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About The Bonneville Dam chronicle. (Bonneville, Or.) 1934-1939 | View Entire Issue (June 26, 1936)
Il E H o N X E I I L I, E l> A >1 C H K <> >' fourteen by FLAM E IN THE FOREST»,.^ Titus © By H a r o l d T i t u s CHAPTER X III— Continued On this, something like relief flickered in West’s eyes but It was of short duration. This Young was not the sort of man who flees In the face o f as flimsy a charge as had been placed against him. He had hoped at the most to keep Ker ry in safe confinement until Bridg- er and the prosecutor could perfect a case against Holt Stuart which would forever remove from his own breast those cancerous fears. But now . . . “ Gone, eh?” he muttered. “ Well, you’ve been mrde a monkey of by him. How’ll folks think of that when they go to vote for sheriff again? I tell you, Bridger, you got one chance: that’s to start things movin’ against Stuart and not let ’em stop!” "Well. I ’m tryin’, ain’t I? But what can I do when Ezra’s sittin’ on the evidence?” “ Then you better use what you call your mind ’nd drum up some thin’ to make Ezra string along with you I” “But the law’s with the coroner!” "T o hell with the law. . . They argued aimlessly at length and when Bridger was gone Tod West paced the room and that fine beading o f sweat pricked out on his forehead again. “ Damn!” he snarled. “ Damn . . . damn everything!” Jim Hinkle was on his way out toward Shoestring again before mid-forenoon. He yawned as he drove and his eyes were Inflamed. But he drove one of Nan’s cars rap idly into town and turned eastward and made better time on the high way. He went into the third town before he stopped at a telegraph of fice and thrust across the counter the message that Ezra Adams had entrusted to him. “ State Police Headquarters,” the operator read aloud and then mum bled the rest. . . . CHAPTER XIV T W AS sundown, now, with a cool mantle of evening descend ing on the forest. “ Tough luck, chum!” Kerry mut tered to Tip as he finally gave up hope and turned away from his bee box. “ They’ve called it a day. . . . But we can’t be far off, now, and unless it rains tomorrow . . .” He found a down maple and un der its sheltering bole spread his blanket finally and, rifle handy, dog beside him, stretched his tired body. Rain began to fall and in the dis tance thunder rumbled. His thoughts turned to Nan, to Ezra and H olt; then to W est He drew a long, uneasy breath. . . . He would have been a trifle more at peace had he known that a car, bearing two men, whirled into Shoe string from the southward, lights glaring with intensified brightness in the downpour. It came to a stop before a gas station and one of the occupants, slicker clad, leaned out: “ What’s the road to West’s Land ing?” he asked the boy. “ First to the left and straight on. Twenty miles. Look out for the culverts if the creeks is up!” “ Thanks!” The car pulled away and the one who had asked directions said to the driver: “ Don’t you want me to take her, Sergeant? You’ve had a long trick at that wheel.” “ Mebby so. You’ve napped. No tellin’ what this old coot of a coro ner’ll have on the bill for us when we get to him.” • • • • • • • The rain was heavy but of short duration. Stars appeared, the rum ble of thunder retreated and when the sun rose to warm and dry the land, Insect life had resumed Its activity and Young, biting hard I WS'U Servie*. Illustrations by IR W IN M YER S vu his pipe stem, carried his bee box forward, set it down and care fully liberated the confined work ers within. “ We’re close, T ip !” he muttered. “Close and closer 1 Look at ’em !’’ Dozens of bees swarmed about : the box, buzzing shrilly. And an hour after the first vis itor had called for his portion of honey, Young stood at the foot of a gnarled beech tree, staring up ward at the old scar in the trunk, twice as high as his head, watching the come and go of workers through the hole that gave access to the tree's hollow heart. Man sign was there in plenty. Yonder, a white pine had recently been blazed and pitch globules glistened in the sunlight. Brakes had been trampled down; here a seedling maple lay crushed into the duff, its leaves not yet wilted. At the base of the tree lay a sa prophyte which, until recently, had been growing on the scarred por tion of the trunk. He could see where the bracket-like growth had been attached, two feet above the ground. He picked up the fungus and on its pale, tan velvety surface showed the print of a heel, even to the nails, dark brown against the buff. Some man had used that bracket in starting to climb that tree! On his knees, he searched. The rain had not struck here with great force. Small bits of bark and lich ens, with a a fresh look, were there. The protruding end of a small limb, long since dead and all but absorbed by the expanding trunk ,bore bits of thread, as if a garment had been scrubbed over it . . . Yes, someone had climbed this bee tree. Honey and money! . . . Money and honey! Yonder went a trail; faint, yet readable to Young's eye. Not a game trail, either; be found the illy defined outline of a boot sole there Stooped over, he followed. Broken, withered brakes told that someone had gone this way weeks before; broken brakes, still fresh, attested to a more recent passing. The sign ended before a pair of limestone boulders, tilted together, forming a small cave. ‘ Oh ohJ” Another stone had been set against this opening once; now it was gone, rolled yonder. He lay on his belly and shot his flash-light into the small cavern. . . . Granules glistened on the stone; he touched them with his finger and looked closely. Black brittle, glittering flakes they were. . . . Lacquer from a Japanned box? His mouth was very dry, now and he rolled quickly to his side to stare at the tree, a box the size of the one he had dug up yes terday never could have been con cealed in the hollow of the beech • the opening was too small. But a box had been hidden here, and a man had climbed the tree. . And ,hKd daubed the ’ who handled both box and crowbar “ I’m a son-of-a-gun!" he cried! } bf a • • •" And on his feet here his face showed, for Just an instant, a flash of admiration for he ingenuity which had laid out this course------- i „ the course he his rifle, made a burden of cons»* quence and by the time he reached the tree again sweat bathed his excited body. From the netting he improvise*! a veil, adjusting It over his hat and tucking the edges into the neck of the Jumper. He put on the gloves, tied the Jumper sleeves tight about his wrists and picked up the ax. “ Tip. . . . Yonder!” He gestured in command. “ Away back and lie down! There's going to be a lot of hostility here In a minute!” He waited until the dog had obeyed and then sent the bit of the ax deep Into the beech. He was right about the hostility. Not a half dozen blows had been struck before they were upon him in a cloud, buzzing angrily, set-k ing ways through his veil and gar ments for countless stingers. But Kerry was well protected and swung his ax steadily, eating a great gash In the trunk. Oh. one or two got to his wrists, and now and again he felt a burning prick on the shoulders when his Jumper stretched tight. But that was as nothing, in this interval of sus pense. The tree sagged and shivered. It snapped and swayed. He struck three more swift blows and stepped back as it came down with a mighty, swishing roar and crash. He had dropped the ax as the beech toppled. Now he took up the saw and. standing In a cloud of furious bees which hovered over the entrance to their fallen store house. he sent the teeth singing through the stout wood. Swiftly, his supple body swung to and fro, stoutly his long, strong arms drove the avid blade. The forest rang with the sound. , . . Rang with the sound which would have covered even the noise made by a frantic man, crashing through brush, run ning Intently, breathlessly, his hat gone and face scratched and cloth ing torn. No, the man was not close enough to have the