The Signal, 1930-5-15, Page 7s
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iu, •
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THE SIGNAL,
GODERICH, ONT.
hotin the Dcwk
SHUGHES bad tone to
the stable to pig up Old Snoop's
homes, leaving Larry Mac/Mane
and 01d Snoop alone. Even so, the
young deputy would not have dared
speak as he did had net the drone of
the wind so tilled the night that •
man listening outside the lean-to could
have Mord nothing within.
"What are yuu doing bore?" he de-
manded, the moment that Dllt•eitap
W oisaprweretl into the snow. "1
told you to gu• back to tuwu rr suuu
• le you had lecestlgeted the Magpie
*vitt " r
"Th Uszaro- I figured 1 couldn't
make down t0 Couerhoit. McShane.
And this cabin nein' ..o the way. and
Inv knowts' you'd &Deady • be here
lo,kin for Sltcert,p Hughes -
"Blizzard ." scuffed Larry MacShane"'
"Well. what did you find at the
Magpie?"
"Nothm'." Ui,l Snoop, who would
hate teen called Mr. Willis Jones 11'
he bad had his rights, hada scrawny
figure, a scraggly mustache, and an
!U -p .d honk No chin seemed t0
have -been Inuroded "Nothin'. Es -
cepa. 0' rnur•. (led Young's curlew.'
"Notion'." M .•Siwe mocked ham. ;
"except Da t Youngs )au old fool!
How was he killed?"
"Seemed like he might 'a' died
natural, MaeSlarle
"Did ) "rt exetnine tam?"
"Not to -ter -extent.- t knowed-you'd
never be putrefied un my say -sot; so
egged a travois and bring hon
along."
"You 'mune film' -Oa, you infernal
old Idiot' Where Is he now?"
•
"Hen " Snoop shoved at a hang
eanvas•wrapped bundle with his foot.
"1 put him here an the lean-to before I
come ht."
MacSi ♦'.e remembered now that
rotors Ir. the lean-to. which he and
Silvertip ri ,d attnbuted to wind and
rat■. had been audib'e for several
m.nutes before Snoop'ii unexpected
appearance at the door of the cabin
Itself. Rage swept him as he flung
open the cabin door and found. Qy, the
light from within. that Snoop's Mate -
w ent wee verifneb,e
"Iles!" he ordered "Help me heave
atm hack In the corner! If Silvertip
sees thea-l.ten, you; I'm working en
Silvertip on the grounds that Dad .
Toung a •ti.., you hear?"
"Alpe"' said Snoop dimly. "Hut-"
"The second be (lads out I've been
lying to him. It's • shout -out. d'you
Ynderetand"' •
"Lyle' W nim'' •You begirt lytn'?"
'Dotal you Just hear ow tell you?" I
"But 1 thought you figured Suvert,p
n ight 'a' kiL'rd Dad Young-
"Neter
oung-""Netrr mind what you 1h•' i.ht 1
flgurrd! Too.
"Tou re the darndeet (eller ever I
see." said Snoop. "If Silvertip killed I
Dad Toung. like4-bet you think, I'd;
say he has cause 10 know Dad Yount'
dead. it stands to reason. And here
you want to convince him different -
and with -the corpse rims' here in the
hone.. at that!"
"That last is your contribution."
ensiled elacShan.. "Catch hold. Geeta
• the Nd boy weighs a ton!"
"Feet Is." wild Snoop hesttently,
"there's a reason This-"
"Where's Midnight Lechery?" Mac -
abase seddeley recalled that the
n egro mule -skinner whom he had tent
With Snoop had not reappeared.
"I'm tellln' you." said O;d Snoo:i
with laJury. "Midnight didn't Dk t
this spooky business -he kept tabun'
another drunk, Finally he got so
Illuminated he eouldn't walk. and 1
piled him on top of the -the bundle
os the travois. But he kept rotten'
off. and I see we wasn't gettln' no
place; so finally. when a hard bump
butted loom the Imcln' o' Dad Youngs I
canvas. I deet laced Midnight inside
the canvas with Dad."
The Makings of Trouble
t1OH. gosh," moaned, MacShane
'"Dad Young Is the only dead
man in the world that could spall my
game; and 1 suppose Midnight Zech-
ary is the only negro within five
hundred miles; and here you come end
dump both of 'ent on' to me in the
same sack! Say! We've got to get
that coon out of there before-"
"Too late,'! said Snoop stoically.
