Show ITS HILLTOPS CLEAR by affy EMILIE E M I 1 L LURING LORING by the th penn 00 0 CHAPTER R X i 14 1 4 S she bile stopped on a little shelf of level land on oil tile tho hillside sId 0 was chrit shadowy blotch tho blacksmith shop 7 tier her heart and raced on was site bho becoming infected with right fright silo turn back now time was flying calloway aind walter gerard might reach the first then where would the be bet bile atio see sea herself i listening ut at cracks and windows silo must got bet before they i onia collie i alio 9 I 1 ae frowned at tile the slope which lint until it neared tile the road was almost I 1 clear of trees trap s white hard pry dry A jump would save time vare she try it silo alio luiu had been good once why not it was n short jump suppose site sho lopped flopped pant alint was otio lop flop in tile tho days work site turned forward she blip was in tho the nr air I 1 silo sho landed was she going over no she clasped tier hands glinnda behind tier her not too bad hair been so long without practice steady on her skis bids again they barely etched the hard sur cur lace she was going like a thou cand and race horses merged in one tile smithye not so far away na as etie had straight ahead abend she abe would crash into it sho she must ilow how did one stop sho she had forgotten silo she would drop stars mined in a golden shower no alio world rocked silo sho opened her tyest aps that crash ought to have broken every bone to in tier her body she as she rolled over on tier lier side she pulled herself to one unee knee floundered upright on her slits the blacksmith shop was wag barely two feet away its ono one window stared nt at tier her like a eye no light I 1 that meant that she was ans the first at tile tho conference in a pool of purple shallow shadow at the foot of a giant spruce she re moved her skis cautiously and rested them theiu against the tree no sound hut but the whispers among the dark green ereon boughs lind and tile the chime ot of balry tee ice bells no shadow could stalk her down that slide she 1 h rort better get under cover slie she tiptoed to tile the shop soundlessly she pressed her tin fin sera against tile the door noiselessly it 1 I swung in too tog enay easy she peered into the dim interior swallowed the lump jump in her thront throat anyone h here she inquired softly quiet BS as it A tomb and cold as abath cheery comparison I 1 she stepped over tho the threshold and closed the door the glow of at her flashlight illumined the corners comers of it a leanto lean to that tant high pile of firewood would serve na as a screen it if either of the conspirators felt moved to investigate she pulled off her mittens glanced at the tl it dial of tier her wrist watch five minutes before eight she leaned against tho the door frame why the men como come how long should she wait it would take longer to go back than it alad had to come if sho she at home by nine thirty when the movies were out david would be wild with anxiety crunch I 1 crunch I 1 some one coming 1 tills time tier henrt refused to be swallowed it parked in her throat threat and thumped calloway or walter gerard As aa a comp companion anlon in a lonely ly shack there much choice between them of course the fiery bery len was a just man A light I 1 it flickered she crouched behind tile the wood pile A door closing tho the sound as aa of a lantern set down the leanto lean to doorway framed a soft glow the door again 1 I beat you to it calloway that was walter gerards Oer ards alky silky assured voice come across with tile the money len how do I 1 know youve done the trick walt if you dont believe me go and look ok at the truck it told laid down and died almost at the door of the tattle cattle barn just na as the crew had finished supper they got the full effect of the crash I 1 hung around for a few minutes to make sure they were on then I 1 beat it no chance chalice of a flop now the carts backed up lip you win will dont stall calloway conn across with the money you promised when you wrote me to como come to high ledges to do a little work for you cash on Idel delivery lvery remember but of course you wont atall youre such an honest man there was ivas sardonic mirth in walter gerards voice and a hint of hatred oil oh all right ill pay heres your jour money prudence crept on hands bonds and knees to tile the doorway sha must I 1 watch tho the passing passim ot of that money someone Soni eone would pay for the de destruction of the truck belonging to the arm rm of schuyler and gerard and it nt be b either of the partners gerard counted the bills fu u hand odny now ill light out im not going back to tile the house ill catch a ride A tap on the window I 1 another top I 1 put iut out that light r the harsh whisper r was walter tho the shot shop went dark prudence prudenco tiptoed to tho the wood pile she nils Judged tile tho distance struck it with sickening moderation and rumble the sticks began to slide she held field tier her arenth now what would happen someone was breathing hard ut at the leanto lean to opening find out chos at that window i walt it was hoarse low voice sho she mistake it ril ill take enre of tho the snooper hiding la in here CHAPTER XI in tho the living room nt at high DUSK dredges DL ledges edges A coffeo coffee table with