e» o TO SHOOT OR BLUFF? Synopsis.—W arn ed by his p h y si­ cian that he has not m ore than six m onths to liv e, D an F a llin g sits despondently on a park bench, w on ­ d erin g w here he should spend those six months. M em ories o f his gra n d ­ fa th e r and a deep lo ve fo r all th in gs o f the w ild help him In reach in g a decision. In a la rg e southern O regon c ity he meets people who hud know n and loved his gra n d fath er, a fam ous fro n ­ tiersm an. l i e m akes his home w ith S ilas Lenn ox, a ty p ic a l westerner. T h e o n ly o th er m em bers o f the household are L e n n o x 's son, ‘ 'H ill," and daughter, "S n o w b ird ." T h e ir abode is in the Um pqua divide, and th ere F a ilin g plans to live out the short span o f life which he has been told Is his. F io m the first F a ilin g s health shows a m arked Im provem en t, and In the com pan­ ionship o f Len n o x and his son and d au g h ter he tits in to the woods life as i f he had been born to it. By qu ick thinking and a rem arkable d isp lay o f “ n e r v e " he saves L e n ­ n o x's life and his own when they a re attacked by a mad ccyote. L e n n o x declares he is a rein carn a­ tion o f hts gra n d fath er. Dan F a ll­ in g 1. w hose fam e as a woodsman la a household word. Dan learns th a t an organized band o f outlaws, o f w hich B e rt Cranston is the leader, is settin g forest fires. I .an - d ry H ild reth , a fo rm e r m em ber o f th e gan g, has been induced to turn sta te's evidence. Cranston shoots H ild reth and leaves him fo r dead. W h isp erfo o t, the mountain lion, sprin gs on H ild reth and finishes him. CHAPTER II— Continued. — 9— And ns for Whisperfoot—the terror fhnt choked Ills heart with blood be­ gan to wear ofT In n little while. The man lay so still In the thickets. Be­ sides, there was a strnnpe, wild smell In the air. Whisperfoot's stroke hail pone home so true there had not even been n flcht. The darkness began to lift arouml hlin, and a strange exulta­ tion. n rapture unknown before In all Ills hunting, began to creep into his wflil blood. Then, ns a shadow steals, he went creeping back to his dead. • • S S S S S S o the same experience again with no embarrassment whatever. Ills first Im­ pression then, besides uhoundlng, In­ credible astonishment, was that she had quite knocked out his hreuth. But let It be said for him that he recov­ ered with notable promptness. Ills own arms had gone up and dosed around her, and the girl had wriggled free. “ But you mustn’t do that I” she told him. "But, good I.ord, girl! Y'ou did It to me! Is there no Justice In women?" “ But I did It to thank you for this lovely gift. For remembering DM — for being so good—and considerate. You haven't any cause to thank me." He had many serious difficulties In thinking It out. And only one con­ clusion was obtainable— Hint Snowbird kissed ns naturally ns she did any­ thing else, and the kiss meant exactly what she said It did and no more. But the fact remained that he would have walked n good many miles far­ ther If he thought there wus any pos­ sibility of a re|>ent. But all at once his fantasies were suddenly and rudely dispelled by the Intrusion o f realities. Dan had been walking silently himself in the pine needles. As Lennox bail wondered at long ngo, he knew how by Instinct; nnd Instinctively he practiced this at­ tainment ns soon as he got out into the wild. The creature he had heard was fully one hundred yards distant, yet T>nn could hear him with entire plainness. And for a while he couldn't even guess what manner o f thing It might he. A cougar that ntnde so much no'sc would be Immediately expelled from the union. A wolf pack, running by S Dnn Falling had been studying na- fttre on the high ridges; and he went home by n back trail that led to old Itnld mountain. The trail was Just a narrow serpent In the brush: ami It hail not been made by pangs of laborers, working with shovels and picks. Possibly half a dozen white tnen. In all. had ever walked along It. It was Just the path o f the wild crea­ tures, worn down by hoof nnd paw ar.d cushion since the young days of the world. It was n roundabout trail home, but yet It had Its advantages. It took him within two miles o f Snowbird’s lookout stntlon, and at this hour of day he had been particularly fortunate In finding her at a certain spring on the mountain side. It was rather a sin­ gular coincidence. Along about four he would usually