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Show f THE H "WMCBl M lllli (TOPVr7fT i -- LITT'e. gQtAf T9JIO CHAPTER ggyrtgf??? IV ill COWAAT. a 13 Snowbird felt very glad of .her Intimate, accurate knowledge of the whole region of the Divide. In her the winding trails hud been her playground, and long ago she had acquired the mountaineer's sixth sense for traversing them at night. She hnd need of that knowledge now. She slipped Into her free, swinging stride; and the last beams from the windows of the house were soon lost in the pines behind her. It was one of those silent, breathless nights with which no mountaineer Is entirely unacquainted, and for a long time the only sound she could hear was her own soft tramp in the pine needles. The trees themselves were motionless. That peculiar sound, not greatly different from that of running water which the wind often makes In the pine tops, was entirely lacking. Not that she could be deceived by it as stories tell that certain tenderfeet, dying of (hirst in the barren hills, have been. But she always liked the sound; and she missed it especially tonight. She felt that If she would stop to listen, there would be many faint sounds In the thickets those little hushed noises that the wild things make to remind of their presence. But she did not In ' the least care to hear these sounds. They do not tend toward peace of mind on a long walk over the ridges. The wilderness began at once. Whatever Influence toward civilization her father's house had brought to the wilds chopped off as beneath a blade In the first fringe of pines. This Is altogether characteristic of the Oregon forests. They are much too big and too old to be tamed In any large degree by the presence of one house. No one knew this fact better than Lennox himself who, in a hard winter of four years before, had looked out of his window to find the wolf pack ranged In a hungry circle about his house.' Within two hundred yards after she had passed through her father's door, she was perfectly aware that the wild was stirring and throbbing with life about her. At first she tried very hard to think of other things. But the attempt wasn't entirely a success. And before she had covered the first of the twelve miles, the sounds that from the first had been knocking at the door of her consciousness began to make an entrance. If a person lies still long enough, he can usually hear his heart beating and the flow of his blood in his arteries. Any sound, no matter how falDt, will make itself heard at last. It was this way with a very peculiar noise that crept up through the silence from the trail behind her. She wouldn't give it any heed ut first. But In a very little while Indeed, It grew so Insistent that she could no longer disregard It. Some living creature was trotting long on the trail behind, keeping approximately the same distance between them. Foregoing any attempt to Ignore it, he set her cool young mind to thinking what manner of beast It might be. not greatly different from Its step-wathat of a large dog except possibly n log would have made slightly more noise. Yet she couldn't even be sure of this basic premise, because this animal, whatever It might be, had at first seemingly moved with utmost caution, but now took less care with Its step than Is customary with the wild denizens of the woods. A wolf, for Instance, can simply drift when It wishes, and the silence of a cougar Is name. Yet unless her pursuer were a dog, which seemed entirely unlikely, It certainly one of these two. She would have liked very much to believe the step wns thnt of Old Wolf the bear, suddenly curious as to what this dim light of hers might be; but she couldn't bring herself to accept the Woof, except when wounded or lie. rornerod, is the most nmlnble .creature In the Oregon woods, and It would give her almost n sense of security to bnve him waddling along behind her. The wolves and cougar, remembering the anna of Woof, would not be neHrly so curious. But the black bear hnd never clone such a thing In the memory of Insn, hhd If he had, he would have made si times hs much noise. He run go fairly softly when he Is stalking, but when he Is obliged to trot ts he would be obliged to do to keep human figure np with a he cracks twigs like a rolling log. Ph had the Impression that the animal behind had been passing like smoke at first, but wasn't taking the trouble to do It now. on the The sound wm a soft pat-pa- t trail sometimes entirely ohHterated bnt always recurring when she began to tetleve that she had only fancied Sometimes a twig, raln-ske- d It prcer.