"Here comer-"
"Shut up! -\ And stay shut up. you
bear? I'1! do the talking here!"
The towering frame of Silvertip
Hughes came atumpir,FIn as he spoke
but MacShane had to finish the eau-
. tioning command.
"All right." said Snoop. "Only"
"Shut up! I sent this old fool M.
Clear ...Springs." he explained tto
Hughes, "to hand out • writ of attach-
ment; bot he has to get switched off
and go hunting a bear he heard about.
And to show what kind of an optimist
he la, he borrows • mule -to pack the
s tilde and meet."
"Clear Springs?" said Snoop blank-
ly. "But-"
"Arrgh' ' said , MacShane. He
hunched his left shoulder significantly,
so that his shoulder -holstered weapon
shifted visibly under his brush Jacket;
and Snoop subsided.
"Snoop's a card all right." Hughes
agreed. He led the way Into the cabers
proper. His woollen .hurt wax now
open part way down the front; and
MacShane saw. wltn • sudden keen
anticipation of action, that a shoulder -
bolster bulge. similar to .that alder
his own left arm. nod now appeare0
under Sllvertlp's arm as well. Sliver -
tip was eon•pieunusly tall In • coon•
try la which most. men were tall; Ile
had a mighty breadth of shoulder, end
arms as powerful as kgs His .eyes
wen slits. el.epy-looking. and • little
slanted.. The violent beard; and the
'reined, belllgereat nese suggested that
.r 'the eyes might be • fiery sod.
Old Reonp fidgeted unhappily. He
kW* tape waklap of trouble wiles be
Mw them. Sven wllhOut those unto,•
Lunate mysteries le the lean -t0, whleb
be himself had so Insdvleedly intro-
duced, Snoop could see that Mac-
Shane plus Silvertip added up to spell
dynamite.
Cowboys like Larry MacShane gave
Snoop • diattocl pato. TO. faintly
melancholy philosophy always present
in those reckless riders never pn-
vented any of them, from diving IMO
danger with glad whoops. headlong
at:d without tcsutat1,.n, like frogs
Into soup. This did not endear them
to Snoop. Whatever might be said
against Snoop, he certainly was not
reekleee. •
Unfortunately, Snoop's only asset
was • mark.d flair for nosing out
farts that were none of his business -
tine. and a nawral dog -like genius for
the life of professional hanger-on. The
wont po.sib;e :ugh had landed him In
New Ig.xico In a day when direct
action nes more popular than discre-
tion. And his teedpsrary profeaaiopal
attachment to Deputy MacShane was
the ultimate disaster in a lite that had
been one long series of wlnteis.
Maclihane'a alight limp was a re-
minder to Snoop, If not to MacShane,
that the cowboy deputy habitually put
hu horse headlong down steeps upon
which practically no hoes. could be
expected to live. The sight hotels
In MacShane's left ear was permanent
leant/teeny that he. -would ratter tics
to' kick • gun out of a drunkard's
hand than actually hate trouble. _
Worst of a11. Just now. was the
speciously Innocent look In Mac -
Shane's eye -a . faintly entertained.
faintly hopeful, faintly expectant look
-that told Snoop more clearly than a
thousand probably tutile explanations
that any moment might produce un-
fortunate lurprises. MacShane sou
not the right company for an old
gentleman who had long suspected
himself of • weak heart.
MacShane seemed to be wafting for
Silvertip to open • conversational lead.
Long minutes trailed away w•blle
Snoop fidgeted; while Midnight Bach-
•ry. presumably. • snored unheard In
the lean-to. peacefully unaware of his
peculiar bedfellow; and while Mac-
Shane smoked, apparently unconscious
of them all. Old Snoop would have
been horrified to know that Mae$hane
had chosen these. uncertain moments
to let bis thoughts wander dows-
metetaun to; the little town et Under -
bolt. end there focus on the daughter
oL Dad Young.
Molly's Blue Eyes
EARLY that afternoon MacShane
had been sitting In Cod.etolt's
only bo ard,ng-house. By letting his
ttetughte return then. he gar* him-
self a blg advantage In the nervous
game of wafting -out SIIveRlp Hughes.
