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GOTEBO OK LA.. GAZETTE
CHAPTER IV.
—13—
( Snowbird felt, very glad of her lntl-
Pnte accurate knowledge of tne
hole region of the Divide. In ber In-
fancy the winding trails had been her
playground, and long ago she had ac-
quired the mountaineer's Blxth sense
Sfor traversing them at night She had
•need of that knowledge now. She
slipped into her free, swinging stride;
and the last beams from the windows
tof the house were soon lost in the
tines behind her. It was one of those
[silent, breathless nights with which
£o mountaineer is entirely unacquaint-
ed, and for a long time the only sound
she could hear was ber owp soft
tramp in the pine needles. The trees
themselves were motionless. That
peculiar sound, not greatly different
from that of running water which the
wind often makes in
!was entirely lacking. Not that she
{could be deceived by it—as sto
Itell that certain tenderfeet.
Shlrst in the barren hlUs, have b«*n.
{But she always liked the sound, and
khe missed it especially t0°,gb^
r She felt that If she would stop to
jllsten. there would be many fa
[sounds in the thlckets-those ntt
hushed noises that the wild tfc g
(make to remind night-wanderers of
ithelr presence. But shedid n o t «n
the least care to hear these sounds
They do not tend toward peace 01
mind on a long walk over the ridges.
The wilderness began at once.
Whatever influence toward
tlon her father's house had brought to
the wilds chopped off as beneath a
blade in the first fringe of pines. This
Is altogether characteristic of the Ore-
gon forests. They are much too big
and too old to be tamed In any large
decree by the presence of one house.
■nTsLV* this fact better than
Lennox himself who, In a hard win-
ter of four years before, had looked
out of his window to find the wolf
®ack ranged In a hungry circle about
his house. Within two hundred yards
after she had passed through ber fa-
ther's door, she was perfectly aWare
that the wild was stirring and throb-
bing with life about her. At first she
tried very hard to think of other
things. But the attempt wasn't en-
tirely a success. And before she had
covered the first of the twelve miles,
the sounds that from the first had
been knocking at the door of her con-
sciousness began to make an entrance.
If a person lies still long enough. be
can usually bear his heart beating
Ed the flow of his blood in Ms
arteries. Any sound, no matter how
faint, will make Itself heard at last.
It was this way with a very peculiar
noise that crept up through the silence
from the trail behind her. She
wouldn't give it any heed at first But
in a very little while Indeed, it grew
so Insistent that she could no longer
disregard It
Some living creature was trotting
along on the trail behind, keeping ap-
proximately the same distance be-
tween them.
Foregoing Any attempt to Ignore it,
she set her cool young mind to think-
ing what manner of beast it might be.
Its step was not greatly different from
that of a large dog—except possibly a
dog would have made slightly more
noise. Yet she couldn't even be sure
of this basic premise, because this
animal, whatever it might be, had at
Hist seemingly moved with utmost
caution, but now took less care with
Its step than is customary with the
wild denizens of the woods. A wolf,
for instance, can simply drift when it
„ {wishes, and the silence of a cougar is
^ let unless her pursuer were
■ dog, which seemed entirely unlikely,
It was certainly one of these two. She
would have liked very much to believe
tba step was that of Old Wolf the
bear suddenly curious as to what this
dim 'light of hers might be; but she
couldn't bring herself to accept the
lie. Woof, except when wounded or
reraered. Is the most amiable crea-
•tore In the Oregon woods, and it
Would give her almost a sense of se-
curity to have hlnr" waddling along
behind her. The wolves and cougar,
temembering the arms of Woof, w.ould
hot be nearly so curious. But unfor-
mnately, the black bear had never
done such a thing In the memory of
man and if he had, he would have
' six times as much noise- H*
can go fairly softly when he is stalk-
ing, but when he Is obliged to trot-
as he would be obliged to do to keep
up with a swift-walking human figure
—he cracks twigs like a rolling log.
She had the impression that the ani-
mal behind had been passing like
smoke at first, but wasn't taking the
trouble to do it now.
The sound was a soft pat-pat on the
trail—sometimes entirely obliterated
but always recurring when she began
to believe that she had only fancied
its presence. Sometimes a twig, rain-
soaked though it was, cracked beneath
a heavy foot and again and again
she heard the brush crushing and
rustling as somethlpg passed through.
Sometimes, when the trail was cov-
ered with soft pine needles, It was
practically indistinguishable.
The animal was approximately one
hundred feet behind. It wasn't a wolf,
she thought The wolves ran In packs
this season, and except in winter were
more afraid of human beings than any
other living creature. It wasn't a lynx
—one of those curiosity-devoured lit-
tle felines that will mew all day on a
trail and never dare come near. It
was much too large for a lynx. The
feet fell too solidly. There were no
dogs in the mountains to follow at
heel; and she had no desire whatever
to meet Shag, the faithful hybrid that
used to be her guardian In the hills.