find himself wander­ ing up that way. Strangely enough, at the same time. It was true that she had an Irresistible impulse to go down and sit in the green ferns beside the same spring. They always seemed Dan Saw His Purpose. to be surprised to see one another. In reality, either of them would have sight, might crack brush ns freely; been considerably more surprised had hut a wolf pack would also hay to Che other fulled to put In on appear­ wal e the dead. Of course It tnlgh' he ance. And always they had long talks, an elk or a steer, and still more likely, a bear. He stood still and listened. as the afternoon drew to twilight. “ But I don't think yon ought to wait The sound grew nearer. Soon It became evident that the crea­ so late before stnrting home,” the girl would always say. “ You're not a ture was either walking with two legs, human hawk, nnd It is easier to get or else wns n four-footed animal put­ lost thnn you think." ting two feet down at the same in­ And this solicitude, Dan rightly fig- stant. Dan had learned to wait. He am i, was a good sign. There wns stood perfectly still. And gradually only one objection to It. It resulted he came to the conclusion that he In an nnmlstakhle Inference that she was listening to the footfall of an­ considered him unable to take care other man. But It w-as rather hard to Imagine of himself—and that was the last thing on earth that he wanted her what a man might he doing on this to think. He understood her well lonely hill. O f course It might he a enough to know that her standards deer hunter; but few were the volley were the standards of the mountains, sportsmen who had penetrate«! to this valuing strength ami self-reliance far land. The footfall was much too above all things. He didn't stop to heavy for Snowbird. The steps were question why, every day, he trod so evidently on another trail that Intcr- sected his own trail one hundred yards many weary miles to he with her. St-e vn * as natural as a faw n; nnd farther tip the Mil. He had only to many times she hail quite taken away j stand still, and In an Instant the roan his breath. And once she did It liter­ would come In sight. He took one step Into the thickets, ally. He didn’t thiflk that so long a.* death spared hint he would ever he prepared to conc«*al himself If It be­ able to forget that experience. It was came necessary. Then he waited. Soon her birthday, and knowing of It In the man stepped out on the trail. Even at the distance o f one hundred time he had arranges! for the delivery o f a certain package. dear to a girlish yards, Dan had no difficulty whatever He could not heart, at her father's house. In the In recognizing him. trystlng hour he had come trudging mistake this tall, dark form, the soiled over the hills with If, and few experi­ slourhy clothes, the rough hair, the ences In Mg life M ever yielded such #itcnt. dn :t * unmitigated pleasure as the sight of j about hla own age. his own height her, glo w in g *h lte nnd red. as she took but weighing fully twen’ y pound- off Its wrapping paper. It was a Jolly more, and the dark, narrow eyes could old gift, he recollected- and when She Lei A- to tin or ■ hut Herr fr a “ton had seen It. she fairly leaped at him. He carried his rifle loosely In his arm« Her warm, ronnd arms around his I l f stopped at the forks In t’ e tm ! uedt, and the s o f t e s t , loveliest lips Inmftfd !■ -oked careful > 1 n r i f t "t'* the world prtased his. But In those i Den had every r-n«nn to think that days he didn’t have the strength that J Cranston would see him at first glance, he had now. He felt he could endure 1 Only one clomp of thicket sheltered o o G htm. But because Dan had learned the lesson of standing still, because his ollve-drab s|>ortltig clothes blended s«>ft!y with the colored leaves, Crans­ ton did not detect him. He turned and strode on down the trail. He didn’t move quite like a man ■ purposes, • Tht rs s as something stealthy, something sinister lu his stride, and the way he kept such a shan> lookout In all directions. Yet he never glanced to the trail for & 1921, by M cClurs N sw upaycr 8> n J ic»ie. deer tracks, us he would have done “ 1 am always glad to find a widow had he been hunting. Without even at a house party," chuckled Ned Me- waiting to uuHlitute on the matter, Crae. “Then I am sure I wont he Dan started to shadow him. bored. Due Is certain to be amused Before one hundred yards had been traversed, he could lietter understand with one of the species around. 