Show the M man from A yo X T dul X t t aa 0 AM I 1 U in by HAROLD TITUS Copy copyright Tight harold titus service servian CHAPTER IX continued 13 ile he signed his name and sat back bach brows drawn and after a time nodded vindictively 0 0 0 0 out at the hoot owl ben elliott went through a week of unbroken dismay it was a situation such as he had bad never dreamed of facing dawn had heard and seen and bellev believed edl 1 she had fled the hall convincing him of her belief in lydias accusation days had passed and he had heard nothing from her ile he was impelled to go to her but under such circumstances a young man does not ado do that thal there are some affairs so that words fall elal lit nis his men knew the story of course all the country knew it cut but none mentioned it ir to him none willingly be strayed to him their knowledge of its ills illum humiliation illation ile he waited and suffered sand land tried to rally his self possession ne ile was walking wondering grimly what dawn was thinking then what the she was doing he was hearing once again the tilling biting voice of lydia hearing in memory the hush fall over that fiance dance hall ball ile he was wholly alone far behind lim him loggers worked in tile the timber flown down yonder the mill sent up its plume of smoke and he could hear bear the distant puffing of the exhaust in the stillness no wind blew nothing stirred that he be could sm see ue he could not ob deerve that slight cautious movement to his left that figure which watched him some and edged out through young hemlocks to a point from which his view was unobscured but where he be still had good cover the man up there stood still slowly he shook off his bis mittens and with a bare thumb released the safety on the rifle he carried settled slowly to t one knee placing it on the tall of the other snowshoe his breath was aas not cot just steady as he snuggled his cheek against the rifle butt no mans would ie be shooting from ambush that way nor aare ere his bis hands just steady ile he sighted carefully trying to still the tremor of his arms lie he let his breath sup slip out slowly he squeezed the crack of the rifle ride echoed and re echoed across the chopping een ben elliott lay still as he had pitched on his face one of his hands was out stretched the other pinned beneath him ills face one cheek in the snow was vas turned toward the nan man who had fired but it was far away for many minutes the man in the timber remained kneeling elliott did not stir then cautiously the killer groped for the ejected shell slipped it into his pocket raised to his feet feer and backing cautiously struck into the deep timber CHAPTER X the rifle bullet had passed so close above bens head that he had felt its breath even before he be was aware of its whine A bullet here tor for him A hunter bunter but what would a hunter be shooting at here that bullet was designed for him and had missed by inches and he be was pitching forward simulating a tall fall letting himself go limp it was the only protection he could conjure he saw nothing no movement even heard nothing ue he was tingle a scald scalp creeping with an odd sensation as he waited for another bullet from these heights to the eastward cut but no other come ben lay there until deep dusk had fallen then he rose to his bis hands bands and knees watching listening after a moment he stood edlu then resolutely he left the road wallowed through the deep snow crossed the railroad track and tolled up the heights lie ile went on through the snow to the first fringe of trees then he spoke in a light hall hiland immediately dropped behind a stump after a moment he rose went forward again and entered the shadows boldly no ko one was there for certain but before he had gone more than a few spaces he came on that which he be sought a snowshoe track visible in the gloom because of the softness of the snow whoever had bad gone that way had sunk deeply ue ile followed tills this out of the thick timber to a little clearing the trail was not visible in the daik dankness dai kness DeSS so 60 ho struck a match and holding it cupped in one hand bent beat low the flare showed the track of a long narrow shoe plainly and as he moved the tiny torch along toward its tip he be stopped all movement the match burned out ue he moved on to the next track and lighted another lie he examined leeral of 0 the imprints made by the shoe then he went as rapidly as possible back down the slope to the road and started on to camp after supper pen cen called birdeye bird eye to one side id like to have hane you harness the supply team and spend an evening in town lie said tile the little barn boss bos cocked on an in eye just in town mesther elliott El llott or for fer f Epp cian special but no one ona else Is to know what I 1 want to find out Is this who la 19 wearing a pair of canadian snowshoes with the webbing in the toe of one torn so it makes a hole about this shape quickly lie sketched a rough olit line on a leaf of lihs his notebook bird kye eye scanned it and nodded take it easy maybe you wont find out but tonight but make a start anyhow it if you should have any luck stop in at the siding on your way back ill ride that far with you it was after when nen ben el llott roused from its his sleepless bed to hear bird