For Shag had gone to-his well-de-
served rest several seasons before.
Two other possibilities remained. One
was that this follower was a human
being, the other that It was a cougar.
Ordinarily a human being Is much
more potentially dangerous to a wom-
an In the hills at night than a cougar.
A cougar Is an abject coward and
some men are not. But Snowbird felt
any human foes. They would have no
advantage over her; they would have
no purpose in killing from ambush;
and she trusted to her own marks-
manship implicitly. While It Is an ex-
tremely difficult thing to shoot at a
cougar leaping from the thicket a tall
man standing on a trail presents an
easy target. Besides, she had a vague
sense of discomfort that if this animal
were a cougar, he wasn't acting true
to fprm. He was altogether too bold.
The animal on the trail behind her
was taking no care at all to go silent-
ly. He was sfmply plt-pattlng along,
wholly at his ease. He acted as If the
fear that men have instilled In his
breed was somehow missing. And
that is why she instinctively tried to
hurry on the trail.
The step kept pace. For a long
mile, up a barren ridge, she heard
every step It made. Then, as the
brush closed deeper around her, she
couldn't hear it at alL
She hurried on, straining to the
silence. No, the sound was stopped.
Could it be that the animal, fearful at
last, had turned from her trail? And
then for the .first time a gasp that
was not greatly different from a de-
spairing sob caught at her throat She
heard the steps again, and they were
in the thickets Just beside her.
• « • • • • •
Two hours before Snowbird had left
the house, on her long tramp to the
ranger station, Dan had started home.
He hadn't shot until sunset as he had
planned.
He rode one of Lennox's cattle
ponies, the only piece of horse-flesh
that Bill bad not taken to the .valleys
when he had driven down the live
stock. She was a pretty bay, a spir-
ited, high-bred mare that could whip
about on her hind legs at the touch of
the rein on her neck. She made good
time along the trail. And an hour be-
fore sunset he passed the only human
habitation between the marsh and
Lennox's house—the cabin that lad
recently occupied by Landy Hll
(th.
He glanced at the place as he
passed and saw that It was deserted.
No smell of wood smoke remained In
the air. Evidently Landy had (one
down tq the settlements with his
precious testimony in regard to the
arson ring. Yet it was curious that
no word had been heard of him. As
far as Dan knew, neither the courts
nor the forest service had taken ac-
tion.
He hurried on, four miles farther.
The trail entered the heavy thickets,
and he had to ride slowly. It was as
wild a section as could be found on
the whole Divide. And Just as ha
came to a little cleared space, three
strange, dark birds flung up on wide-
spreading wings.
He knew them at once. All moun-
taineers come to know them before
their days are done. They were the
buzzards, the followers of the dead.
And what they were doing In the
thicket Just beside the trail, Dan bid
not dare to think.
Of course they might be feeding on
the body of a deer, mortally wounded
by some hunter. He resolved to ride
by without investigating. He gla'nced
up. The buzzards were hovering in
the sky, evidently waiting for him to
pass. Then, mostly to relieve a curi-
ous sense of discomfort In his own
mind, he stopped his horse and dis-
mounted.
The twilight had started to fall, and
already its first grayness bad begun
to soften the harder lines of forest
and hill. And after his first glance at
fhe curious white heap beside the
trail, he was extremely glad that It
had. But there was no chance to mis-
take the thing. The elements and
much more terrible agents had each
wrought their change, yet there was
grisly evidence in plenty to show what
had occurred. Dan didn't doubt for
an Instant but that It was the skele-
ton of Landy Hildreth.
He forced himself to go nearer. The
buzzards were almost done, and one
white bone from the shoulder gave un-
mistakable evidence of the passage of
a bullet What had happened there-
after, he could only guess.
He got back quickly on his horse.
He understood, now, why nothing had
that Landy
ifijj, ver to the
her. At the door of the dining room
he found the note that she had left
for him. . . , .. .
It told, very simply and plainly, that
her father lay Injured In his bed, and
he was to remain and do what he
could for him. She had gone for help
to the ranger station.
He leaped through the rooms to Len-
nox's door, then went in on tiptoe.
And the first thing be saw when^ he
opened the door was the grlzz
man's gray face on the .
"You're home early, Dan, he saia.
"How many did you get?"
It was entirely characteristic.
Shaggy old Woof Is too proud to howl
over the wounds that lay him low, and
this gray old bear on the bed had par-
taken of his spirit.
"Good I^prd," Dan answered, now
badly are you hurt?"
