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Show .ij.iJm6Z (Ff "What do yon think, Tonngr someone asked. He twisted his head doubtfully, and a sharp pang of dismay ran his heart. The girl's one arm, hanging inert in-ert over the log, swayed dismally as he worked. ... Fifteen minutes; the watchers were moving and muttering. The child's eyes were half open. , , . Brown eyes, he saw. , , Twenty minutes. Figures were running; along the high bank. A man hurtled down toward them, and the crowd parted part-ed to let him through. It was Jim HInkle, panting, his face the color of suet Ills eyes, large and desperate des-perate with query, turned to Young. This must be his child I "Can't tell, Jim," Kerry replied to the unspoken question. "We should have an outside chance. And we won't qultl" Ills shoulders and back ached. The inside of one knee had rubbed raw on the log. And then Nan Downer was there, standing Just inside th circle of men. One hand waa at her lips and her eyes were dark with suspense. sus-pense. He smiled assurance at her as he worked. ... A full hour had passed since he carried her from the water. Now and again Jim HInkle looked at Yonng, and his Hps would twitch. Others were talking lowly, moving about, their tensity gone. Kerry could see shrugs and heads shaken. They had given np hope. "Don't you think," Mel Knlfiht, the storekeeper at the Landing, asked as he came close, "that lt'd be as well . . . You see, they got to realize It sometime." "No, we won't quit" He had Just started the pressure, pres-sure, but relaxed it He held his him while he shaved this morning. . . . Common cause, surely, a chil l was drowning 1 He went down again, down and down, deep and deeper. The depths hurt his eardrums; his lungs cried out for relief from this repeated strain. . . . And then pressure was on his back; on the small of his back a hand was placed; fingers were fastening fas-tening in his shirt . . . He kicked savagely, rolled over. He dashed a hand across his eyes, eluded the clutch and shot upward, gulped air through open mouth. A rod below him the swarthy man rose, spitting, and turned upstream. up-stream. He gave Young one glance, and the dark eyes shone with malice. Trying that! And now, of all times? The fellow was not even attempting to find the child; he was intent on bringing harm upon one who was. A bitter loathing sang in Kerry's heart for a moment, mo-ment, but he drove it away. No time, this, for personal animosities. He took a deep breath and went down again, water hurting bis ears, pressing against his throat . . . And once more that vague blotch of lighter color. . . . Sand? A boulder? boul-der? A clay ledge? He expelled the air from his lungs and put all his will, all his heart and consciousness con-sciousness into a final downward stroke. His reaching hand touched something soft; bis fingers entwined en-twined there. It was cloth I The current bore at him; his grip on the fabric held. He dragged himself against the current tugging at that garment battling to dislodge It . . . His head buzzed; a quick nausea spread through his vitals. He felt that this was his last instant of consciousness. con-sciousness. Ills tortured lungs expanded, ex-panded, and water gushed Into hts throat He wrenched mightily with the one hand, as a new, an Inner darkness, engulfed him, and then gave up . . . yielded, let his lungs have their way, and was shocked to find himself breathing sweet air. He was on the surface, barely able to float but he was not alone. In the crook of his arm was a limp, light body! Upstream be heard screams and shouts. None had noticed that be came np with a burden. He drew the child's head to the surface, got a hand beneath ber chin, and kicked feebly. He tried to shout for help, but his voice was only a gurgle. He redoubled his efforts, but his strength was spent And then a whine In his ear, and hot breath on his cheek, and Tip was there at his side. "Good" he gasped. "Hie!" He fastened fingers in the mat of stiff curly hair; the dog angled across the current towing his place. We're up against It as you already know." She waa obviously embarrassed, but Kerry said quickly: "Don't worry about that I'd figure, Miss Downer, that lt'd be a rare privilege privi-lege working for you. When do we start?" "I can't talk that detail with you now, because Holt Is out on the Job. We've worked such things out together Blnce my father died. He'll be back this evening. Will you come up then?" He would, he said, and started out of the office. Tip stood outside the screen door and now whined. "Oh, here's the dog I" Nan cried, going quickly ahead of Young, opening the door and kneeling on the step. The retriever inspected her with eyes and nose, and at first bore himself with perfect Indifference, Indif-ference, being, as he was, a one-man one-man beast But when her small band came to rest on the broad crown of his head, and her gentle voice told him what a handsome fellow he was , . . why, then the tall commenced to waggle a bit, and his eyes rolled, and his pink tongue lolled a little, and be panted pant-ed with that satisfaction which comes to any male with sufficient flattery ! "He likes me!" the girl laughed happily. "Why shouldn't her Young asked with all sobriety. "That dog's got sense!" Then be laughed at her discomfiture. He started back toward his camp, and had gone half-way from Nan's