rye speaking to ills team outside ile he crawled out olit of his blankets and opened the office door to let the other in but before he asked any quest questions lons lighted a lamp well how about it as he replaced the chimney looked at him narrowly 1 I found tit tl shiites lie said with an emphatic nod nd ind I 1 found out wh chos 1 they be good I 1 the barn boss blinked 1 I 1 dunno bout that it aint so good id say the 1 lie said with pro profound round ampha emphasis i nv av wan red lied dart delaney a celebrated killer from in rani dv from the hie second small bedroom sep 1 abated from the office by a hoard board P a bod bed creaked sharply eilan t did not hear it so it he said softly ylse th sence nce av a rattlesnake bolke red dart bart in tit community dont forecast naw thing 7 but th hottest kind av ar trouble lel 1 feie heard av him aint it yes I 1 have hare ile fie was mixed up in that spruce war mar on the ailing wauk A hired killer killer Is nd kd what may he be a doing in these parts elliott did not reply to that question what elie did you find out it be asked well he brought ills st inkIn pris ence into tincup wednesday deight on its 0 own a two stin kID feet I 1 lies fa mortn joe Pl ettes hotel te snowshoes was in th office nd it come up sos I 1 have hare to seen seem curious to folind out whose they was lies iles here lookin fer cedar tie ile says but it gives a body a lot av bother won wonder decin ln what ills his rate rale reason boight be alyin s as natural as br breath eathin ln to th tb follies 1 I can tell you ben said lies gunning tor for me birdeye bird bard eye Saint sl I 1 thought ut I 1 did ah ab me by yes he be started today I 1 was shot at with a rifle two miles up cp the road just at sundown the man who shot at me wore a snowshoe with the web broken ue he be lending his snowshoes birdeye bird eye stood motionless and silent for a moment before he spoke thin th sooner wo we give him both barrels av som ethla tb safer yell be wisther Ellbo elleott 1 iles hes a baard chunk him its nick Iran tiran dons work chos tried even thing else nd not to try murder to get ye down donn penny benny byl by I 1 likely youre right ben said and rubbed his chin with a knuckle but wed have to prove that first theres nothing to worry about now we know the mans here to get me likely he thought he be got me still there was lie urn una well something Bom ething to think over bird eye you better hit bit for camp now and pet get some sleep I 1 may call you in the forenoon eye sniffed and twisted his head gravely and after adding imprecations on nicholas brandon and warning den ben to stay close to the departed lie ile could be heard his team and climbing into the sleigh and when the frosty runners screamed in departure sounds came from that second bedroom behind the partition the door opened and john martin stood looking out ills dark eyes held on pen ben elliott El llott anxious and troubled 1 I help hearing he said simply do you mind of course not john looks like lively times I 1 with a grin its none of my affair elliott El llott but im an older man than you ive seen trouble a plenty aplenty ills his voice dropped as though old wounds were being opened ive heard of delaney Dc laney every mau man in the timber has heard board of the ahing wauk war I 1 cant help but think bird eyes advice la Is good swear ovit out a warrant for or him the first thing tills this Is a time for caution do you no good to take risks ill not walk luto into any traps but if brandon thinks lie he can make me hunt my liole hole oh brandon I 1 the cry was bitter and martin threw its his arras arms wide in ft a gesture of helplessness youve got to watch him as youve never watched a man in your life wily why son you dont know you dont dream of the ends hell go to lint I 1 thought you know him lien den said puzzled puzzle 1 I thought you said you clere a stranger to tills country yes os rut but stories travel and your experience today enough to convince anyone of file I 1 lie mans ruthlessness 10 oil it sure ben ri agreed greed tint lint still won dering at marlin s it was not just easy to belleve elleve li that a steady go ing mature man should be so moved I 1 y more mere tales youre you re right hell stop at nothing tint not even murder niu riler anil and I 1 n agree ace with ith yon hint lies got to b lie e witch watched Lif hut but if I 1 ran into my burrow or try to get at tile bottom of tills this thin thing hed miln part of what hes lifter after you sm see no that cant be done ile he rose arid begun began to pace the floor and its not only the hoot owl now at stake iles hes mixed up in mole important matters than just property lie ile caught me foul where here it hurt hurt I 1 martin following him with ills his oies winced lies used a woman to come between me and the finest girl that walked balked the earth martin looked away as pen hen confronted him almost as one will avert his face from a painful sight lastly he brings a hired killer to polish me oft off darned if I 1 know what lint to expect next but one tiling thing he can bank on I 1 wont run ill drive him film into the open if I 1 can by hook or crook but I 1 wont run no mo I 1 know you wont but I 1 wish oh how I 1 wish vish counsel with some one else with able or anyone youre young youre in danger