"Not so bad but that I'm sorry that
Snowbird has gone drifting twelve
miles- over the hills for help, its
dark as pitch."
And it was. Dan could scarcely
make out the outline of the somber
ridges against the sky. .. .
They talked on, and their subject
was whether Dan should remain to
take care of Lennox, or whether he
should attempt to overtake Snowbird
with the horse. Of course the girl
had ordered him to stay. Lennox, on
the other hand, said that Dan could
not help him In the least and desired
him to follow the girl.
•Tm not often anxious about her,
he said slowly. "But it Is a long walk
through the wildest part of the Di-
vide. Some way—I dfth't bar accidents
tonight 1 don't like to think of her
on those mountains alone."
And remembering what had lain be-
side the trail, Dan felt the same. He
had heard, long ago, that any animal
that once tasted human flesh loses its
fear of men and Is never to be trusted
again. Some wild animal that still
hunted the ridges had, In the last
month, done Just that thing. He left
the room and walked softly to the
d(The night lay silent and mysterious
over the Divide. He stood listening.
The girl had started only an hour be-
fore, and It was unlikely that she
could have traversed more JJ an two
miles of the steep trail In that time.
Although the horse ordinarily did not
climb a hill more swlftly than a bu-
man being, he didn't doubt but that
he could overtake her before she
went three miles farther. But where
lay his duty—with the injured  aan
in the house or with the daughter on
her errand of mercy la the darkness?
Then the matter was dcclded for
him. So faint that It only whispered
at the dim, outer frontiers of hearing,
a sound came pricking through the
darkness. Only his months of listen-
ing to the faint sounds of the forest
and the Incredible silence of the night
enabled him to hear it at all. But he
knew what It was, the report of a
pistol. Snowbird had met an enemy
in the darkness.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)"
Mruvn usuv*n —
SUNMfSfflOOL
Lesson „ „
IBy RBV P B. FITZWATER. D. D..
Teacher' of EnglUh Bible la thi Moodr
Bible Imtltute of Chicago.)
(©. 1921. Weetern Newepapor Pnlonj 
LESSON FOR MARCH 27
THE LIVING CHRIST.
LESSON ffcXT-Matt. 28:1-20.
GOLDEN TEXT—I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world,—Matt.
Preference material t-Matt 27:
51-66; Mark 16:1-18; Luke 28:56; 24;12; John
20:1-18; Phil. 3:8-11. -
PRIMARY topic—The Easter Story.
JUNIOR topic - Our Ever-Preaent
^INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
-Christ Our Living Leader.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
-Christ in the Life of Today.
She Heard the Steps Again.
courts as to the activities of the arson
ring. Some one—probably Bert Cran-
ston himself—had been waiting on the
trail. Others bad come thereafter.
And his lips set In his resolve to let
this murder measure in the debt he
had to pay Cranston.
The Lennox house seemed very si-
lent when, almost an hour later, he
turned his horse Into the corral He
had rather hoped that Snowbird would
be at the door to meet him. The dark-
ness had Just fallen, and all the lamps
were lighted. He strode Into the liv-
ing room, warming his hands an in-
stant beside the fireplace. The flre
needed fuel. It had evidently been
neglected for nearly an hour.
Then he called Snowbird. His voice
echoed In the silent room, unanswered.
He called again, then went to look for
Results of Hybrid Mating.
Here Is a strange set of facts, prov-
en by three different Investigators In
three different parts of the world at
three different times.
In matings of so-called "pure." races,
that Is to say, Englishman with Eng-
lish woman, frenchman with French
woman, German with German woman,
etc., 104.54 more males are born than
females.
In hybrid matings, that Is to say, of
different nationalities, there is a more
significant excess of male over female
births.
In matings of United States whites
the ratio is about the same as that of
European hybrids.
In matings of United States colored
folks there is a significant excess of
females over the ratio of British West
Indian colored who are relatively pure
bred.
TELL OF LENGTH OF LIFE
Aoe Secrets of Animals, Trees, Plants,
and Even Birds, Easily Pens,
trated by the Initiated.
As most people are aware, it is pos-
sible to tell the sge of a horse by ex-
aminlng its teeth, remarks a writer
in London Answers.
The age of a sheep may be known
In a' similar manner—that Is, by Its
teeth. The number of years a cow
has lived is found by a different meth-
od. The horns are examined, and the
number of rings or. these horns tells
almost exactly the age of the cow.
Just as the bonis indicate the age
of the cow, so the development of the
antlers helps to calculate the age of
ft«im«iw belonging to the deer family,
and the length of life of other horned
animals Is arrived at in the same way.
The age of many birds can be dis-
covered by examining the spurs.
Trees often live to a very great age,
and while they are standing It is a
difficult matter to arrive at the age
of these; but when they have been
cut down the age of the tree may be
reckoned by counting the number of
rings risible in the section.