1 the Joy the cougar takes In his hunt­ wonder why old MucNelson still fol­ ing. It was the same process—a enu- lows in liortense's wake! If she had tlous, silent advance In the trail of wanted him, she'd have taken him lung prey. He had to wulk with the same ago." From her comfortable place in a caution, he had to take advantage of the thickets. He began to feel a curi­ hammock, under w hie spreading tre«'s. Lila Marshall regarded Ned where he ous excitement. Crnnston seemed to he moving more sat on a low atool uear enough to cnrefully now, cxnnilnlng the brush keep the hammock swaying gently. along the trull. Now und then he “ Ask me something hard I" she drawled glunced up at the tree tops. And all lazily. “ Horty has sense. Let her en­ at once he stopped and knelt In the joy life as long as she can I Do you think that Mae as a husband would dry shrubbery. measure up to Mac the lover? I'll At first all thnt Dan could see was the glitter of a knife blade. Crans­ say he won't. Look at my worse half, ton seemed to he whittling a piece of playing tennis on a hot morning like dead pine Ihto fine shavings. Now this, trying to fool himself that he Is he was gathering pine needle# and young enough to attract little Peggy small twigs, making a little pile of O 'N eil! Pass the chocolates, old boy ! them. And then. Just ns Cranston My disillusionment hasn't affected my drew his match, Dan saw his purpose. api>etite yet." “ Oh, say, you’re Jealous o f that Cranston was at Ids old trade— set­ child. Aren’t you the silly one when ting a forest fire. For two very good rensons, Dnn it's plain as day your good old scout didn't cull to him at once. The two sees that the child Is crazy about reasons were thnt Cranston had a rifle Mac nnd that the presence of Hor* aud thnt Dnn was unarmed. .It might tense Is a real thorn lu the child's he extremely likely that Crnnston quivering flesh? lie's Just entertain­ would choose the most plausible and ing her to keep her from missing effective means of preventing an Inter­ Mac's attention. Didn’t Mac rush her ruption of his crime, nnd by the same to death the first two days we were token, prevent word of the crime ever here, until Hortense arrived?" Lila sat up straight. "Is that the reaching the authorities. The rifle contain'd five cartridges, nud only one truth?” she demanded. “ If it Is, you Just get your six feet o f good-looking was needed. But the Iden of hacking out, unseen, manhood up to the court at once and never even occurred to Dan. The fire make Peggy O'Neil have the time of would have a tremendous headway be­ her life !" Ned stretched himself and dust­ fore he could summon help. Although It wns near the lookout station, every ed a fleck of imaginary dirt from condition pointed to a dhaistrous fire. his spotless flannels. “ You’re a cruel The brush wns dry ns tinder, not so woman to rush me around after a heavy ns to choke the wind, hut yet fledgling who hasn't sprouted pin tall enough to carry the flame Into feathers yet. I don’t like them be­ the tree tops. The stiff breeze up the fore they're seasoned. It's so much ridge would certainly carry the flame more comfortable to talk to a finished for miles through the parched Divide product like you. A man doesn't have before help could come. In the mean­ to exert himself-----" I.lla grinned Indulgently. “ And he's time stock and lives ami homes would he endangered, besides the Irreparable safe, playing around married women. loss o f timber. There were many (Jo on, brace up, Neill You’re a good things that Dan might do, hut giving sort. Assume your own reponslbllltles In the world. A real love would do up was not one of them. After all, he did the wisest thing of wonders for you.” It was not until that evening at all. He simply came out In plain sight nnd unconcernedly walked down the dinner that a complication of a f­ trail toward Cranston. At the same fairs began to he subtly manifested to the guests. I'eggy O’Neil wns Instant, the latter struck his match. As Dan was no longer stalking, the personification of springtime. In Cranston immediately heard his step. ^ little npple-grcen frock, am! a He whirled, recognized Dan, nnd for wisp of flesh colored tulle display­ one long Instant In which the world ing rather than hiding the beauty seemed to have time In plenty to make o f her white thront nnd arms, she a complete revolution, he stood