MacShase seemed to recall that he
bad abaeut•mindedly ladled a spoon
of heal . into his coffee -.up. His eyes
had been elsewhere. Tbe dining -room
in which he sat eves run by visitant
old Mrs. Mrnsterhoff, but tattle was
waited on by Molly Toting. Since 01d
Dad Young had left his daughter In
Mrs. Minsterhoff'5 care, while' he and
Sllvrrtlp redpened' the told Magpie
shaft, business had flourished no end.
"Anybody wotiM thank," Bald Molly
Toung, "that law officers In this part
of the ave...., would have to be alert,
wide-awake young men."
A certain sharpness of tongue,
which Molly had perhaps Inherited
along with her turned -up now from
an Irish mother, gave the cowboy
deputy a pleasant sort of homesick
sensation.
"You sure have pretty eyes," he of-
fend. "They put me la wind of them
blue flowers that mime out all over
the Cimarron hilts In spring."
At this point 01d Snoop had come
In. obviously bursting with news that
he could not keep, yet was afraid to
spill.' -
"SomethIn's happened." he said.
"There's a (eller wautin' to sue you
out here,"
'Then you go keep him company,"
MacShane ordered.
"1 guess," Snoop offered doubtfully,
"I Ont to speak to .the deputy alone,
Mit Young."
"He'll do nothing of the kind, Mol-
ly," declared MacShane.
"He certainly may," said Molly
Young. She whisked out.
"Midnight Zachary's out here," sold
Snoop In eibllmnt whispers. "He:s
the nigger packer that prods a mule
or grub up to Mis Young's paw, 'up
at the Magpie every two weeks If so-
ber. He's Jest come back. There's a
dead teller up there, MacShane."
"Which one?" said Larry virility.
Old Snoop rolled an apprehensive
eye toward the kitchen door. _
"Dad Young," he said soundlessly.
MacShane gasped.
"Of course," said Snoop, "of the
two 11 couldn't have been Silvertip
Hughes. Dad Young shouldn't have
gone -pardnere with that feller. Who's
goln' -to break the new. td MM131
Your?"
"Not yet," MaeShane heft decided.
"Too bad 'shout Molly." said Snoop.
Met wtthovt a dime. Hughes Mal
tiled to conceal lately that the Mag•
tie's worthless. HI. ouvn, melt. he calls
1t the Magpie Salt."
Mae/thane's eyes hat 1 --reed. Some-
how, even' then - without evidence,
and without knob/ledge of mining -
teen then he had known tlret Hushes
had fled, and that their ass some-
thing of value sin the reopened 'Mag-
pie shaft. - • '
Now ata he sat In SII.'ertlp's eahb
the Job of telling Molly about Mr
father's death remained undone. He
dreaded It • lot. He'd rather get shot
in eight places than cell pp tears sato
those blue eyea. Nobody but Mid.
"Is A. trot," eke sada Aisw leoaay, "that Srleertip Hughes—
. killed my lakeri"
night. Snoop and himself -and pos-
sibly Silvertip! - knew th0t Dad
Yong lay dead. He was trying to
find out Just what Sllvartlp knew:
that was his mission here to -night.
Has mind suddenly snapped back to
the present as Silvertip spoke.
"So." said Silvertip, "you seen Dad
Young, did you?"
"Yes," said MacShane, "I saw hien."
"To -day?"
"No; yesterday." -
"You sure," pressed Sllverup, "!t'
sou yesterday?"
"Yeah, It was yesterday. all right,"
MacShane asserted. "I was surprised
when I heard he was In town, beeause
he hasn't been down to t'nderholt for
so long.
811vertlp grunted. Another session
of waiting seemed to bo beginning.
Silvertip could have outwalted him
two to one, MacShane knew, but for
the ease with which MacShane's
thoughts turned to Molly Young.
The Magpie Salt
AFTZR Snoop's news had dragged
MacShane out of the boarding -
hoes.. the deputy had talked to Mid..
night Zachary. Zachary was choco-
late brown. and of dignified deport-
ment. Mactibane had led Zachary and
Snoop Into tee back room of a bar.
"Midnight. what's this story?"
"This mornin', whea I led my mule
foto the cabin up N foe Magpie mine,
thar Iles Dad Young dald to his bald."
"See anything else, Midnight'!"
"NOMYII,"
"Silvertip." ON Snoop had put In,
"is at the cable at Big Cat Oulch.
It's ten miles up -about five miles
this side of the Magpie shaft. I saw
him when I was huntln'. He didn't
sea me, though. That was last week.
"•I expect that's right," said Mid-
night Zachary. "I seen a sign of life
veV that shack, as I drawed nigh."