-e- . t...iigh It was, cracked beneath night-wandere- s s jnfor-lunatel- swift-walkin- g i heavy foot, and again and again she heard the brush crushing and rustling as something passed through. Sometimes, when the trail was covered with soft pine needles, it was practically indistinguishable. The animal was approximately one nundred feet behind. It wasn't a wolf, she thought. The wolves ran In packs this season, and except in winter were more afraid of human beings than any other living creature. It wasn't a lynx one of those curiosity-devourelittle felines that will mew all day on a trail and never dare come near. It was much too large for a lynx. The feet fell too solidly. There were no dogs In the mountains to follow at heel ; and she had no desire whatever to meet Shag, the faithful hybrid that used to be her guardian In the hills. For Shag had gone to his rest several seasons before. Two other possibilities remained. One was thaf this follower was a human being, the other that It was a cougar. Ordinarily a human being is much more potentially dangerous to a woman In the hills at night than a cougar. A cougar is an abject coward and some men are not. But Snowbird felt herself entirely capable of handling any human foes. They would have no advantage over her ; they would have no purpose in killing from ambush ; and she trusted to her own marksmanship Implicitly. While It Is an extremely difficult thing to shoot at a cougar leaping from the thicket, a tall man standing on a trail presents an easy target. Besides, she had a vague sense of discomfort that If this animal were a cougar, he wasn't acting true to form. He was altogether too bold. The animal on the trail behind her was taking no care at all to go silently. He was simply along, d d pit-patti- She Heat J the Steps Again. wholly at his 'iase. He acted as If the fear that men have Instilled lu his breed wns somehow missing. And that !s why she Instinctively tried to hurry on the trail. The step kept pace. For a long mile, up a barren ridgo. she beard every step It made. Tnen, ns the brush closed deeper around her, she couldn't hear It at all. She hurried on, straining to the silence. No. the sound was Btopppd. Could It be that the animal, fearful at last, had turned from her trail? And then for the first time a gasp that was not ereatlv different from a sob caught at her throat. She heard the steps again, and they were In the thlckws Just eside her. Two hours before Snowbird hnd left the house, on her long trnmp to the ranger stntion, Pan hnd started home. He hadn't shot until sunset, as he had planned. He rode one of Lennox's cattle ponies, the only piece of horse-flesthnt BUI hnd not taken to the valleys when he hnd driven down the live stock. She was a pretty' bny, a spirmare that could whip ited, high-breabout on her bind legs at the touch of the rein on her neck. She made good time along the trail. And an honr before sunset he passed the only human habitation between the marsh and Iennox's house the cabin that had been recently occupied by Landy II d He glanced at the place as he passed and saw that It was deserted. No smell of wood smoke remained In the air. Evidently Landy had gone down to the settlements with his precious testimony In regard to the ' TIMES-NEW- T" NKPHI. UTAH. S. arson rfn?. Yet It was curlon rhsl no word had been heard of hi in. As far as Dan knew, neither the courti nor the forest service had taken ac tion. He hurried on, four miles farther. The trail entered the heavy thickets, .and he had to ride slowly. It was ai wild a section as could be found on the whole Divide. And just as he came to a little cleared space, three strange, dark birds flung up on wings. He knew them at once. All mountaineers come to know them before their days are done. They were the buzzards, the followers of the dead. And what they were doing in the thicket just beside the trail, Dan did not dare to think. Of course they might be feeding on the body of a deer, mortally wounded by some hunter. He resolved to ride by without Investigating. He glanced up. The buzzards were hovering In the sky. evidently waiting for him io pass. Then, mostly to relieve a curious sense of discomfort in his own mind, he stopped his horse and dls MM JIM OF ROADS DURABILITY VARY g mounted. The twilight had started to fart, and already Its first grayness had begun lo soften the harder lines of forest and hill. And after his first glance at 'he curious white heap beside the trail, he was extremely glad that tt had. But there was no chance to mistake the thing. The elements and much more terrible agents had each wrought their change, yet there was grisly evidence in plenty to show what had occurred. Dan didn't doubt for an Instant but that It was the skeleton of Landy Hildreth. He forced himself to go nearer. The buzzards were almost done, and one white bone from the shoulder gave unmistakable evidence of the passage of a bullet. What had happened thereafter, he could only guess. He got back quickly on his horse. He understood, now, why nothing had been heard of the evidence that Landy Hildreth was to turn over to the courts as to the activities of the arson ring. Some one probably Bert Cranston himself had been waiting on the trail. Others had come thereafter. And his lips set in his resolve to let this murder measure in the debt he had to pay Cranston. The Lennox house seemed very silent when, almost an hour later, he turned his horse Into the corral. He had rather hoped that Snowbird would be at the door to meet him. The darkness had just fallen, and