the palomino.
The ravine topped out good hum
dred yards above the black-looking
willow clump. Nothing showed
down there to indicate life, either
animal or human. And then as Gam
dy stood uncertain, waiting for a
guide-sign, a gray shape moved
little, near the edge of trees and
there came the restless thud of a
hoof. He had located the gray nag.
When he was within five PAGES of
the nag, the gray head lifted, turned,
hung for moment suspended in
air. Then it dropped wearily with
out sound. Candy took free breath
and entered the corridor.
Now he could see nothing Trees
rooted low overhead, and the tight
thicket of their trunks made walls
spaced no farther apart than the
width of a steer. He reached a point
where the POOLS reflection was dim
ly visible. The trick of squirting in
the dark brought a sharper outline
of the water and its surrounding ba-
sin. And then the surface broke.
Ripp1es formed and widened across
the faint gray disc. At once there
came sucking sound as of a boot
pulled from soft mud. In less than
two minutes after that Walt Candy
knew someone was coming stealth
lily along the black corridor of tree
trunks.
| He had no time to move aside,
but stood hands down, one lifting
on the butt of his thirty-eight. Then
better plan came, and he waited,
as rooted as the willows themselves,
until human closeness could almost
be felt.
AS the dim blob of a face emerged
from the pitch dark, his arms shot
out, closed. Instantly he would have
released them for they were locked
around the body of girl. She
went all at once limp, unstruggling,
with only a single short outcry, and
Candy knew it was Helen Cameron
hugged there hard against him.
He spoke her name. But the un-
nerving jar of his lunge reacted in
violent trembling after the momen-
tary shock, and swiftly putting one
hand under her knees, he lifted the
girl and turned to carry her out
upon the open hill slope.
At the willow edge she stiffened
suddenly in his arms. Don't stop
here! Walt! Get away from the
spring!"
Within Candy himself a dull Bit
terness was rising. Helen had come
here to meet someone. He could see
nothing else in this secret night ride.
And that one must be Stoddard. She
had seen the ~ man yesterday after
noon. Now again =.
BY the time he reached the ra-
vine bottom the dull bitterness had
grown close to flood of anger.
He set the girl on her feet and
released her, dropping the gray
nag's reins close to the palomino's.
For a moment, saying nothing, he
looked down into the upturned face.
Then before Candy could launch
his accusation, Helen Cameron
fiared: what do you think you're
doing? Coming here like this? told
you once before, Walt Candy, that
everything you do is all wrongl
Now what do you mean, following
me? What did you expect to find
out, anyway"
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