per­ ■unde a striking contrast to the hand­ fectly motionless. The match flared In some Hortense, nround whose flash­ his dark fingers, his eyes— full o f sin­ ing black eyes nnd too red lip« the gular conjecturing—r«'sted ou Dan’s acid of time was already etching un- face. No Instant o f the latter’s life mlstukuhle line«. A man would have had ever been fraught with greater had no heurt If he had not been at­ peril. He understood perfectly what tracted to I’eggy thnt night, her fresh was going on In Cranston’s mind. T?ie Innocent loveliness, her big, dream- fire-fiend wns calmly deciding whether filled eyes, her flattering attention to to shoot or whether to bluff It out. those nround her. Lila’s shrewd eyes One required no more moral courage soon saw evidence that she had cer­ than the other. It really didn't make tainly started something when she a great deal of difference to Crnnston. laid s«'nt handsome Ned McOrae toward, But he decided that the killing wns the tennis court that morning. For not worth the cartridge. The other Ned, after years of philandering, course wns too easy. He did not even seemed "hard hit” by the sweet young dream thnt Dan had been shadowing girl Just out of school. And Mac- him and had seen his Intention. He Nelson for the first time In his throe would have laughed at the Idea that a years arduous pursuit of tlie gay, fas­ “ tenderfoot” could thus wnlk behind cinating widow waa watching I’eggy him, unheard. Without concern, he with an undeniable light In Ids face. Afterward, when there was danc­ scattered with his foot (he little heap of kindling, nnd slipping his pipe Into ing In the big ballroom on the third his mouth, he touched the flaring floor. It nppeared even to Hortense mntch to It. It wns a wholly admir­ that good, dependable Mac wus roving able little piece o f acting, nnd would st last. And Just then, fate stepped have deceived any one who had not In nnd took n hand In the game. Mac had been out somewhere on seen his previous preparations. Then he walked on down the trail toward Ilia lantern decked balcony with the Dan. pretty exponent of springtime when Dan stopped nnd lighted his own he suddenly presented himself before pipe. It was n curious little truce. Hortense. “Girl,” he said, “ I’ ve got And then he leaned back against the the devil of a toothache. Whnt In the Sam IIIII am I going to do about It, great gray tnlnk o f a fallen tree. “ Well, Cranston." ho said civilly. way out here In the country? I’ve The men had met on previous oc­ taken on a couple of drinks hut they casions, and always there had been don’t help a bit." Hortense rose quickly. There the same Invisible war between them. “ How do you do. Falling,” Cranston set-met! to he a motherly quality in replied. No perceptions could lie so the touch of her white hand on hla blunt as to miss the premeditated In­ arm. “ Come on down stairs to the sult In the tone. He didn't speak In den and I'll fix you up! I'll stop his own tongue at all, the short, gut­ on the way and get my medicine case tural “ Howdy" that Is the greeting out o f my room. I travel prepared o f the mountain men. He pronounced for any and all emergencies.” “ Spoken Just like a true widow," all the words with an exaggerated pre­ cision, an unmistakable mockery o f Inugh<>d one o f the men sitting near. When Hortense entered the cozy Dan's own tone. In his accent he threw a tone o f sickly sweetness, an«1 little den a few' minutes later she his Inference was nil too plain. He found poor Mac huddled on the couch. wns simply calling Falling a milksop Ids face burled In the cushions. Noth­ and a whlte-llver; Just ns plainly as ing on enrth can so unnerve a man a« a cruelly aching molar when he If he hnd nsed the words. The eyes o f the two men met. la miles away from dental help. "Here, Cranston's lips were slightly curled In swallow thlal” she rommsnded, sitting an unmistakable leer. Dan's were •town beside him. She gave him a very straight. And In one thing at little white taMet. “ Then I'll paint l«»nst, their eyes looked Just the same. anxmd the tooth with Iodine and ac­ The pupils of both pairs hnd contracted onite and hy that time the maid will to steel points, bright In the dark gray be here with a hot water bottle. I’ll of the Irises. Cranston’s look««d some | fix you up In no time.” And she did. Poor Mac, In the act whnt red; and Dan’s were only hard of doting off In blis«fuJ relief from nnd bright. palu. reached