| Show FLOYD GIBBONS I 1 P b adventurers 7 C club the latch that moved in the night by FLOYD GIBBONS famous headline hunter AND A ND today boys and girls its mrs margaret alexander of princeton 1 X N J who tells us of her greatest thrill and swells the long list of names already in the new jersey contingent of the adventurers club you folks who live in the man made cliffs and canyons of ma Manhattan n hattan ml might gilt find it hard to picture yourselves alone in a lonely cabin high up in the heart of the rocky mounta mountain lup but try and do it it you will appreciate margarets story all the more margaret was a city gal too and was suddenly whisked away to the rugged gold mining country of colorado dan alexander her late husband was made superintendent of the ruby mine out weston some thirteen thousand feet above sea sa level plenty high just about ten times as high as the empire state building tills this was all back in 97 when Alar margarets garett son was only four years old and things so settled and law ina abiding in the gold districts as they are now the little family occupied a to log cabin in the valley some miles from the mine and 2 20 0 miles away from the nearest neighbor dan left margaret an ivory handled six shooter when dan had to ride into town on bu business sinAs as he did about once a month he always left an old ivory handled six gun with margaret the old gun was a gift from an early prospector and had a couple of significant notches in the handle margaret knew how to use it too one winters day dnn dan hitched up his horses to the feldsh and rode oft off tor for town after grub lie ile planned to be back that night but he left the six gun with marg just in case town was 29 miles through the mountain passes well sir margaret says her husband been gone many hours before the snow began to fall and what snow I 1 it N was as the first real heavy fall of the winter all lay day long as mother and son played before tile the tire fire in the cozy to log cabin the white flakes fell As the drifts crept higher and higher against tile the cabin wall margarets fears grew greater and grenter greater how flow would aier her husband ever get back act As night came on the prospect of being snowbound snow bound alone with her baby in ID the cabin was terrifying the baby a bit worried margaret says but just dropped off to sleep as though nothing was wrong the anxious mother envied him she tried sleeping herself but after tossing for hours got up lighted the lamp and began to write suddenly she sat up straight fear clutching at her heart A hard mexican knocked at the door somebody was rapping on the cabin door margaret believe her ears A visitor at this hour and during such a snowfall seemed impossible she picked up the six gun guo and opened the door Z SLI RA 1 the latch on the door was slowly moving she recognized the visitor as the cools cook from the camp but she was not at all reassured the ciok was a hard mexican whom she had always instinctively feared the man wanted to know if her husband had returned with the provisions he be had gone for and margaret was forced to admit that lie he had not come and that in all probability lie would not be able to come for another day the mexican muttered something and shuffled off through the snow why had the man trudged through all the snow in the darkness of night to learn something he must have already known all thought of sleep now left her and she decided to sit in a chair gun in hand facing the door for the rest of the night the ton long night wore on the stillness of the mountains in their soft white mantle began to be frightfully oppressive eleven came and went she noticed through the window that the snow had stopped falling and with the promise clear weather gave for her nus nu shands bands early return she began to think that her fears and premonition of impending evil that possessed her were per naps haps imaginary after all at midnight margarets nerves were on edge 1 midnight found her dozing in her chair suddenly a slight sound brought brocht every one of her berles on edge tile the sound came from the door slie she sat up tip tense and stared in the direction from which it came and as she did margaret sas she felt her hair rise the latch on the door was slowly moving margaret blushed her hand across her eyes she must be dreaming she thought but no it moved moed again I 1 she watched the latch fascinated once more it rose and fell and the sll slight ht click told her she as not seeing things thoughts of her baby sleeping peacefully in his little bed nerved her she gripped the gun chos there slie she asked in a shaking voice no answerl she waited her heart was in her mouth she says but her eye glued to the sights of her gun never left the latch right through the door she shot three times the latch rum pd again ever so slightly and margaret tired fired I 1 right through the door she shot three times stopping only to save the rest of the bullets tor for an emergency still not a sound came from outside inside the baby woke up crying Is papa shot lie asked the question further terrified the mother the thought that slie she had perhaps killed some other childs papa tortured her but 5 she he aus its afraid to open tile the door and look the baby went back to sleep and margaret back to her lonely vigil she sat there rigid until the first streaks of gray lit up the mountain sky dawn gave her courage and she opened the door and there on the doorstep shot through the henrt heart was the body of a F FOX ox I 1 A fox seeking shelter was the target yes sir mr a fox fot seeking shelter from the storm had actually tried to lift the catch as the smart ani ninis are capable of doing and margarets bullet had hit film as lie he stood on ills his bind legs well sir bl margaret argaret was sorry site she had fired and she shed a few tears fears over the fate of her strange visitor lint hut dan when lie he returned shed the foxs coxs skin an and of margaret still has the fur piece to remind her of her night of terror D service |