all the lamps were lighted. He strode Into the living room, warming his hands an Instant beside the fireplace. The fire needed fuel. It had evidently been ' neglected for nearly an hour. Then he called Snowbird. His voice echoed In the silent room, unanswered. He called again, then went to look for her. At the door of the dining room he found the note that she had left for him. It told, very simplv and plainly, that her father lay Injured In his bed, and he was to remain and do what he could for him. She had gone for help to the ranger station. ne leaped through the rooms to Lennox's door, then went In on tiptoe. And the first thing he saw when he opened the door was the grizzled man's gray face on the pillow. "You're home early, Dan," he said. "How many did you get?" It was entirely characteristic. Shaggy old Woof Is too proud to howl over the wounds that lay him low, and this gray old benr on the bed had partaken of his spirit. "Good Lord," Dan answered. "How badly are you hurt?" "Not so bad but that I'm sorry that Snowbird has gone drifting twelve miles over the hills for help. It's dark as pitch." And It was. Dan could scarcely make out the outline of the somber ridges against the sky. They talked on, and their subject was whether Dan should remain to take care of Lennox, or whether he should attempt to overtake Snowh'rd with the horse. Of course the girl had ordered him to stay. Iennnx, on the other hand, said that Dan could not help him In the least, and desired hlin to follow the girl. "I'm not often anxious about her." he said slowly. "But It Is a long walk through the wildest part of the Divide. Some wny I can't bar accidents tonight. I don't like to think of her on those mountains alone." And remembering what had lain beside the trail, Dan felt the sntne. He hnd beard, long ago, tknt any nnlmn' that nce tnsted humnn flesh loses Its fear of men and Is never to be trusted again. Some wild animal thnt still hunted the ridges hnd. In the last month, done Jnt thnt thing. He lift the room and walked softly to the - door. The night lay silent and mysterious over the Divide. He stood listening The girl hnd started only an honr bp fore, and It was unrtkely that she could have traversed more thnn two miles of the steep trail In that time. Although the horse ordinarily did not climb a hill more swiftly thnn a human being, he didn't doubt but that he could overtake her before she went three miles farther. But where lay his duty with the Injured man In the house or with the daughter on her ernind of mercy In the darkness? Then the matter was decided for him. So faint that It only whispered at the dim, outer frontiers of hearing, a sound came pricking through the darkness. Only hi months of listening to the faint sounds of the forest, and the Incredible Hence of the night ennhled him to hear It at all. But he knew what It was, the report of a pistol. Snowbird had met an enemy In the darkness. (TO BB CONTINUIDJ Classification of Passenger and Freight Highways Is Predicted by Chairman Diehl. Freight roads and passenger roads are probabilities of the comparatively near future lu congested sections of the country, according to Chairman George C. Diehl of the A. A. A. good roads board, who has sent a communication to this effect to the ollice of the chief of engineers of the War department. Mr. Diehl thus comments ou the highways problem : "There will never be a time when all rouds are of equal durability and carrying capacity. Highways and railroads are analogous. In that they are both designed to carry traffic, and general rules which have been developed through scientific management of railroads apply as well almost invariably to highways. The heaviest locomotives and rolling stock are carried on roads like the New York Central and Pennsylvania and Union Pa cific. Their use over lighter constructed railroads would ruin the roads in a comparatively brief period. "There must come a classification of highways. Over class 1 the heaviest motortrucks and trailers would be permitted ; each truck should have large figures conspicuously placed on the sides to indicate the total weight that It was permitted to carry; operators and owners of trucks should be prosecuted for using the heaviest .trucks oa roads designed for lighter traffic. It would be comparatively simple to enforce such provisions, as there seems to be no defense of the proposition permitting one ' or two heavy trucks to ruin an investment of many thousand dollars on the FIHST thought, unrelieved lighter constructed highways. white would seem the best wear "At the road intersection the highfor hot, midsummer weather It way capacity could be Indicated, as Is the snow, It suggests refreshing. the highway department should, I be- which, In bleak expanses, seems the lieve, have a traffic department under coldest-lookin- g thing In nature. Dea chief traffic engineer, having to do, signers, however, have demonstrated not with construction and maintethat certain shades of color, combined nance but merely with the control of with white, make clothes more contraffic. It is extremely likely that it cool than vincingly would result ultimately in a. system and that such looking combinations have a of freight roads and passenger roads, snap and brilliancy that adds Imand that wider and parallel road? to their attractiveness for hot mensely would result ultimately In a system weather wear. of freight ronds and passenger roads, For blouses, crepe de chine and and that wider and parallel roads crepe georgette are the mediums favored, with crepe de chine In the ascendent. It has a cold sheen In white and In the colors used with white and makes blouses and smocks for wear with white skirts that leave nothing . 