repty devres cups cupa jenn jean in a gny gay little frock behind it jim arm am strong sprawled tn in a big chair cliner david schuyler chin in cupped hands frowning a af space rodney gerard arm on the mantel stating staring at tile the licking flames 1 I know as well ns I 1 know that im standing here that someone Is working on the crew said gerard why I 1 persuaded you to stay for dinner dave wanted to talk it over iver two of my men slacked today they rhey were surly when I 1 asked why said they had a pain something et ct they guessed have either cither of you noticed anything to make you uneasy or am I 1 having a bad ease of the jitters what do you think jim armstrong roso rose precipitately to knock tits his pipe against an andiron 1 I agree with you rod something Is working on the crew via the grapevine route in fact im so uneasy that im going back to my cabin now rodney gerard throw threw tits his cigarette into the fire im going with you david schuyler rose 1 I seen tho the inside of the cattle barn since it was made into a bunkhouse ill drop in on my boys armstrong stopped on ills his way to the door Il better letter not tonight I 1 may be having the heebe jeemes Je ebes but I 1 have a hunch bunch well ond things in a mess mesa all the more reason I 1 should go I 1 the matter K kl rodney gerards sharp question attention on jean her eyes seemed enor enormous at she looked at gerard III 1 I I 1 was wondering it what I 1 heard what did you hear with anxious eyes roving from one face to the other jean told of tho the conversation between gerard and len galloway calloway 1 I heard father say 11 its a payment on delivery proposition preposition ion len sure tell me again what time were they to meet at eight uncle rod hod gerard glanced at the clock we can make the smithy before that time easy in my roadster jim hotter better pass the cattle barn first we will leave dave there to make ills his friendly call then well go on and catch tho the conspirators red handed jean caught her uncles arm tier her eyes wore were frightened you wont hurt rather father will you perhaps I 1 have told but I 1 was afraid he might be making trouble for you anti and and mr david a big benr rolled down tier her cheek her breath caught in a sob but miss bliss prue sald said truel pruel did you tell tier her this same story surprise dried jeans tears of course uncle hod I 1 tell her every thing what makes brou rou so white what did she say K X K quick tell us ua everything first she guessed mr calloway hod had hired father to boss a lumber crew then site she anid perhaps they were planning a party for hilly gooch 11 cut that tha i what else did prue say bay hurry I 1 sho she say any much more except to ask mo me where the blacksmith shop was gerard crossed the room to the telephone and waited cant you get tho the house rodney david asked gerard replaced the telephone no answer lie cleared hla his voice of huskiness this la Is movie night she may have hare cono a thought lie ile picked up the phone again and gave tile the puffers number impulsive na its she was prue have done such a road mad tiling thing as aa to go to the old blacksmith shop he told himself but suppose she had find keep on operator important por tant 11 im making a break tor for the cattle barn rod gerard nodded response to armstrongs husky voice boy I 1 how flow white he wrist white it if ho he was so anxious about the girl to whom he wasl was engaged why waste a min uto ute on that infernal crew crowd why not make a break for or tile suil smithy thy pull yourself tog together etherl I 1 ho he grit ted hla fits teeth its just your crazy idea that prue has gone to the shop probably jim knows her too well to think shed do such a tool fool thins thing lie ho laid down the phone no answer dave color stole back into lers face she has gone to the tha movies with tile the buffers Euf litif fers and jano mack block of courso course lets get going 11 odney rf f you mean to mako make the black smith shop before eight we will have to hustle neither man spoke na AS tho the black roadster raced along trolling a cloud of snow like tho the of a vessel the tumult in gerards Gc inland quieted lie ile certainly had find had a brainstorm back in tile fly ing room of course prue go to the smithy Binl thy what lid did she really care about the imi firm of schuyler cr and gerard not a hang jim armstrong was 1 feel as if I 1 ought to apologize to prue he hc cut in on tits own conclusions for oven even she would do such a dumb thins thing us aa to try to got get to that shop do you I 1 dont she would do that if she thought site could help all the ab shouting outing for hoar floor it must bo be tho the crew at the cattle barn hear it itt I 1 it would rouse the seven sleepers they are yelling now sounds to me like an able y gerard caught the braggart by the th collar bodied riot with a fight or two thrown in for good measure me asuro step on the gas rodney I 1 helped much in the woods but I 1 can stop that tile the roadster sped on till uproar increased gerard peered through the windshield something might bo be in the road might bel lie ile ground on the enter emergence gency brake with a suddenness which lung filing them both against tho the un una windshield what P rodney gerard was wag out of the roadster before