and tills this matter jou just mentioned cant you think of dawn a little if you an love her cant you see that she has a right to believe that eliat yoi hlll will protect yourself the mans voice had fallen to a broken whisper ile he held out both hands in appeal and tears sprang into his eyes tills this man this mature quiet gentleman this stranger to the country begging him with tears in eyes and voice to consider dawn mcmanus Mcl lanus struck nen ben dumbfounded oh its only that youve youre shown yourself to be so decent martin said after a moment emotions under better control 1 I hate bate to see you putting yourself in danger 1 I wont vont stick my head into any noose ben replied lord its late SYNOPSIS ben elliott from rom yonder arrives at the lumbering lumber lne town of 0 tincup with drill don stuart old very sick man who whom to he has befriended lie he defeats bull duval king of the river and town bully in a log birling contest nicholas brandon the towns leading citizen resents stuarts presence trying to force him to leave town and elliott El llott resenting resent lne the act knocks him down elliott hallott Is arrested and duds a friend in judge able armitage the judge hires him to run the one lumber camp the hoot owl that brandon has not been able to grab this belongs to dawn mcmanus whose father has disappeared with a murder charge hanging over his head brandon sends duval to beat up ben and ben hini him in a list fist fight and throws him out of camp don stuart dies leaving a letter tor for elliott to bo be used when the going becomes too tough ben refuses to open the letter believing he can win the fight by his own efforts fire breaks out in the mill ben leading the victorious fight against the flames discovers the fire was started with gasoline gillott gets an offer of spot cash tor for logs that will provide money to tide him over but a definite time limit Is set ben meets dawn mcmanus and discovers she Is not a child as lie he had supposed but a beautiful young woman the railroad bridge over which the hoot owl lumber must pass and at once to meet the time limit imposed in tho the contract Is blown up by superhuman buman efforts ben builds a new bridge overnight and himself drives the train over the rickety structure to tincup making the delivery with only a few minutes to spare brandon compels a woman known only as clydla Ly dla who Is in his power to accuse elliott of misconduct with a girl at a dance to which elliott escorts dawn mcmanus Mci lanus lydia makes public her charges against him overwhelmed elliott can only make a feeble denial dawn apparently believing him guilty leaves the dance without waiting tor for him well need clear ile heads ids to meet taij situation netter better set get into the old blankets but he did not sleep nt at once ile he lay awake a long time thinking linking of red ked bart delaney and brandon find and wondering how low lie ile could prove their relationship tion ship and speculating orl on mar tins outbursts the mans keen hatred ot of brandon abom he probably had never seen ills intense interest in dawn something strange and ana unnatural was there I eiliott toli told himself still lie he added you could stake your last hope on a man like john martin 0 0 0 0 early the lie rest forenoon the merchants and traders and loafers in the business places on Tine lineups ups main thoroughfare ough fare rare saw something to nip their attention ien ben billott Il llott carie came riving driving into town at it spanking trot ills hll teall of alert drivers coated atilt frost tills this was nothing not liing unusual but when lie brought brou glit them to a crunching halt before the hank bank building oler 01 er which nicholas brandon randon It worked and lived jumped out threw blan blankets ketsi over their backs and tied them to a post a few necks were craned throughout the evening defore crandon had gorged himself on a sense of relief at eight he had passed dart bart delaney on the street none had bad been about to notice that although brandon randon ri appeared only to overtake and pass pasa the man that in reality they spoke briefly and cautiously well in ills his tracks two mile above th mill was he alone sure find hini film still when do we settle As soon ns as the brink bank opens tomorrow inside the man seethed with a savage exultation ile he crossed the street drunk with the feeling of relief mounted to his office and drank to his own success and drank again for hours lie sat at ills his desk whisky bottle at his elbow and when he went down the hallway halfway to his bedroom at the rear ile he carried cir ried the bottle with him ills his first move for the dria da once in his office was to draw the cork of a fresh lask flask and drink deeply A grow 1 N I 1 good morning he said in a hoarse gasping warmth ran through him that nas better it was not comfortable to wake up tip thinking of a man lying lifeless on the snow at your orders soon now word would be coming into town froni from hoot owl tragic final word ue he must be in shape to meet the news dispassionately no one would know his part lo in the killing billing none would guess still it would not be easy to have people saying that ben elliott was dead elliott Is dead elliott Is dead the words spun about in his mind a savage chant and |