headquarters to the mill when he saw a man running along the railroad rail-road track toward the trestle. Then another. And from West's Landing, Land-ing, three more were crossing rapidly. rap-idly. . . . Then a scream reached his ears. "Something stirring !" he muttered, mut-tered, and began to trot. "What's up?" Young called to a man. "Somebody fell In I" A woman's scream cut the air sharply, and Young saw a man grasp her arms, holding her from hurling herself into the swirling current below. "Kid, I'll bet, Tip P he muttered. Sure enough, a child. "Little girl I" a boy answered excitedly when he asked the question again. "Dunno who!" Kerry paused at the water's edge and Jerked at his pac laces. "Tip !" The dog, tall vibrating as this excitement Infected him, SYNOPSIS ,rry Young-Triad of seven, 1. toari to flee the burning lumber I. of bis benefactor. Jack Snow, I'took the youngster to live with Itt the death of Kerry's mother, f Wsst hae Instructed Kerry to I, with a file containing thecamp'a should It be endangered. Les attack the office, and Kerry, iglns- the precious flla. and Tod to town. Tod acta queerly. At j bank the flla Is found empty and ir, blartted with taking the ring one. Snow, his headquarters II nUey gone, is ruined, and soon iXtafter dies, leaving Kerry to the ir commissioner. Kerry suspects 3 and swears to even the score. Ts St. Paul office Kerry, now In libood, and an expert woodsman, irns of the whereabouts of West. Zrj rescues a lovely girl from a iiundrel, who proves to ba West. "J threatens to pauperise the girl, 0 Downer. .She thanka Kerry and him of the robbery, and murder ogher father and of Tod'a advances. 4 Is operating a lumber tract which : father had purchased from West. -.Irry makes camp. At the general 1 4rs In West's Landing, he finds aj engaged In a poker game. Jim I l-ifckla, timber employee, loses heav- 1 Kerry exposes Tod's cheating a'jg disarms him. The crowd Is un-oivlnced un-oivlnced of Tod's duplicity. Kerry jfrntlfles himself to West who decks de-cks knowing him, and advises him 4 leave town. Nan tells Dr. Ezra ' Ajams of Kerry's rescue of her from rid, and or West's threat. Ezra, who ifcoroner, visits Kerry, and appoints n coroner's clerk. Suspicion of t murder had rested on Holt Stu-, Stu-, employee of Downer, and upon I ,ijn HInkle, who was cleared by Tod. ie doctor baa the fatal bullet and serial numbers of the stolen '9, one of which has Just been ill to Adams, It came out of the iker game. Tod orders Jim to run Jrry out of town. Kerry discovers Is being spied upon by a 'breed. in comes to "Kerry with a warning I clear out., i CHAPTER VI Continued '. 6 "If you know what's good for u," lu his manner, then was a ! mincing quality not present here, he-re, "you'll haul out today!" "And If I shouldn't . . . what HInkle shrugged. "Well, I'd flg-e flg-e I'd done all that anybody can f for you by comln' here." He ad- imeed a few steps, his voice mod-atlng. mod-atlng. "I'm not handln' you any-ing, any-ing, Young, I'm Just doln' you a iendly act. This country thinks lot of Tod, and there's men here it won't stand to see anything ne apilnst him." "Yeah? West, and who else?" "Plenty !" ' Young let his head drop backed back-ed and laughed. i' ' j So that was that! I He had been spied upon since faybreak, had been warned to clear fiit by an emissary who did not say 1 that he thought and felt Not long 'after Jim Hlnkle's de-i de-i arture Kerry set out, Tip follow-S follow-S at his heels. Nan Downer looked np from her tak and listened to Kerry's brief ; wch explaining his presence. "A Job?" she asked, and surprise P her face. It was not the surprise which pie the deepest impression on ong. It was the quick coloring M her cheeks, the changing light : j" her eyes which indicated an ln-pest ln-pest In him over and above any Jraazement or regret or enthusiasm P'ch his question might have pro- ; "Yes, a Job. You know how it J3. 1 Kuess; I've sort of got to stick i Vound a while; and when I'm in :-0na9(place. I don't Just hanker to She traced a pencll-llne on a pad Jrore her, considering. y. you want to take a chance of Wng Tod West, It is your af- Mterr Srt f 3b arB y0U Kerry grinned. irour!iaHd a l0t 0f thlnS ln an(i CI 6 woods' a11 the way from ffiZSp I RtrVu a draftsman as well?" W,7"rn,ed!t0 a serIes f rge War!. . b,ues "Pining the Z Z t0 ,ndIcate the ons Sin, nKrWth. wh,ch cl0flked the fhe w D3' Wlth &ur lowing K h gtland densitl of stands, fa letaTrm3 'M lak6S 8et down 1 detail nW down t0 th8 last do Just nl e!5 money- cxi can, he said finally. : hesitated. 7 'your can,t Pa on u get some other hand on the small back and turned his head, Intently waiting for what he had thought he felt to come again. Then It came again . . . Just the whisper of a cough! "Careful, Jim! Steady now'" He held the trembling father back with one arm, and began to chafe -one of the little girl's wrists rapidly. He beckoned Kan to him. "Get after the feet," he said quietly. qui-etly. "She's on her way." Ten minutes later Kerry gave the moaning child into her father's arms and stood beside Nan, watching watch-ing her carried tenderly away. The look on the mother's face, the vast relief and thanksgiving which showed ln the very set of Jim's shoulders, touched things within Young. A 'breed had turned to Join the ragged procession moving up the bank. "Who's the InJunT' he asked the girl, eyes following the