"You had to pass that shack on the
way up to the Magpie," MacShane
told Midnight. "Did you see Silver -
tip?"
"Noseuh, 81g Cat Oulch is given to
hunts, Mr. MacShane. When I seen
movement at that shack from afar oft,
1 stopped and went round - way
round."
"And coming back -did lbw go by
that Cat Oulch shack again?"
f
•
!'Nossuh. Kr. MacShane. I went
round."
"Snoop. 'addle up, and go up to the
Magpie. Go around that cabin where
you saw Silvertip, Just as Midnight
did. Find out anything you can up
then. Midnight -you go with Snoop,
and show hint that way around that
you know so much abut. I'm going
to ask some questions hen In Under -
bolt. This I'm going up and call on
Silvertip. I'll sen you here when I
get back."
Mac$bane saw now that be had
been mistaken on that last point, at
least; his reunion with Old Snoop
wagat S1lvertlp's cabin after all; and
poor Midnight's dread of the trip was
Justified, for he was sleeping It off
laced In a tarpaulin with Dad Young
himself. MacShage wondered nerv-
ously how soon Midnight, and
quently Silvertip. would find that ou
One. more Stavertlp beoke
silence, recalling MacShane
mediate surroundings.
"I been worried clout Dad's health
for a long time." Hughes began tenta-
tively.
om. hln' wrong with Alm?"
"Fellers his age," said Sllvartlp, "is
terrible suckers for 'tbeeslak."
He had come to the point at last.
Whether or not Silvertip had killed
D.d Young wan legally his primary
concern; but he realized now that
he did not mush care. Dad Young
was dead, and nothing that he or the
law could do would bring hlm back.
or make Molly Young less alone. What
remained in the balance was the
wealth that might or might not have
been yielded by the Magpie Salt.
"There was rumors," went on Mac-
Shane, "that you fellers got fooled on
the Magpie; maybe you know some
fellers call It the Magpie Salt. I cer-
tainly woe relieved to hest they was
wrong.,,
"Well," Silvertip began, "that was
a funny thing -and mein' as you was
-Ira friend of Dad's, 1 don't mind
Willa' you how It wag I suppose he
--said a little somethin' about It hlm-
mar"
Silverttp paused. obviously praying
for some entight•nment from Mac•
Shane that would give Iain, lila cue:
"Oh." Nid MacShane with Just as
fervent a prayer, "he did say a little
something."
"Me and him-" said Silvertip: now,
at last, something was . ooming out!
"Me and hlm-"
"Somethin's Wrong Here!"
FROM the lean-to came a peculiar
noise, a sound more arresting than
the Impersonal whistle and drone of
the wind In the spruce -a long moan,
too human to be the voice of the
wind, yet hardly human enough to be
the voice of a man. Sllvertlp' s voice
choked oft and he froze motionless.
"Oh, gee!" moaned Old Snoop.
Stivertip's words cam* with more
than usual deliberation: "What -wag
-that?"
"I didn't hear notbin'," said Mac-
Shane nonchalantly. Silently he wail
cursing Old Snoop and his baggage.
"What wag you saying?" the deputy
prompted, his voice cued.
"I," said Silvertip slowly, "forget
what I was sayln' "
"We were speaking of the Magpie
Salt," MacShane suggested.
"Was wee" -
Stalemate. Once more a long silence.
"f was talking to Molly Young,"
MacShane began all over again. He
was gioping his way through a game
In which his only card was the puzzle-
ment of Silvertip over his report of
Dad's Impossibly continued susvlval.
In Sllvertlp's. mind, and there only,
was the information MacShane had to
get at.
"She's right worried over old Dsd'e
state of health," he said. "He's a sick
1 man all right."
"Come to thistle, of 1t," MaicSbane
improvised, "he wan looking peaked.
Looked like a feller come out of the
grave.
Silvertip said nothing; and Mac-
Shane, recalling that he was skating
near the edge of mighty thin Ice, de-
cided It best to keep his gaze vacu-
ously upon the stove.
Certainly, he thought, Silvertip
must know that old Dad Young was
dead. If the deputy's suspicions were
correct. Slivertip had personally Been
to Dad's demise.
"Well," said Silvertip slowly, "I'm
glad to hear he made It to town. He's
had a ,lett bad cough. Me and film
was Just oettlln' down In this here
cabin for the winter, when Dad took
It In kis head to go ¢own to town. We
moved here from above because this
1s more sheltered."