out and patted the xjd Old girl,” he sighed happily. “ You’re much better for roe than one of these little young things that don't know how to make a man comfortable.” And after that he slept, hot water bottle clutched tightly to his face. Has to Be Clever. Hortense regarded him with eyes “ fihe’s a clever conversationalist." from which the scales bad sudden­ "fihe has to be, to cover up the ly been snatched. He was thinking breaks h*r husband makes." —p' -.»lbly thinking seriously of that young thing u;>stiilni. that pretty little creature cn whose soft cheeks the down of babyhood still lingered. Mac —why, he hail tielunged to her for three years. He had been her con­ stant cavalier. He had never allowed her to be lonely or to feel. In a mo­ ment of depression, that she did not belong to any cue. Suppose Mac should fall In love with I'egg y! Per­ Owner Should Be Satisfied W th N* haps he had hlready. Her heart grew Less Than Ten Dozen Eggs Per very tender toward him. She pulled Hen, Say Experts. a light cover over hla shoulders, tucking It solicitously about htm. It (P rep ared by the ted States r-e ia rt- would not do for him to take cold ment o f A gricu ltu re ) while a tooth was ou a rampage. The average novice can reasonably At first the sound was soft like expect to get an average of at least the contented purring of a kltteu ten dozen eggs per hell n year from Ills that has Just lapped up a howl of small flock In the hack yard, say poul­ cream. Then It grew a bit harsher try specialists of the United States De­ until finally It rose and rose with partment of Agriculture, tin the basis the raucous htdeousness of a giant : of two hens to each member of the file being scraped across an Iron bar. , family this will give 2U dozen eggs x Mac's mouth became a volcano, emit­ year to each person, which amount Is ting frightful sounds. about half way between the general Hortense moved her chair back j average of farm and clt.v consumption. from him a little. It was terrible. No back-yard poultry keeper should be She wished suddenly thnt the pretty 1 satisfied with less than this. He should I'eggy would run down the stairs anil | try, however, to get ns much more as happen to pass the door. A sight 1 * isslhle. like Mac with his mouth open um! To provide an egg a day for each snoring so fervently would forever person two liens would have to lay destroy any Illusions she might have 183 eggs each a year. Tills Is hy no about the fascinating man. But means an impossible average for small I’eggy did not come. Ned was con­ flocks. It Is perhaps not too much to ducting one of those whirlwind cam­ paigns that sweep so many girls Into bondage before they ure aware of the chains. Suddenly Mac opened Ills eyes and gropingly held out a hand to her. “ Marry me, my dear, or cut the strings that hind! You've been a good pal for a long time." Hortense laughed shakily. “ I— I was thinking of marrying you, Mac. hut— hut you snored Just now. Fgh I" She shuddered a little. "It was ter­ rible, Mac, really, terrible! It sound­ ed like a buzz saw." From upstairs came a gale of light laughter, with the tinkling, musical ripple of the very young. Mac sat up alertly. There wus an expectant look on his handsome face. “ So, you are going to cut the strings, then? I'm not going to hang qn forever, A Common Mongrel Back Yard Flock. Horty, honest, now." He touched his cheek where the pain had lately at­ any that In case, where the person at­ tacked him. A smile of gratitude came tending the flock Is In a position to Into Ids eyes. “ You'd he such a com­ look after the wants of the birds three fortable sort o f wife llorty, and—and or more times a day an average of I’m used to you. Can't you, now? better than thirteen dozen eggs per hen can be secured If the hens are ma­ Say?” All at once Hortense capitulated. ture and in good condition ut the start, Perhaps It was another burst of laugh­ and have the vitality to enrry them ter from upstulrs that determined through a year of heavy laying. For the farm the average o f 100 eggs her. “ Snortng'a not the worst fault a mnn can have, Mac," she consoled per hen Is advised ns the lowest that herself. “ I think—perhaps— well, I should he accepted as satisfactory, while for the hack yard lit) Is Insisted know this time. It's— yea." upon ns the lowest average, although In general the conditions In hack yards are less favorable to poultry keeping thnn on farms. Bond