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Show fLA M . IN 1NIN THE , 1N FO R E S "t t " \ . - - .8'J .8J 8J By ByS .8'JHAROLD ' S - HAROLD ADWL . ; - i iI I 4 4r 4r 4ill - r TBTUS .n n . .nI r ) /r r / ill I Illustl'afsont Illustlafsont illIllustl'afsont Illustl'afsontr Uusft.o Uusfto . ' ] t 0 n , " , S , 7 ' ' " A AIRWIN IRWIN MYERS MYERSW " ' W N U . SERVICE E.rz.v'cEf1 Erz.vcEf1 ErzvcEf1 . . ' I I&r &r r " & 1f1- 1f1 1f14.t ' , H ' f - 4.t 4t . JIJ Jho/d Jho d JI . , , /J J / T Ta a _ L . ' " CHAPTER XIII-Contlnucd XIII Contlnucd Xtll-Continued Xtll Continued XIIIContlnucd15 XtllContinued15 XIII - - Continued ContinuedIS -15- 15 - 15Oll 15On IS - - On Oll this tbls , , something like rellet relief relletJlckered reliefilckered reliefdickered Jlckered ilckered In West's Wests ' eyes but It was wasof wasof wasof of short duration . This Young was wasnot wasnot wasnot not the tbe sort of at man who flees ! in inthe Inthe n nthe the face tace of ot as flimsy a charge as . . . had been placed against him . Hehad He Hehad Hebad had bad hoped at the most to Leep keep Ker Iter- Iter Iterry Kerry . - ry ! In n site nee safe confinement until Brldg Bridger Brldger er and the prosecutor could perfecta perfect a case against Holt bit Stuart which whichwould whichwould whichwould would forever remove from tram his ownbreast own ownbreast ownbreast breast those cancerous fears . But Butnow Butnow Butnow now . . . . " " ' ' ' he muttered "Well Well "Wellyou've Wellyouve " "Gone Gone 'Gone , eh eh'he ehhe 7 ? . , you've youve ' been made ! a monkey of at by byhIm byhim byhim hIm How'11 How11 How'U HowU ' folks think of that thatwhen thatwhen thatwhen when they go to vote for sherltr sheriff sherltragain sheriffagain sheriffagain again ? I tell you , Bridger , you go got gotone gotone one chance cllance : that's thats ' to start things thingsmavIn thingsmovin thingsmovin mavIn movin ' ' against Stuart and not let'em letem let let'em let'em 'em em ' stop P I J " ' "Well Well "WeU WeU " , ' I'm Im ' tryin tryln * ' . , ain't aint ' n I ? But Butwhat Butwhat Butwhat what can I 1 do when Fzri's Fzris rn'1's rn1s r7r1's r7r1s ' . ' ' sltUn sittin sittin'on sittinon ' on the evidence ? ' I've Ive ' got lines out outto outto to locate Bluejay DIuejay . , but It's Its ' Bzra Ezra Bzrawho'll Ezrawho'll Ezrawho'll Ezrawholl who'll wholl ' gum up the works lit ! " " "Then Then 'Then " ' you better use "bat bat that s ft " hat you youcaU youcall youcall caU call your mind 'nd nd ' drum up some somethIn somethin somethin thIn ' to make ma1.e ma1e . Ezra ELra string alongwith along alongwIth alongwith wIth you 1 I " "But But 'But " ' the law's laws ' with the coroner 1 ! " " "To To " bell hell with the law .ItThey " " . . . . .It It . . They argued aimlessly at len length lengthand lengthand th thand and "hen hen when " hen Bridger was gone TadWest TodWest Tad Tod TodWest West paced the room and that fine tine finebeading tinebeading finebeading beading of at sweat prIcI pricked ed out on hIs hIsforehead hisforehead forehead forehgad again . He felt caged cagedtrapped , , trapped , and yet he could touch nobars no nobars nobars bars , discern no snare or dead faU fall faUimmedIately fallImmediately fallImmediately immedIately about him StIU StIll . , . .with with . vlth 'with with , ' this laughing fool of a Young loungon Youngon on the loose . , . . 'Damn Damn "Damn " " ' I 1 ! " he snarled 'Damn Damn ' , . . .damn damn . damn everything 1 t ! " . . . . . . . i ! ! r I ' rJim IJim Jim Hinkle was on his way out outtoward outtoward outtoward toward Shoestring agiln ag'1ln ag1ln again ' beforemid before beforemid beforemid mid forenoon . He yawned as he hedrove hedrove hedrove drove and his eyes e cs es were inflamed inflamedBut In InflamedBut named namedBut But he dro\e dro e drote dro \ , e one of Nan's Nans ' cars rap rapIdly rapIdly Idly Into town and turned eastward eastwardand eastwardand eastwardand and made better time on the highway 1Igh high 1Ighway