The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-05-02

the mining claim of Carol Coburn, teacher
at Matanuska. Lander breaks with Trum.
bull. salaria Bryson. big outdoor girl.
"That's the Big Squaw," he said
with an unmistakable note of tri-
umph in his voice.
Yet all I could see, in the distance,
was a meandering ribbon of water,
an uncertain thread of water muddy
with glacial silt as it twisted be-
tween broken rock and gravel beds
fringed with dwarfed birch trees and
in the blue-shadowed distance lost
itself in what must have been q
small lake.
There's no plane at Cranberry
Lake." l heard him say. "And the
Trumbull mines shut down. Every
things empty there"
He stopped and handed me the
glasses, pointing into the valley. ]
finally made out the mine buildings,
deserted and idle. And in all the
broken terrain beyond them I could
detect no sign of life.
81 don't understand this" Lander
said as he reached for the glasses
again. And even as he spoke
sound that was neither whine nor
a whistle smote on my ears. A
moment later the sound was repeat
ed, followed by the splash Of a bull
let against the rock on which Lam
der was standing.
Get back" he called out to me.
''Keep low"
His own drop from the rock top
was so abrupt that the binoculars
fell at my feet. He motioned me
down as another bullet whined over
head.
$50 that's how they welcome us!"
he said as his eyes narrowed and
yet remained alight with grim
sort Of humor.
Still another bullet cut across the
top of the rock behind which we
crouched.
They're getting their range" my
rail mate sardonically observed.
''But who is it," I gasped.
'That's what I've got to find out"
said Lander as he reached for his
own rifle. But instead of bringing it
into use he crowned the barrel end
with his hat and slowly lifted it
above the top of our sheltering rock.
There was a far-off report, and
/ saw the hat that had been on the
barrel end whisked ten feet away.
Lander, when he guardedly recov-
cred it, found a bullet hole through
one side of the felt brim. He looked
at it ruminatively. Then he put the
hat back on his head.
He sat in the rock shadow, study
ing the wide amphitheater of rum
neled and canyoned mountain slope
that surrounded us.
''We'n crawl back" he quietly an
nounced, land come on him from
another quarter"
ION whom?" queried, trying in
vain to match quietness with quiet
ness.
"The man who's trying to murder
u.s." was Lander's curt reply.
That backtrailing, however, turned
into a quartering and cautious ad-
vance, once we had climbed to high
er ground. We crept forward in
westerly direction, crawling clos
er and closer to the heights over
looking the Big Squaw and the emp
ty mine buildings.
I was glad to sit and rest while
Lander crawled cautiously forward
and, through that tangle of willow,
carefully studied the alley beneath
him. He studied it for long time.
Then he crept back to my side, his
somber eyes quite without any look
of satisfaction.
Lets eat" he said as he reached
for his discarded shoulder pack.
Instinctively I looked about for
fuel; but he stopped me with ges-
ture.
Later we squatted Indianlike on
the rocky floor Of sheltering bowl
and ate as the shadows shifted and
a wood-warbler twittered and hoped
between the clump-willows.
you'll have to stay here" Lam
ACA SdAA, VIC CIV q A4St1C SSOQtAAAS
to do. If anything should happen,
give me couple of signal shots
from that six-gun of yours"
"But I can 60 where you co." !
maintained.
Lander studied my face. Then he
smiled little.
IT don't want you in this" he
said with a quiet but steely firm
ness.
"But if it's dangerous for you I
want to be in it." / persisted.
IT know what I'm doing" he
said. "And you've still got to be-
ieve in me-"
He didn't even say good-by. He
merely slipped over the edge of the
rock and lost himself in the fire.
weed and balsam fringing the
stream that went singing down into
the lower valley.
crouched behind my clump-wil-
low, watching for some sign Of him.
saw him at last, fiattened Indian
fashion in a narrow crevasse as
he inched his way down into that
hollow Of uncertainty. He went very
sInxryIxy