E-text prepared by Al Haines Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 18950-h.htm or 18950-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/8/9/5/18950/18950-h/18950-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/8/9/5/18950/18950-h.zip) THE SHORT CUT by JACKSON GREGORY Author of "Under Handicap," "The Outlaw" With Illustrations by Frank Tenney Johnson [Frontispiece: Surely the rider was just what the owner of the voice, half laughing, half crooning, tenderly lilting, must be.] New York Dodd, Mead and Company 1916 Copyright, 1916 by Dodd, Mead and Company, Inc. TO "MOTHER" McGLASHAN AND GENERAL C. F. McGLASHAN CONTENTS I THE TRAGEDY II THE SHADOW III SUSPICION IV THE WHITE HUNTRESS V THE HOME COMING OF RED RECKLESS VI THE PROMISE OF LITTLE SAXON VII THE GLADNESS THAT SINGS VIII "BLUFF, AND THE GAMBLER WINS!" IX THE CONTEMPT OF SLEDGE HUME X SHANDON'S GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY XI WANDA'S DISCOVERY XII THE TALES OF MR. WILLIE DART XIII SLEDGE HUME MAKES A CALL AND LAYS A WAGER XIV IN WANDA'S CAVE XV WILLIE DART PICKS A LOCK XVI AND SOLVES A FASCINATING MYSTERY XVII "WHERE'S THAT TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND?" XVIII THE TRUTH XIX SHANDON TAKES HIS STAND XX HUME PLAYS A TRUMP XXI THE SHORT CUT XXII THE FUGITIVE XXIII HELGA STRAWN PLAYS THE GAME XXIV UNDER THE SURFACE XXV RED RECKLESS ON LITTLE SAXON XXVI THE LAUGHTER OF HELGA STRAWN XXVII HUME RIDES THE ONE OPEN TRAIL XXVIII "IT IS HOME!" ILLUSTRATIONS Surely the rider was just what the owner of the voice, half laughing, half crooning, tenderly lilting, must be. "I want just to smoke and watch you and listen while you talk." She made herself as comfortable as she could, drew her camera from its case, and waited a patient quarter of an hour. "I call upon you to give yourself up!" he shouted. "Stop, Red, or I shoot this time!" THE SHORT CUT CHAPTER I THE TRAGEDY Here was a small stream of water, bright, clear and cool, running its merry way among the tall pines, hurrying to the dense shade of the lower valley. The grass on its banks stood tall, lush and faintly odorous, fresh with the newly come springtime, delicately scented with the thickly strewn field flowers. The sunlight lay bright and warm over all; the sky was blue with a depth of colour intensified by the few great white clouds drifting lazily across it.