The Valley of Silent Men

to keep hold of his nerve Kent felt creeping up with that change a thing that was oppressive and smothering. Swiftly the distant billowings of the forests were changing thei

pening and somber gloom spread itself like a veil over the river that only a short time before had reflected the glory of the

ter than it had been an hour or two before, and the thought grew upon him that it would be a terrible thing for the "explosion" to come when the sun was not shining. He wanted O'Connor back again. He had the desire to call out for Cardigan. He would have welcomed Father Layonne with a glad c

dom of man, and his soul cried out-not for adventure, not for the savage strength of life-but for the prese

but he refused to use it, for he sensed his own cowardice. His cigar had gone out, and he relighted it. He made an effort to bring his mind back to O'Connor, and the mystery girl, and Kedsty. He tried to visual

half an hour, and after that young Mercer, one of his two assistants, came in at intervals. Late in the afternoon it began to clear up, and

which struck him as being unusual. Four times he listened with the stethoscope at his

. I don't think it w

a different quality than he had perceived earlier in the day. The thought was a definite a

ng was quiet. He drew himself nearer to the window, so that by leaning forward he could rest himself partly on the sill. He loved the night. The mystery and lure of those still hours of darkness when the world slept had never ceased to hold their fascination for him. Night and he were friends. He had discovered many of its secrets. A

e seemed to grow slowly a new strength. His eyes and ears were wide open and attentive. The town was asleep, but a few lights burned dimly here and there along the river's edge, and occasionally a lazy sound came up to him-the clink of a scow chain, the bark of a dog, the rooster crowing. In spite of himself he smiled at that. Old Duperow's rooster was a foolish bird and always crowed himself hoarse when the moon was bright. And in front of him, not far away, were two white, lightning-shriven spruce stubs standing like ghosts in the nigh

ne!" grunted the staff-serge

s those owls,

wanted to make sure Cardigan wasn't with you. I don't want him to know I am here. And-if

pt for the glow of moon and stars. O'Connor's bulk at the

t of the way-because I was with him when he met the girl over in the poplar bush. I'm detailed on special duty up at Fort Simpson, two thousand miles by water if it's a foot! It means six mont

ow I would like to go with you, Bucky! If it wasn't for

Kedsty you knew yesterday or for the last ten years. He's nervous, and I miss my guess if he isn't constantly on the watch for some one. And he's afraid of me. I know it. He's afraid of me because I saw him go to pieces when he

nd faced the moon

n at the Landing. I've investigated every place where she might have got food or lodging, and I bribed Mooie, the old trailer, to search the near-by timber. The unbelievable part of it isn't her disappearance. It's the fact that not

o visualize the situation. More than once they had worked out enigmas of this kind together, and the staff-sergeant

n't even so much as look at a

bungalow somewhat removed f

n cook and house

w is closed, or

when Kedsty goes

never was a team in N Division that could be

isted Kent. "She hasn

ment. Kent could hear him st

nted. "It's got hold of me, Kent, a

, and Kent saw his face. There was more th

u today," O'Connor went on. "I found her footprints. She h

wn. He returned through the poplars, but the girl went on and into the edge of the spruce. I lost her trail there. By traveling in that timber it was possible for her to reach Kedsty's bungalow

and not the North," suggested K

it, simply because it's absolutely necessary for him to have an excuse for freeing McTrigger. Your confession came at just the psychological moment. The girl's unspoken demand there in the poplars was that he free McTrigger, and it was backed up by a threat which Kedsty understood and which terrified him to his marrow. McTrigger must have seen him afterwa

ng coughs. In the star glow O'Connor saw his face grow suddenly haggard and tired

nd then lied steadily. "I'm going up to take a look around Kedsty's place. I won'

e asleep,"

gripped closer.

ght, Kent's voice called after him softly: "I'll be with

ith scalding tears that shut out the glow of moon and stars. And he did not go toward Kedsty's, but trudged heavily