sounds of his progress reach Young. But he was close enough to hear the ringing echo of that saw. He drew a hand across his face to wipe awaj the blood and the sweat and tried to still his breathing to listen. His trembling lips shaped a word and then he went forward, cautiously walking like a cat, rifle held at ready. . . . As he approached the source of those other sounds, which had now changed from that of sawing to blows of a sledge on metal, he bent forward a trifle and went even more slowly, more qul- euy. • # # West’s Landing and Its environs had experienced two long evenings and one long day of an excitement pitched to a point never before at tained there. And now the second day was be forgotten where it ciuld be and before Mel Knight’s store was gathered a group wddi-h argued anO debuted u„d orated auS he ?“ an,t'""s 11 happened J u s t 'e f i h * “ 'h' n anotl,' r arrived. be the le nce b« would aearer of fresh Incident. Holt Stuart was In laii v fo.7owedSPeCted aCtUa' ly h3d bee" He had been right about the cabin on Townline. It was a short mile there and he covered the dls In Nat Bridger’» office for lo n e'h T no attempt to ,eo„re st ' ”i ' lease hud been tnt.de a , g e t ' ’ r" hlnSe h J,°g tr0t’ T,p c,ose be hind He halted at the edge of the the first nwltBofah|,*TmPP| '1 clearing to look and listen and and not been heurd Sonn'™ then went forward without hesita thf r ! “ lDSect net above one of the bunks, he cut a portion; he found a pair of old leather gloves- a workman’s denim Jumper; a hank of stout cord. From the tool cache he took an ax, a cedar saw, a split ter and two wedges. These, with ,h« , d \ T »•«"* er an,J men combed tho hi„QK cuuntrg for slg„ or wo»r * b neherrj And Across of n niiD. Quarters, old E/ra ? ? n r,r* hp"'l- M"d the l o c k e d ^ o f T ,M t be‘ with the a r tic le s T . ! . Nan a « « < * rticies he and Young had I O I. B I,rought from Townllne. refusing to budge, denying Bridger admit tunee, waiting for something . . . one knew not what I Oh, It was something to talk about, ull right, all righ t! Tod West bud been in and out, saying little, going Into long, hent- tut confldeuliul tulks with the sheriff. And now came young I-ogan He Priest, walking across the trestle from Downers, lie was u Isd with mild blue eyes and pimples on his face ami fuzz on his chin. -W ell, Logan, you got It all set lied oxer there?” a wag asked. •Dam' right! Dam’ right we have!” the youth replied tmpor tantly. Something about bis manner tugged at the Interest of those who heurd ami saw. and yet . . . I«ogun was not to be tuken seriously. "I s pose you’ve found Young 'nd BlueJay ‘nd know what Ezra's got hatchin’, eh?" -Dam’ right! I»am’ right, 1 d o !” “ A lot you know!” “ Betcha 1 know more’n any of you uns! Betcba million dollars, I do!” “ Take you. Bring out the m il lion !” “ You think you’ re fu n n y! Well, lemme ast you this: you know who them dudes was that druv Into our place after th’ rain las’ night! You don’t? 1 know dam’ well you don’t ! Well, 1 do. . . . One of ’em 's a corporal ’nd one o f ’em '« a ser geant 'nd they're detectuffs!” “ Gwan!” So commented one. hnt others lost their smiles and drew closer. “ Betcha two million! You know it all, you do! Betcha five m il lion!" He spit and nodded. “ Why. Miss Nan. she gits me up to pu: their car away, she does. 'Nd after I'd done it, I seen 'em all In tb' office. I walked by ’nd they was standin' there. Ezra 'nd Miss Nan, 'nd th’ detectuffs, 'nd had a box ’nd a crowbar *nd a tin cup on th' table. They had a coal oil lamp there ’nd was all bent over, cause th’ storm put th* ’lectrlc lights out; all bent over th’ table ’nd sayin’ as how they couldn’t do nothin’ ’til mornln’.” The scoffers, now. were even edg lng closer, and another had come from behind young iJePrleat: Tod West, this, haltPd in his evident intent to enter the store, looking, listening. “ Well, this mornln* them detec tuffs was up early,” the boy con tinued. “ ’Nd abat'd they do?