"Well, anyway," said MacShane, "I
was glad to hear you fellers dope so
well up there."
Cautious. prying words, that might
draw gunfire, pretty soon. MacShane
drew a deep breath of pure tension.
"S*welklais wrens," said Silenfip .Smits
"Unimak' queer's gain' on Aire, . • : r
1.963,
EFF I
ALAN LEMAY
///ushated Grp A.5PfPJW
"Seem feverish?" Silvertip
g
suq• i Magpie, It would mean months et
rated. hauling ore out or usaehl*ery In, one
"Might have lieu." or the other. What gold was In the
Magpie is in then yet. But then
"Fever,=' Silvertip said engirt). ,Int an)."
"sumetituer put. fellers to villein- "Then you did string Dad?"
berm' things that ain't happened." "Nu. I bought back his share at
"Peak, -that* so. AOyN•ay, au uI the Arlen he gate for *1 Just before he
-heTure he .went Quern to Underholt.
us fellers teas glad to hear that Molly I He had the money on him."
wop't be left penniless, /f old Dat 1 "One nm,r.. thing. • I've been talk -
makes a die of ft."\fmg 10 lir aaaayer." MacShane
"Wcome to that," said Silvertip, I thought Sitt.ntip'e face changed ever
;et, slightly; he dared not use to be
cautiously now,, "1 guess lilt. ain't , sure. "l'ou'se been bringing the
goln' ro be nut In the cold, at *het..' wimples down. How come those sam-
Ieastyya)s no
entire." I pleahilt were sand (hot yuu couldn't haw
Unci more MacShane stirred W- go' within lite miles of the Magpie
.i
wardly, Something was coming to the -Well, 1 was pruspectln' round,"
surfa.e again. said Hughes.
"M•• and hire. -.' said Silvertip. "nae A' larrdle anger swayed MacShane.
and hint struck a -what was tidal:"' lir N'ta as crRam now as insurer ever
I was to b:• tu.it S,lerup had sw'mdled.
l)ad Young. or murdered hum, or both.
He saw through it a11; the discovery
of real value an a shaft that Silvertip
had thought worthless. Stivertlp's
faking of the samples after the mine
had proted good, and his forgery of a.
bill of sale after the death of Dad
Young -perhaps by Silvertip'■ hand -
great effurt MacShane held Ills voice
ceruai. "You struck. a-"
"Snoop." demanded Silvertip, "you
hear somethln
It was the firyt time Snoop had been
noticed. He visibly Inflated. "Well, to clear his skirts and make the mine
Mr. I reckon I did." wholly .his. Yet Srlvertlp'a alibi was
"You're crazy; Snoop." said Mac• watertight, as far as MacShane could
Shane.
"I guess 1 know when I 'hear
hollerin', MacShane.
MacShane's eyea bored Into Snoop
"I can show you Dad Young's re-
ceipt," said Silvertip stool!. "for what
I paid him back. And on hint you'll
find - could 'a' found - what 1 paid
him. That make,. it my shaft. And
with such force that the old fool no snropl,. spies
quailed. Too late he rallied brazenly "WO)," said MaeShane, pt.ying his
Diet earl. "did you leave Pad's body
lying ■t the Magpie Salt.
Silvertip appeared to relax. "If ha '
turned hark to the .shaft. ■iter he left
_ heati.4 fun -
life. lie was only shot Ih two -three me here -and town, and e
places, and maybe 'yin' outside In the smoothly, "then l know within' about
that.'
MacShane saw" his only hope In a
shot in the dark. "And why," he seal
...fats ".fid you put Dad out of Mb
way by means, o'-'
He didn't know, even as he spoke,
what Means of murder ha was going
to arcs.,. Silvertip of taming.. Illo
didn't know. eithes, whether he was
going to be able W divert Wl&
We usua
of Sal.,ertip's rifle long enough to
draw. or whether Snoop. in case el
accident. would have courage e•ougb
to plug Sliterttp after the deputy was
dead.
"By means o' -"ho hesitated. He
didn't knnw by what means
to undo the harm he had done.