highway [ way . He went Into the third to town townbefore townbefore " n nbefore before he stopped at a telegraph of- of office offlee of office - fice flee and thrust across the counter counterthe counterthe counterthe the message that Ezra Bzra Adams had hadentrusted hadentrusted hadentrusted entrusted to him'State him State 'State ' Police Headquarters , ; " ' the theoperator theoperator theoperator operator read aloud and then mum mumbled mumbled mumbled bled the rest . . , . I ( CHAPTER XIVI XIVT XIV XIVUr Ur IT I T 'Y Y ' WAS yAa AS sunuonn sundown sun do " n , now , with a acool acool acool cool mantle of evening e.enlng eenlng . descend descendIng descendIng descendIng Ing on the forest forest"Tough Tough 'l'ough lough "Tough " ' " ' luclr luck , chum 1 ! " Kerry mut mute mutetered muttered tered to Tip as he finally give gne up uphope uphope uphope hope and turned lm away ay from his bee beebox beebox beebor box , . They've Theyve "They've " ' ' called cal1cd It a day . , . . . . , .But But But Bute \ we \\e e can't cant ' be far tar off oft ' , now , and andunless andunless andunless unless It rains tomorrow . . , . : " ' He looked anxiously 80\.Iously 80.Iously 80 .Iously Iously ' \ . up upward upwardClouds upwardClouds " ard ardClouds Clouds were riding up from the thewest thewest thewest west The air felt soft If It rainheld rain rainbeld rainheld beld held tomorrow he \ would ould be put to tothe tothe tothe the ordeal ordenl of ot keeping heeplng out of sight sightand sightand sightand and accomplishing nothing . , . .Not Not . , Not a nice prospect'May prospect pro'5pect pro5pect ' May 'May ' Iay ha\e ha e hae have ha\ ha \ e a wet night mght , " he told toldthe toldthe toldthe the dogI dog I ' We can't cant ' be far from the thecabin thecabin thecabin cabin on Townllne Townline , but "ouldn't ouldnt wouldn't wouldnt "ouldn'tdare wouldn'tdare " wouldn'tdare wouldntdare ' dare risk that . " He ile found a down maple and under un under under der Its sheltering bole spread his hisblanket hisblanket hisblanket blanket dogbeside finally and , rifle rine handy , dog do dobeside g beside him , stretched his tired Ured bOdy body.Rain bodyRain . . Rain began to fall and In the dis dis- distance distance distance - tance thunder rumbled . . Histhoughts His Histhoughts H Histhoughts [ thoughts turned to Nan , , to Ezra Ezraand Ezr Ezrand Ezraand a and Holt ; : then to West . . . He drew dre drea drewa w a long , , uneasy breath . . , . . . , He would have hae hate ha\ ha \ e been a trifle mor morat more moreat < S Sat at peace had he known 1.nown 1nown . that a car carbearing , , , bearIng begring two men , , whirled Into Shoe Shoestring Shoestring Shoestring string from tram the southward , lightglaring lIghts light lIghtsglaring lightsglaring s sss ; glaring with Intensified brIghtness brlghtne brlghtnein brightnessIn ss i storbefore In the downpour . It came to a stop sto stobefore p before a gas station and one of at the theoccupants th thoccupants thoccupants e ( occupants , slicker clad , , leaned out"What's out : ; ; What's Whats 'What's "What's " " ' ' the road to ] West's Wests Vest's Vests ' Land- Land LandIng7 Landlug LandIng - Ing7 lug ? " he asked the boy , . "First First &IFIrst IFIrst & " to the left and straight on onTwenty onTwenty onTwenty Twenty miles Look out for tor the theculverts tb tbculverts thculverts e ( ; culverts , It U if the creeks ! Is s up I I J " " " Thanks IThanks "Thanks I l The car pulled away and the onwho one onewho on onwho e who bad had asked directions said to tothe t tthe tthe o ) the driver : " ' ' "Don't Dont you want me to take her he heSergeant heiSergeant r , SergeanU Sergeant ? YOU\ YOU You've Youve YOUe ' ' \ e had a long trie trlc trIck trIckat trlcat k . , at that wheel . . " " Mebby "Mebby " so , . You've Youve ' napped . . . Noteliln No Notellln Ntellln > tellln teliln ' what this old coot of ot a cora Coro Coroner'U corancr'U coroner'U coronerU ncr'U ncrU ner'U nerU ' have on the bill bUl