The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-04-12
By Philip WyIie

, TWO lakes.\ Slx-forty-nye passed
and seven. The two people were so
engrossed that Aggie was able To
move closer and to part the branches
in order TO look at them. A reddish
CLINT of sunset sSne on Danielle' s
smooth hair and silhouetted her
vivid profile. 1t illuminated Bill
Calder, Longing against a boulder,
downeast, tormented. Aggie felt
sorry for him; what the girl was
doing seemed coldly deliberate. As
II she were merely trying to keep
him there as long as possible. That
thought became so clear to Aggie
that be wondered what it could
mean. At last, however, Bill tore
himself away and hurried down the
trail.
Again. Aggie slipped into the
woods and started back by a
straighter, shorter route. He was
determined TO reach the club ahead
Of them. He took a series Of steep
rock lodges with the facility Of a
ehamois. He hurried along under a
growth Of white pines. In mis- brain,
recollection unfolded a map i'm
printed during his youth. There
would be brook with easy going
for . while. Then a cut through a
narrow burned area to another old
road which would come out behind
the Patton place.
He followed a track Of grass
bleached wan by shade remnant
from the time when the road had
been more open. Then he plunged
into q dense thicket-and stopped
just before he emerged on the other
side.
He looked at the ground. What
held his attention would have ter
rihed most persons, in that gray and
silent place. But Aggie was not in
the least frightened. Startled-and
no more. He pursed his lips and
whlstled one low. soft note.
Two logs lay across the veStigial
road--one on top Of the other. Long,
vertical stakes held them together
stakes that had guided the upper
log to drop on the lower. Beyond
the logs lay trigger, lever and bait
bread and honey. in this case.
There were ants busy now in. the
honey. 1t was q deadfall-a big
one - OF a size suitable for bear.
But the top log had closed, like the
Diade OF a giant scissors, on q man.
The man was Jim Calder.
There was nothing new about the
spectacle OF death for Aggie Plum.
In his researches among the ruins
OF many civilizations, he'd seen the
remains OF myriad deaths. violent
and peaceful. In his association with
primitive people, he had seen death
under Circumstances which most OF
the members Of the Indian Stones
Country Club would have found in
supportable. A social misfit, a wall
Hover, he WAS nevertheless no sissy.
He turned briefly TO work out an
explanation for the presence of the
dead man in the trap. Calder had
been coming in the same direction
as Aggie. His footprints were there
TO show it--dim depressions, recent
small disturbances. He'd ducked
low in the tangle to avoid some fes-
toons OF bull brier. He'd stepped to-
ward the'bottom log-with the in
tention Of going over it-snd acct
dentally nit the trigger. Or, per-
haps, he'd pulled at the bread and
honey out Of curiosity--not noticing
the other log poised above his head.
Il could have been either way.
Aggie took a careful route TO eY.
anime the man. There was no doubt
That he had been dead for some time.
The blood, at the base Of the shat.
tered skull, was dry and dark.
Broken-of leaves we're not Just
wilted, but curled by the days heat.
There was evidence Of reflex kick
ing around the mans feet And