"I reckon," said the Inspired Snoop,
"that noise wan my bear cumin' to
relreahin' snow-"
Again from the lean-to came that
long, half-buman groan, but this Limo
It broke at the end Into an obscure
gibbering of muttered words, halt-
underetood. The whiskey that Mid-
night Zachary contained was wearing
off. Silvertip leaped to' his feet and
snatched up his rifle. His big voice
boomed. "Snmethln's wrong around
here' . Somethin's all -fired Wrongl"
There will 'a peculiar ugly ring In the
big miner's voice. lie was charging
toward the lean-to door.. MacShane
he died up there," he answered
shot up like a released spring and A Terrifying Scream
passed hint in the second stride. When
he had passed Silvertip ■nd not be-
fore, his gun leaped Into his hand.
The (lowboy deputy burst through the
lean-to and hurled 'open the outer door
beyond. Somehow. anyhow, Silver -
tip'. attention must be distracted from
the black shadows within the lean-to.
FROM the lean-to came a toneless.
scuttling nolo; then, so suddenly
and so violently that Maclhane's halt
Mood on end. the night was whetery/
by a mad ...ream. It rang out tetra
and unmis.akably. sad, though
came from beyond the lytta -to door. R
took the opposed men with an almost
Through the other door as MacShane For an ,natant the tkree-Mama s.
Snoop and Sulv&Rap-,.toed moMail
flung It open entree a whirl of snow, a frozen Ilse rabbits by sheer force f
deluge of cold and the Increased howl sudden sound.
of the storm. Behind, In the cabin frThen.,mIts Sllt•hook erilpin snatchedtheupper
the lea
beawe.•
Itself, the Iant,•rn wavered ■,d he did so the lean-to gave out a
dimrned, .owed by the strength of the rend,nr noise. and Its outer door
Mast, :;red the door r.t the front rattled henna to crash .,pen. a- if charged by
as If someone were trying to crsh In. ' ar.•, Stivrtip .h n. Llen•d nun the
a
Halt crouched, gun raised In flctltloua
readiness. MacShane pointed the outer
emptlneue with every muscle. He
looked Ilke a,metter who knows exactly
where the game is at last.
As MacShane had hoped. Silvertin
was misled: he towered behind the
deputy, rifle ready for attack upon the
outer unknown. Suddenly he raised
his gun, alining over MacShane',
shoulder at an Imagined something In
the spruce. An instant panic shot
through MacShane. If a rifle shot
shattered the perturbed air inside the
kan•to, and Midnight suddenly be-
came aware of where he was -
"Walt!" shouted MacShane Into
Sllvertlp's ear, and the rifle wavered
and raised.
MacShane pretended to raise his gun,
as If aiming; hesitated, aimed again.
and at last lowered his weapon.
"Whatever It was 1e gone," he de-
clared. He hauled the door shut.
"Let's get back to the stove-I'nt
frote!"
Laying Down His Cards
rt LD Snoop was already towering
over the stove again; but a long
moment's hesitation passed before
Silvertip followed MacShane Into the
lantern•lut room. The deputy knew
without looking back that Silvertip
was standing puzzled, his eye. trying
stove and closed hie eye..
to sere. the lean-to's sladow•a. The MaeShane, regarding Molly Young
P imam the stew that mho had Nt he -
deputy feared that Silvertip would fore him was thinking she had stood
come and get the lantern, and
Irani, with stilt et.•pe breasting the
.unknown. A hia.t of stinging snow
whtpped their facer, and mads the las-
tern quiver. By the light of its
wavereg glow they could see the tar•
paulined bundle that Old Snoop had
brought; but It was tern open new.
For a long moment Silvertip stand.
Then the lantern crashed to the floor
In the last flash of light before the
broken lantern died, MacShane saw
the miser's rifle swing upon him Ilk*
a striking snake. He gripped the rifle
barr••!1 Its the dark; and though the
•mash of the rifle shot deafened his,
and its flare seemed to scorch hie
face. be realized that he was not hurt.
SIIveRlp'n great strength wrenched
the rifle from the deputy's grasp, and
MacShane dropped to the floor. Mao -
Shane's stx•sh,wter seas out, now. 1■
the moment of silence he deliberately
turned his weapon to the roof, and
fired twice.
Old Snoop.. alone to the faint glow
of the stove, and' buttressed behind
much protection as the hot Iron af•
forded, heotd the lantern fall and saw
Its light go out. In the dark, the
shock of" sound exagg.nted by the
clue.. walla, Snoop heard a muddle of
ailot3 erha s three of four. Die
wasn't into ed rn counting them ac-
curately, Ju.t then.