tor for us when whenwe \ wheiwe hen henwe we get to him . , . " . . . . . . . sliorduration shortduration The rain " was "as as heavy but of at short duration . Stars appeared , the rum ble whenthe rumble of at thunder retreated and when whe ; the sun rose to warm and . dry the thland theland land land . , . Insect Ufo Ufe life had resumed resumod Its itsactivity Itactivity activity and nnd Young , , biting biUng hard hardon hardon baron bebox beebox beeboa on his pipe vlpe stem . , carrIed carried his bee o box boa forward , set It down and care- care - fully canfully carefully liberated l1berated the confined work work- workers worlera : . - ers within . "We're Were " ' close , Tip 1 ! " he muttcrc muttered < e < mutterede muttered"close Close "close " * aoso and closer I t ! Look at ' 'em em 'emi emi ' 1 I " - - 1 Dozens of at bees swarmed about aboutthe aboutthe aboutthe the bos box bog , buzzing buz1tng shrilly shrllly . And an hour after the first flrst vIs via viaitor visItor vIstor tor itor ! had called for tor Ills his portion of ofhoney ofhoney ofhoney honey , . , Young stood at the foot toot ot of ota ofa ofa a gnarled beech tree , stiring st'1rlng st1rlng st'tring sttring ' ' upward up upward upward ward at the old scar In the trunk trunktwice , t twice " lee as high as his held he'1d he1d head ' , watchingthe watchln watching watchingthe . ; the come and go of ot workers workersthrough workersthrough workersthrough through the hole that gave access accessto accessto accessto to the tree's trees ' hollow heart . . Ho ne He did not move much after he hehad hehad hehad had finally locited 10c'1ted 10c1ted located ' the tree . Forlong ror Tor rorlong Torlong long he stood In one place , , 100Ung looking 100Ungabout lookingabout lookingabout about , , searching out what sign he hecould hecould hecould I 100UngI could findMan flndMan find flnd findMan Man sign was there In plentyYonder plenty plentyYonder plentyYonder Yonder , a white pine hid h'1d h1d had ' recentlybeen recently recentlybeen recentlybeen been blazed and pitch globules globulesglistened globulesglistened globulesglistened glistened ! In n the sunlight . . Brakeshad Brakes Brakeshad Brakeshad had been trampled do\\ do dov\n dov n don down \ \ n ; here a aseedling aseedling aseedling seedling maple lay crushed Into theduff theduff the thedull dull duff ' , . , Its lea leaves ' es not yet wilted witted . At tlie the bise b'1se b1se base ' of the tree lay a S'1 S1 s't st s'tprophyte siprophyte ' . prophyte which , until recently , hadbeen had hadbeen badbeen been growing on the scarred por- por porion por par portion - . t tion tlon ion of the trunk . He could see seewhere seewhere seewhere where the bracket like I1ke growth hadbeen had hadbeen hadbeen been attached , two feet teet above the theground theground theground ground . . He picked up the fungus fungusand fungusand fungusand and on Its pale , tan velvety surfaceshowed surfaceshowed surface surfaceshowed showed the print of a n heel , e even eten , , en to tothe tothe the nails nalls , , dark brown against the thebufl thebuff thebutt bufl butt . ' . Some man hid h'ld hld ' used thatbracket that thatbrachet thatbracket brachet bracket In starting to climb that thattee thattree thatfee t--ee t ee tree - ! On his knees , he searched searcl1ed The TheraIn Therain Therain raIn had not struck here with greatorce great greatforce greatforce force f orce bmall Small bits of at bark and lIch Itch lIchens Itchens llchens ens , , " with "Ith Ith a a fre fre&h freh fresh & h look , , WE're WEre WE'rethele werethere weretheie ' thele there . . The protruding end of at n nsmaH nsmall asmall smaH small limb 11mb , long since dead and andaU andall andall aU all but absorbed by the expanding expandingtrunk expandingtrunk expandingtrunk trunk , , bore bits of thread , as If It agarment a agarment agarment garment had been scrubbed over it It . . . . , . , Yes , someone had climbed tnls this tnlsbe thisbee thisbee bee be ( > tree . . Honey and money 1oney 1 ! . , . . . \oney oney Money Moneyand : \ Moneyind ! 