THE FEATHER MAN 253 



convinced that this was some trick of Ned Thomp- 

 son's, who had come with other men to search the 

 house while the old pot-hunter was away. The 

 boy knew that his uncle had intended to go down 

 the river that day. As he came up, his face flush- 

 ing angrily, he called to the man who was enter- 

 ing the cabin, 



''Here, you can't go in there ! Bull Adam isn't 

 home!" 



No one answered, but as the boy ran up to the 

 door, one of the men put out his hand, gently 

 enough, and stopped him. 



* ' Yo ' wait jest a second, son, ' ' he said. ' ' Bull 's 

 there, all right. He's been askin' for yo'." 



"Forme?" 



Shan pushed past and into the cabin. 



Bull Adam was lying on the bed. The stern face 

 was white, but not a muscle had weakened. 



"Hurt, Bulir' 



There w^as a keen anxiety in the boy's cry. 



The old pot-hunter never answered a question 

 immediately, and the seconds seemed ages long to 

 Shan before his uncle answered, slowly, 



' ' Right bad, I reckon. ' ' 



The words were forced out of weakness but they 

 were given with an enforced sturdiness which 