great frame of the man, strength of which could not be concealed by the cotton shirt and faded overalls and nioceaslns. "His name is Bluejay . . . Frank Bluejay," she answered; and then, as If pointedly: "Why?" He shrugged. "He was spying on me from across the river this morning." A slight gasp escaped her. "Bluejay too! He's a bad citizen," citi-zen," she whispered. "Everyone distrusts dis-trusts him except Tod West He works for him, when he works." A hard smile came into Young's eyes and he nodded. "When he works, eh?" he asked. They parted then, Nan going toward to-ward the mill, Young mounting the trestle abutment slowly. "HI, Bluejay 1" he hailed. The 'breed turned, standing on the ties. "What you want?" he asked,, with the accent of his race, and his look was clearly a belligerent one. Young did not answer until he had covered the distance between them. When, at arm's-length, Kerry stopped, he said quietly : "I want to know this: why were you watching me from cover this morning? And when I've found that out, Tm going to ask you why you were fighting me under water down there?" "Who's askln' that?" Bluejay asked. "You? Huh! I tell you; I say to you, it's none of your dam' business what I do!" He nodded slowly, head thrust forward. "I say somet'ing more to you, eh? I say these; you get to hell outta here before somet'ing very bad catch np with" He did not finish the threat. Sure of himself as a bad man well and long feared will be, he was unprepared unpre-pared for Kerry's quick move. He swung sharply and stoutly, putting all his strength Into the swing. His palm caught Bluejay on the ear with a stinging smack; the force of the blow rocked the man, swayed him off balance. He threw out his arms, teetering on one foot; he clawed the air twice, writhed and strained an Instant to get the other foot down in time, and, falling, flung himself sldewise for the river ln a half fall, half dive. (TO BE CONTINUED) peered eagerly Into his face. "Somebody "Some-body la there; In the river. On the bottom. . . . Fetch !" In went the retriever, swimming rapidly straight out from shore. Tip circled slowly in the current, head tilted, trying to see below the surface. sur-face. Then suddenly he dived. He did not go deep ; his tall protruded, and he was under but a second. "Fetch, TlpI" Young cried sharply sharp-ly when he came up. Seconds mean life. . . . A half-dozen men were ln the river, diving from logs or from the trestle, all searching blindly. And then, below and outside these frantic searchers, Tip came up with a sharp little yip! At that Young went in, swimming swim-ming stanchly. The dog circled and went under again, diving for the same spot When he came up, his master was beside him. "Good dog !" he gasped and dived for the bottom. It was dark down there. He drove himself deep with mighty sweeps of his arms, with powerful sclssor-klcks of his long legs. He held his eyes wide open, and when he felt his ability to stay down longer slipping rapidly, he groped wildly. His hand touched a slimy snag; and then, lungs at the bursting-point,' he was forced to shoot upward. He broke the surface, shaking water from his eyes and gasping air. A babel of voices was In-his ears. He went further up-stream this time, and faced about and dived with the current, utilizing its flow. Again he found the snag, but that was alL Again he dived, and this time he thought he caught a vague flash of lighter color In the murky depths as he drifted past He rose quickly quick-ly and swam his best to get back to a point from where he could dive again. As he turned, he saw another swimmer so close to him again that his freedom of action was re-, strlcted. Straight black hair was plastered over a swarthy brow; an-gular an-gular black eyes looked past him. Even ln that moment of stress, Kerry had time to remark that this waa the face which had peered at He Fastened Fingers In the Mat of Stiff Curly Hair. master; Young's floundering feet touched bottom, and he reeled to the bank. He dropped to his knees beside a log. He threw the little girl face down across it He hooked a finger In the mouth, prying open the set jaws, flattening the tongue, and bore his weight down on her back. Water gushed from the mouth. Again he drove water from the small lungs, and again, while strength poured back Into his own body. Others were coming now; help was on the way. A man was almost to him ; more streamed behind. But there was a Job to do, and he knew how to do it the task that would give strength to this last and perhaps per-haps waning hope. Roughly he lifted the small body, with arms and legs so pitifully lifeless, life-less, and stretched It on the log, head lower than the feet He jerked one of the child's arms beneath be-neath her face, rolled her head to one side, and straddling the log placed his great palms across the lower ribs and pressed firmly. . . . He held the lungs compressed an instant and let the ribs spring outward. out-ward. Down again went his weight, and water trickled from the mouth. A distracted woman burst through the growing group. She tried to hurl herself on Young, on the child, and the men took her gently away. "Keep 'em back." he gasped. "She'll want ... all the air . . ." Steadily he worked, watching that waxen profile for sign. Down . . . Hold . . . Up . . . Down again. The group waa auiet now, watching with tensity stamped on faces. |