1nd and ' honey honeyl honeylYonder 1Yonder 1 ! Yonder \ went ent a trail trall ; ; : faint , yet yetreadable yetreadable yetreadable readable to Young Youngs s eye Not agame a agame agame game tiall tlall trail , either ; : be found the theilly theily theilly illy l ily defined outline outhne of a boot sole solethere solethere solethere there Stooped ovei otter 0 ' el . , he followedBroken followedBroken followed followedBroken Broken \ withered Ithered brakes told that thatsomeone thatsomeone thatsomeone someone had gone this way wechs weeks wechsbefore weeksbefore weeksbefore before ; : broken bro1.en bro1en . brakes , , still fresh freshattested freshattested fresliattested attested to a more recent passmgThe passingThe passing passmg passingThe The sign ended before a pair or of orlimestone oflimestone oflimestone limestone boulders , , tilted together togetherforming , forming a smill sm'1H sm1H small ' cav cave"Ohoh cave 'Oh Oh "Oh "Oh-oh "Oh Oh " ' " ' - oh oh1 1 " " Another stone had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen been set against this opening oncenow once i ? inow ; now It " was "as as gone , rolled yonder . , He IIe lie lay on his belly bel1y and shot his hislash hisflash hisHash lash flash ! light l1ght Into the small smaU cavern . . . . Granules glistened gllstened on the thestone th thstone thestone e stone ; he touched them with hisfinger his hisfinger lit s : finger and looked closely . . Black Blackbrittle Blackbrittle , , brIttle , , glittering gUttering flakes they were . . . Lacquer from a japanned boxHis bos box ? ' ' His mouth was very ' \ ery dry , nowand nowand now , , . and he rolled roIled quickly qulc1.1y qulc11y . to his side sideto sid sidto sideto e , to stare at the tree A bos box the thesize th thsize thsize e ( , size of the one he had dug up yes yesterday yesterday yesterday terday never ne'er neer ' could have ha'e hae ' been can con cancealed concelled concealed cealed celled In the hollow of the beech beechthe : ; ; the opening " was "as as too small . Butboa But tbox a abo boa bo } . had been hidden here , andman and a aman tman man had climbed cUmbed the tree , . . .Amhoney Amhoney . And Andhoney An Anhoney d [ honey had daubed the man wh whhandled "ho ho "hoh'1ndled " whhindled o ( > h'1ndled h1ndled handled ' both bos box and crowbar , . . . . . Tm "I'm Im " ' ' a son of a gun ' " ' he crIed"I'll crie crie"I'll cried d "I'll Ill " ' I'll Ill ' ' be a . , . . " And on his feet feetthere fee feethere feethere t there his face tace sho showed " ed , , for just an aninstant a ainstant aiInstant n tn instant , a flash of admiration fothe to fo for r : the Ingenuity which had laid out outthIs ou outhis t . thIs cou course e . , . , , . In the course he henow Ii Iinow hinow e now suspected sU'5pected sU5pected ' actually actuaHy had been beenfoIl bee beeifollowed beeifollowedHe n , foIl followed owed followedHe owedHe He had been right about the thecabin th thicabin e , cabin on To Taw To\\nllne To nllne " \ \ nUne nllne It was a sho short shortmile shormile rt mile there and he covered the tbe dls dlstance d dtance distance 1s tance at a jog trot , , Tip close be behind b bbind e hind bind . He halted haIted at the edge of thclearing the theclearIng th thclearing ee e clearIng to look and listen IIsten an anthen and andthen amthen d then , went . ent forward without hesit hesittlon hesltatlon heslto heslta a tlon . . , From an Insect net above one of ofthe the bunks , he cut a portion ; : b he hefound g found a pair of at old leather gloves ; . a workman's workmans ' ' denim jumper ; ; : a hank hankat ban hap k of at stout cord . From the tool cache cachehe each eachhe eachhe to e he took an ar ax , a cedar saw , , a spll spllter spltt splttter spillter t : ter and two wedges These , wltb wltbhis wit withis h his rifle , , made a burden of ot conse conseque cons consquence < S Squence ; que quence nee and by the |