It is a comparatively easy matter
to learn the age of growing mistletoe,
as each shoot sands off twp new
shoots each year, and by counting the
Joints from the root to the tip of any
branch the number of years the mis-
tletoe has lived may be computed.
Sought El Dorado in Vain.
When Sir Walter Raleigh started out
to find his El Dorado he was seeking a
fabled city whose houses were covered
with sheets of pure gold, and which
was surrounded by hundreds of square
miles of rock so filled with surface
gold that when the sun shone It was as
if a great yellow mirror was blaring as
far as the dazzled eyes could reach.
Raleigh, of course, found nothing that
even came near to such a wonder, and
many a brave gentleman of England
lost his life or hls'fortune in seeking
the same fabled El Dorado.
The Elite.
"Dr. Plllers seems to be a fashion-
able physician."
"I should say sol He has patients
at some of the most expensive health
resorts In America and a waiting list
of people whose health will give way
as soon a9 they get money eqough to
consult him."—Birmingham Age-Her-
•I*
Bees have always been an example
of industry. Yet they take a six
months' vacation each year.
I. The Empty Sepglcher (vv. 1-7).
1. The earthquake (vv. 1-4). This
occurred when the glorious angel dfe-
scended from heaven to roll the stone
away from the tomb. This work of
the angel was not to allow Jesus to
escape, but to show that the tomb
was empty. Christ needed not even
the help of a glorious angel, for He
was raised up by His own power as
the seal upon His atoning work on the
cross. The open tomb and the angel
sitting upon the stone with calm dig-
nity is a picture of God's triumph
over the devil, and the terror of the
keepers Is a sample of what all of
Christ's enemies shall one day experi-
ence when He comes in glory to reign
as King.
2 The angel's message to the worn-
en (w. 5-7). (1) "Fear not" (v. 5).
While the enemies had occasion to
fear, these women who loved the Lord
received good news from the empty
tomb The Lord will not long leave
those who follow Him In love In sus-
pense and dread. The empty tomb
puts an end to all doubts and fears.
It Is the evidence that the question of
sin is dealt with, and that God Is sat-
isfied and eternal victory Is secured.
(2) "Come, see" (v. 6). The angel
told the women that the Lord had
risen and Invited them to come and
see the place where He lay. The rea-
son He Invites them to come In Is
that He desires them to make sure
about the facts. The Lord made spe-
cial effort to convince the disciples of
the reality of His resurrection. He
remained with them for 40 days. glv.
Ing them many infallible proofs. (3)
"Go quickly" (v. 7). Having seen for
themselves, their responsibility was
to go tell the message. While It Is
important to be convinced of facts,
one should not stay too long because
there is work to do. Experience Is
neressarv before testimony. They
were to go quickly to the disciples with
the message, assured that the Lord
would go before and meet them.
II. The Risen King Meets the
Women (vv. 8-10.)
The women quickly obeyed the com-
mand of the angel and were running
to bring the disciples word. Jesus
met them on the way. Those who
have an experimental knowledge of
Christ should go speedily to tell oth-
ers of It. All who go quickly with His
message, the Lord will meet on the
way. When they saw Jesus, that He
was really the Lord, they worshiped
Him. They knew that He was the
Son of God, therefore entitled to be
worshiped.
III. Paying Money to Circulate a
-Lie (vv. 11-15).
That Jesus arose from the dead
could not even be denied by the San-
hedrin. They could see but one way
out of>the difficulty, that was to bribe
the keepers to tell a lie. They had
paid money for His betrayal; now
they pay much more to circulate a lie
about His resurrection. What a won-
derful power money has over the llvea
and consciences of men! It will not
only Induce people to lie, but it even
muzzles the mouths of preachers.
IV. The King's Qrsat Commission
(vv, 16-20).
By virtue of His royal authority He
Issued this great command to the dis-
ciples. In order to prepare them to
receive this command. He declared un-
to them that all power In heaven and
earth was given unto Him. This Is
most fundamental. Only as the dis-
ciples realize the Lord's power are
they likely to go about with the mes-
sage.
1. "Go, teach all nations." This Is
the first and primary business of the
disciples. The risen and mighty Lord
Issues this command to all (v. 19).
2. Baptize them In the name of the
Triune God. Those who have become
disciples of the Lord should receive
that rite which signifies that relation'
ghlp to Him (v. Id).
3. Teach them to observe all Christ's
Tommandments (v. 20). Those who
become Christ's disciples should be
•aught obedience to all His commands,
ill who thus obey Him shall enjoy His
tbldlng presence. Christ's abiding
iresence guarantees the success of tba
•nterprlse. _ V 1