1 ,1 In - f " :.: V' '..j ' ON fiit TO I Concerning Suits for Water Sports s ' x. i ' - v, ,, ' h As 4 - to wish for. Smocks or blouses with short pep urns are more popular than the regulation walst-iengtmodel. Narrow loose girdles made of the material have replaced the girdles with long ends. They cross in front and fasten at each side. The body of the blouse Is always of the white crepe and the color Is Introduced In bands, in embroideries,, In beaded design and by other means. As an example of cleverness In uslnj white and a color, the blouse pictureft is presented. It is made of crepe de chine with elbow sleeves having turned back cuffs. There is a novel collar across the back, suspender, borders added to tile sleeves and pointed pieces set on the back and front, all In the color. The throat If open in a shallow "V." r r.. ' r- - , Brick or Concrete Roads Are Economical if There Is Considerable Heavy Traffic. would be found to be the most economical method of laying out the highway system. "It Is Impossible to lay out all road of the heavy form of construction; In the first place, the money Is not available, and, secondly, too many years would elapse before the more sparsely settled sections of the country were developed. It would not be at nil difficult to break bulk when leaving the heavy traffic roads, and In a com- paratively brief time ah excellent theory of highway construction would be developed whereby each locality would be able to determine the amount It was feasible for them to expend on each mile of highway construction." FARMER EACK OF GOOD ROADS 8eaon Be XX Ail v. V 4 t Do Not Wait and Crops Mui; Sowed, Cultivated Reaped and Marketed. The farmer or rural dwel'er. In sections, for a long t'.me stood In the way he wanted the rends, but he didn't want to pay for them. Ho did not realize that in the long run good roads pay for themselves out of savings made to the community In hnnlngo of people and merchandise. But the farmer today Is reckoning In units of time, for seasons do not wnlt and crops must be sowed nnd cultivated, reaped nnd marketed at the right time. Therefore the fanner ll now back of the road Improvement. cer-tui- n Much Good Road Building. I.ast year recorded unthought of rond building activities throughout the United States. A few yenrs ago some narrowly bounded community might have done something to make the roads within Its confines better. Such an act, however, wss little cause for comment except locally. The automobile, w'th the rntige of travel It hns brought within eeryone's reach, Und not been developed and could not rave hem used If It bad. This means what the advent of the automobile hat foiled good roaJs. suits LEAVING foroutrealbench service in not the wa- ter, and considering only those that are designed for swimming or bulbing or water sports, e find they are nearly nil made In the two types Illustrated here. tiood sense governs In the choice of these suits and It happens that sensible suits prove to be the most attractive ones In this case as In many others. The swimming suit must lie strong and at the same time clastic, It must protect agnlnxt chill and give absolute freedom of action to the swimmer. It hugs the Igure but gives to the motion of every muscle. Is reinforced where It needs to be, innde of pure wool and knitted In firm stitches by machinery. The manufacturers have so perfected It that It holds Its Shape permanently. By means of color and decorative features accomplished In the knitting as the Introduction of hands or designs In contrasting colors they have added to the attractions of wlmDlng stilts. The young woman IKilsetl for a plunge, as pictured, U - dressed ns the swimmer sl:ut he. She wears a knitted suit, short (s black cloth ' shoes boutx! ii , white brnld nnd a rubbering! tltnt fits and closely covering like h bainlana tied nbont the hes. Tin; cureer of the bathing suit lured may be less strenuous tlmn of the swimming suit, but It Ih netfir theless a sturdy affair wbhli may Kr v"v found In several different woven h- rlcs. Flannel, sntine", falTetn silk at' present themselves with other uooJei fabrics ns suited to It. tt has uf flclcntly roomy bloomer reaching t the knees and a flaring chemise ilmn with round neck and no sieves. While fancy braid finishes the link am', arm's-eyand four rows of It with motif at the front aimn(i. a glsdle. Long stockings and rVt slippers fit this suit for beach west .i !- e i |