Panther Eye

t having expected an attack from this direction, Johnny was caught unprepared. A knife flashed. He felt a heavy impact on his chest

octor, a deep concern

he rascal's ripped a hole in one of my m

it go. It's done its part-saved your life.

er assailants. "But sentiment won't buy biscuits and honey for st

he doctor, "you'll give

the task was completed, Johnny stooped to pick up the hilt of the broke

ed. "I wonder if those little ra

ntly, "this is no place for wondering.

of the big surprises of Johnny's rather adventurous life. He

az

ennis and baseball with him, who had hiked miles upon miles with him, who swam the sweeping Ohio river with

hispered. Then, "How

Mazie. "How'd you think?" She

man's place. It's dan

all that splendid gold you've been digging to help the orphans. I'm '

if I'd known it was you I wou

ent's reflection, "as Jerry the

t me aboard ship twenty times because I wasn't making good. I wasn't feeding anybody, as I have said I would. And, oh, Johnny!" she gripped his arm, "the last three days I'v

d I met one of them just now. He seem

xclaimed Ma

e door of the small

ispered, "an

s coat he drew

gold-plenty of it. Again

acted the part of a happy child dancing around a Christmas tree, with

he came do

er for the poor little wretches

ered in this God-forgotten hole for nine mont

. Jacobs. It has a wonderful dining-room, big enough for

nny, setting a sack

nd sweet potatoes from

Johnny, banging three h

idas!" exclaimed Mazi

hing. It's hard, and I'm afraid a bit dangerous. Rice

say

attle are a hundred miles away. The Mongols have them. They are the border traders between

ed suspiciously. "I'll be off for the cattle in the morning.

Cross will supply you a band of trustworthy Russians to he

hat about the supposed hospitality of

and Mazie hurrie

ey had not eaten for months; not because of its bountifuln

murmured good-night, "I am to ve

int protect you as he has do

," smiled Johnny, "and her

ere natives or yellow men, they would treat him rough. If they were Bolsheviki, he could hope for no better fate. His only hope lay in escape. The place had n

ehind a large ore crusher, he man

gasped inaudibl

nothing so much as of Bluebeard in the fairy b

aught sight of him. Hope rose. Perhaps they would pass by him. Then he could make a dash for it. Yet, this was not entirely sati

was fully eight feet wide and quite as deep. His keen eye measured the aperture at the bottom. No giant, such as these were, could crowd through that hole. And the hopper was heavy. Applying all his strength to

loudly that it seemed the Russians

ine of an automatic. It was a man hunt, sure enough-and he was the man. Now they were five paces from

ide from him. Gathering all his strength, he heaved away at the hopper. There foll

wire he had arranged for his improvised sled, he rus

ded in thrusting his head through the narrow opening at the top of the inverted hopper.

at hand. New problems confronted him. Were other B

eered about carefully. There was not

ered, "it will

from his hole in the snowbank. His batteries were already inside. If he had not been observe

ed back, drawing the snow-cake door after hi

glory. The fleeting panorama below turned to triangles great and small-triangles of pale yellow and midnight blue. Now and again the earth seemed to rise up toward them. By this Dave and Jarvis knew that they were drifti

wonderful and terrible spectacle of an unknown land, he asked

dra swamps and over winter's blizzard-swept hills, had passed this way, or lingered to die here. Who could tell? Surely nothi

the stranger. He was awake and conscious. Proppin

an expression of amazement a

you?" a

ared to waver for a second. "Why, I'm P

u doing with

he natives; the Chukches. Why, I was studying them. Getting the

e man's fac

ight-set lips. The balloon, caught in a pock

ave reassuringly. "You're all

e're going home. It is well. Life with the Ch

ff into nothingness.

ith the Orientals, and was he trying to hide that fact; or had the rap on his head caused

arvis suddenly, "as I liv

in that direction. He was looking west. There, catching the sun's first golden glo

ys, and in what must have been something of the same loca

of the clouds. The last time I saw that riot of color it was on the shore of the ocean, or

ow plank-way about the cabin and to the rigg