After a long pause he heard two
more report,. this time nutslde In 1M
storm; and. muffled In the snow and
wind, he thought he could distinguish
the diminishing rush of galloping
hoofs. Then vel.•nce for a long time.
while Snoop shivered and wished be
wan far away.
At last a step rounded in the
cabin. Snoop slumped behind tki
very well the news of her father's
with 1t make a 'Purceasfui search for death. Recau.e of ceitaln Inveatlga-
the unknown: but when Silvertip
followed pini Into the cabin ■t last,
ehulting the lean-to dolor behind him,
the miner only stool' vaguely with his
hack to that door, the rifle In hi. two
Rends.
"Somethin's wrong," said Silvertip
slowly. "domethln' gdeer's gain' on
mound here . , .
thane following the definite escape of
811vetttp Hughes, MacShane had not
returned -to t'nderbolt at once, and,
of course, the news had preceded him.
"1. It true." she asked hum levelly.
"that Silvertip Hughes - killed my
father?" .
"1 gue.a we're not going to know,"
MacShane answered. He could have
He broke off. There wog no use
tortnintmy Molly with an account
of (h.e divers means of murder
"You',•. n.rt•aas. Silvertip."that SilieRlp might have employed.
"Mesio." raid �tih•.rtlp, "mst•be 1 "Hughes le inQld Mexico by pow. We
Ma he t makes a man nervous th,.t i �olnig pr ale tthat Mld•
thank for
am.
y that -though t isn't likely
to her oro snnnpin' spies come Into night h,mself.. kngw* Just how he
a
fila dlggln'a nd Is.., and Ile, while theyhero.*1 th,• truck. Stivertlp's' runout
know they Ile wens preti v lucky for u• all. It looks
like an admi.eunn of guilt; but If he
bf acSi,aii. l.r,ked up sharply.."What were dere we'd be.wor.e off than its
do you mean by that'." he demanded. It us - Th•• wee n 1.. now. 1t'e sent,
I don't know what your game I., mine, Molly; .n..l the gold is there ti1
Moi Rhine. Only that Il. au queer one, ep.elgh to make yon rich, 1 Clew."
right How much I don't know yet;
-the la- of Which I never aro•,'I don't Thea• I,r.keil a' each other .olemn-
knnw whet It Is. But I'mgofu' to ly to a m•.mrnt.�
find nut." "Ther.• were Oiler'," maid .Mac-
Shane. "that I almed•to speak to you
Mer!ihone *!reel up. -all right, 1'11 about. heroin this come up. Now that
lay down. my Garde. if yon will •• yon'r• rieh, 1 geese they aren't suit-
Rllvert!p stood agent, waiting. able any more."
"A*k me ■ question," Macihene mug- If.• Aimed heck his untoeched stew.
reefed.1 II he ....40' you mnme 1111110. t guess.
"Whit! do you want her.?" I Jule'. want to ley. of ever you need
- •'Furst," seH the deputy, "i'm here , me ..'nl for me. Thi• is on. hombre "
to find out whet Oad Ybucg ht. r"m• you can room ren any old time and
Inc from the Magpie Salt. D..,f 1s an nn oblir.tlnn shin,."
old man; he may never prospers "Why -where are ynut going?"
again. He niay or may not know what "Well " he told her vegu.ly, "I Mink
he's talking about. I'm here to find , I'll he moving on, for a little while. I
out.".guc*s
"What did htell you"' �. Molly het him get me far as the-
'
"Th,'re'te been rumor.," Mer- door. "I,4rry' Macbhate,.,
-
Shane evaded, "that you malted rho Ile went hack. '
Magpie before you, mold Del hal(I "I dont knn.c," aha told hints "If
share " there'll ever be a time that 1 need you
"Lie.," meta Silvertip. 1 steeled and' more than I do right wow." -
"All right." Meelehune knew that He .tared hiankly.
but htttl.'time wee lett. ' what
dirt yeti da ,wth the gold you and Dad
tank out *f the Magpie?"
p"Oh, get rent'.' she exploded 'mea'-
ect.dly. "(Io on away! 1 don't can
If 1 never ... yon again!"
'You're a fool," said Silvertip "No," he said! "i've cheered
n
again. "Yon think a shaft brings M mind. I'm not going any plate, not
greenbacks that • man can cart away a ny place at alt."
and hide? If theae was sold fn the - (Copyright IIN.d