of Brothers and Sisters Is Closer Than That of Sweetheart«. POULTRY FLOCKS EGGS FROM BACK YARD FLOCK KINSHIP TIES ARE STRONGEST WHY CULLING IS PROFITABLE Pauline Is an only child; for her one gateway Into romance Is barred and bolted. No childish memories of Joys nnd sorrows shared In the earli­ est, most Impresslonnlde years will forge for her the strongest of ull chains— that between children horn of the snme parents. In Serbian folk lore the tie between brother and sister Is more often the theme of romance than thnt between sweetheart»— In this tie of kinship lies a mystic significance. George Eliot recognized It In "T?ie Mill on the Floss." the great English classic **f brotherly and sisterly love. In “ Wutherlng Heights” Catherine Eamshaw cries out pnsslonntely of Heathclltf, “ He's more myself than I ntn! Whatever our souls are tnude of, Ids and mine are the same." Such a bond ns there was between those two— strange, combative, hut all powerful—Is seen many a time between brother nnd brother, sister and sister— perhaps most of nil lietween brother nnd sister—a bond which finds no ex­ pression In care«s«‘s or words of af­ fection—hut Is nevertheless strong unto denth. Its origin sunk deep In ele mental truth. Sweethearts may kiss snil cling and swear eternal fealty; tnnrry; then tire, nnd seek divorce—but who shall ever he divorced from that elemental tie of kinship? “ Am I my brother’s keep­ er?" asked Cuin, nnd throughout the nges some deep Instinct has answered "yes." Thus It Is thnt to many an only child 1« a pathetic, If not n tragic figure, barred from a thousand Joys and hopes and purifying sorrow«, too. I ’nullne may have hosts of friends when she 1« grown up; she may marry and have children—hut then* 1« one most precious comradeship In life that she will never know.— Lon dor Mall. Globe Lightning. Joseph II. Krauss, editor of Science and Invention, went n long way toward reproducing that most puzzling of all big electrical phenomena, “ glolie" or "hall” lightning. This we ms to be pro­ duced when a fork of lightning strikes In such manner that It Is not Immedi­ ately conducted a-vay. It then forms an Incandescent hall, which hisses over the ground with miraculous speed In an Irregular course, and Is finally dis­ sipated, sometimes with a powerful ex­ plosion. It may Inst several seconds, and In this brief t'rae can do great damage. It has been known, said Mr. Krausa, to hore Its way through th# walls of a building like a bullet. There's the Difference. The wise producer looks to ths “fixing o f his fences." The plodiler goes along haphazard and howls at conditions and the lack o f profit, h it d ies nothing and gets now her*.—i\ P. WUieta» . j , Unculled Flock of 992 Hens Laid 3,57# Eggs in Week and 3,520 With 79 Taken Out. An uneullrd flock of 002 hen« Inld 3,37tl eggs In the week before being culled. Seventy-nine weak layers were enst out. The culled H ock of 013 came right hack the next week with a rec­ ord o f 3,520 eggs, while the 71) culls, living under precisely similar condi­ tions, and doing their very beat, were laying only 83 eggs. The innrket value of the eggs layetl by the culls was around $3..ri0. The cost of feed alone for them at n cent a day for ea' h lien wns $3.33 for the week. Flg- uies like these, any the poultry special­ ists at the university fnrm, show the Importance of keeping only the best Inyers. Lessons driven home In the farm bureau's and extension division’s campaign for frequent culling of flocks should put thousands of dollars In the pockets of poultry raisers. GEESE ARE QUITE PECULIAR Different From Other Fowl« at They Must Be Mated Previous to Breeding Seaton. Geese arp peculiar animals. They (Might to he mated several month« prior to the breeding season to obtain the l>est results; therefore breeding stock should he bought In the fall, nnd all changes In matings mnde then. Mntlngs are not changed from yenr to yenr unless results nre unsatisfac­ tory. And tills Is the peculiar feature of It. If the matings are changed. It Is necessary, usually, to keep the previ­ ously mated geese so far apart they cannot hear each other. Keep lime always In rench, plenty of gravel or grit and a good dry dust hath for the fowls. • • e Give the growing stock all they want to eat. They won't pay unless they grow, and they can’t grow unless well fed. s e e Separate the males and females. Bo'h will stand the hot summer weath­ er better If separated, ar