david schuyler could finish the sentence jerked out of him film by the shock chock lie stated stared at the built sprawled across the road A truck not one of its his where had it coane from to bo be on the pond road at tills time of night what tile the dickens Is it rodney david schuyler peered over ills shoulder A truck gone not one of ours that smash just happen in this spot ill bet its a plan calloway Cal lowny and wait waft conspiring the big idea if it were our truck the answer would be easy holding up our shipment but a ingo 11 tie ile sniffed oh my goslik smell it I 1 david schuyler who had been bending over the wreck straightened ened smell it I 1 ill say I 1 smell amell it what mastermind master mind conceived the scheme of wrecking that load of at buquor in front of the bunk fouse wo W roust must keep my cay boys from find ing title tills judging from the sounds of 0 whoopee ahead id say any we were several hours too late what a dirty trick I 1 what a damnably dirty trick 1 chos coming whoever it la Is wont get any more ile he picked up a bottle which hatt had escaped breakage clever guys they have tile the stuff eased cased just handed it to our crew all r ready eady to drink lie he swung tits his arm ex peri mentally 1 I done dona much at wad cracking niely but ill do my darn da dest with this david schuyler seized tho the bottle walt till you see the whites of his eyes rodney the light touch eased the tension gerard had been so angry that he havo have cared where or how lie he hit now his mouth was i stretched in a gim his muscles tigh teneil who was hod I 1 atod iloff I 1 the sharp call was barely audible above tile tho din tn tit tile bunk blink bunkhouse house hos jim jill armstrong bof I 1 Of coursol gerard gerald dropped the ho bottle it crocked cracked like a pistol shot led hod I 1 bodt led its jim jal 1 I iut ut up your sun gun I 1 gerard laughed ng as armstrong I 1 a face shone weirdly white I 1 in n tile glare of the road roadsters stera lights Il lavent a gun no such euch luck that crack was it a bottle passing out come on dave lets get round tills uless so eo wo we can talk to jim jilt without yelling idling our fiends 0 off M when they reached armstrong he h shouted to make ills fits voice carry above the din in the bunkhouse bunk house 1 I 1 beat it across lots on the tho shortcut trail the men were raising tile root roof when I 1 reached tile bunkhouse bunk house I 1 snapped in on oil their wild party had find just to see that pulled blankets off the bunks blinks had scattered balsam boughs which served for mattresses nil all over the place when a shower of tin cups deluged mo me supposed there were that many in the world tile crowd roared as I 1 backed out I 1 know whon im tn in a hopeless ml all bority been fairly good natured perhaps they will get sleepy and quiet down gerard glanced at his fits wrist watch ill give them two minutes then I 1 am going in think I 1 will stand outside while my property la is being destroyed suppose they kick over a stove drop a match these balsam boughs would flamo flame like tin der right im with you rod hod tin im with you and jim rodney keep out of tilts dave I 1 tile the door of the bunkhouse bunk house banged open won mon crowded and pushed their way through the opening hero they come cornel I 1 after moro more booze I 1 back into the shadow quick the crew swag swaggered gored and tag stag sered gored toward the truck which sprawled like a wounded monster across the roat road jhb stopped ami blinked in tho the glare of the road ster headlight gerard with his hands in his pock ets faced them in the light bartys Par tys all over boys thero there any more who says bays sorl BO gerard recognized the burly brute who lurched forward as one of tile tho two men who had deserted to callo way always merry and bright arent you keep bacal youre not in this I 1 ill talk with my own men it aez hot hel lies iles givina you tho the razz herry you guys back thero there coln to bo be told tot what you can do when youre not on the job the men surged forward gerard counted eleven of them against three armstrong and schuyler had closed in behind him why they stay out of it this was his flight ills and Callo ways that last name steeled his fits muscles somewhere len was gloating over the situation uti tion might even now be looking on lie he stepped forward tho the shouting and singing inside tile the bunkhouse ceased suddenly quit this fool business and go back men if you dont lose your jobs joba tomorrow listen you guysi guys I 1 nus kua elite swayed forward and leered into gerards face this fella you call the big boss get to finish tile the job if he gives you your time lets teach this white collar gent to keep out of other guys business when the days works done he here for gerard caught tho braggart by the collar of his plaid shirt drugged dragged him from his feet and with stupendous effort lung flung hint him among the men what im hero aorl tile the words gritted gritter between clamped teeth anyone anaona else want to knowlt know por for an instant the crowd hesitated then with a concerted growl it lunged forward gerards Gerar dg blood chilled ugly faces cruel faces facca what would it feel like ilka to be torn to pieces A man dies but once ile he a man it he let a lot of 61 dirty |