“ Cunningly, he looked about, enjoy ing immensely this moment o f 1m portance. “ They start Mowin' pow der on at ole crowbar, 'nd stlckln' black tape over th’ powder ’nd showln’ it to Ezra. ‘Th* sergeant, he’s th’ boss. Nd he says to Ezra; th’ feller who handled th’ crowbar ’a th’ fella who left his thumb print Inside th’ box. Nen they picked up ’at oP tin cop nd went to work on It, Plowin' powder ’n’ they gays to Ezra ’at If th’ prints on ’at ol* cup’s tb’ same's th' others, they c'n git their man by reachin' out fer him I” He looked around again. “ Jus* now, 'at was,’’ he declared Jus’ now, they’re Mowin' powdei on 'at ol’ tin cup. . . 1 lie group pressed close and clot er hut it had one less member, now; one less, because Tod West was running blindly toward hi* house. 1 he spruce forest grew close to the hack door of his house. It was but a moment's work to secure i is rifle, a supply o f ammunition, and then disappear through the trees. Panting, he fled up-stream and crossed in gravel shallows and plunged through the bush north ward. He had a gun and food for Its c lamber. He knew where he could an ax. With an ax and a gun a man may live in the woods '»r long, provided he knows the woods and their wnys. Tod West new that vast country beyond Townllne lake better than did any other He could hide there, could remain In safety to r weeks, for months, n e could not, o f course, ■ ICIltAV. stay forever; and emerge be would an ax and n gun. lie money. On his wnj u p to O snnetuary h « COUM CHAPTER XV 1 NDER the ... driving * wedges the tree •t'llt nj halves rolled »part « Young’s «rest brood and comb'.nH U <........ '° o u g moaned • - I K - .n,l ............. J ’* 1-. •Jhaped obj.vt hu Honey ¿ C H*es swarmed about L? bat a placer h< No mouse ci i ro. i v r flod «-TUI R est, except the bee. k Z i l u ‘ ! hunt f„r tlw I bo If y ou hadn’t , log to that old crowbtrr ns wrist, lie moved m , a buzzing c|..u.J, making ^ the leaf dappled spring ng. Plunged the a m j? . bills Into the crystal wltfll The honey washed av»» r dissolving even In th* t * lie saw n figure on the - U was « hundred; many nw» there. . . . He washed ti<i iy nnd Tip came close. Dot It. lip:- h* cried. *<3t Nan’s cash! We’re Young whirled, rhea, beei* •l**g had turned, stiff and opened his throat In ( growl. In the soft earth, one foot slipped and he ha ed to fal! over as a flit started to throw himself his own rifle, leaning again«i der. . . . That other weapon' and he went down with the lea o f hell Itself tearing i: u shoulder. So It was Tip who mud West, w ho charged forward a man emerged from the bnak, at ready. . . . Tip who, «id showing, and eyes wicked orange flare, stood alone Nan Downer’s money and I who had cached It so cub Again the rifle cricked dog. yelping, snapping it kii hind leg. went end our through the un lerbruih. rolling, screaming with pals< West charged past bim... Young had fallen face dotl the muck about the spring, right hand lay limply In the and away from It, rocked k little ripples which still the surface, floated the ro turning slowly around and j W est saw the money. 1 oath he snatched it up and, a fresh cartridge Into chamber. He poised there the figure of his Nemesii. ‘ the muzzle quickly to the his bared head. And then caution asserted How fa r behind pursuit Tod did not know. AJretdF had fired twice, and soondi carry well today. He lt<W* tening. The pound of » s M * dl bread the s rusp l,,x; Hop of his own loud. H e lifted 1’oung’l !«?t it go. The Inert band the water dully. Then, with cruel craft, be his foot agninat Yoonf'i inti shoved his face down e prln g and leaped the Jof pool. "Breathe ’nd drown, dtwi he growled ahakllj and Kt a slow run. . . . It was the tugging of tb* lng dog on his collar whlct Kerry. He stirred and go ¥ gasped. With a bercoleia he rained his head and ball over; then dropped It to tb* and lay there moaning I*1*! should not he there, he b®**: had Bomethlng to do; so®'" to g o ; a matter to attend.<•* tblnga were so far awaj. ** ly outlined, — so ''s .., * v t iSC EDI