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( y J4re/d J4re d / T Tr T4g r 4g " . ; - i SYNPSIS SYNOPSIS SYNOPSISI I tterry perry err } ' Tounsr Young , a . lad llld of ot seven even . , ispaced Is Ispared Isfcired pared paced to nee tlee flee the burning lumber lumberp lumberjp p of ot his benefactor benetactor . , Jac1 Jack Jaclt , Snow , hItook ) itook rtook tbe the tb younester youngster to llve live UT * withat with'at with 'at at ' at t the tho death ot of Kerry Kerry 8 s mother motherWest motherS 'YVst YVst West ' has hns Instructed Kerry toe to l : ; ? - e . ' with a . file cont containing nlng ning the cimp c\mp c mp camp ' \ s sr ss s"j.eis sj.eis sjeis - " r . s . hould .hould should . It be a endangered endangeredl If endangeredIf Ifes ! 1 , mts es attack the th omce office and nnd Kerry Kerry.l Kerryl . , Kerry1 1glng rinc glng Bing the th precious file tHe Me , and .fod fod 'Pod Pod 'PodI ' Tod/ Tod Todi .fodto . /1 1 I / / d ! i to town Tod acts queerly . Atflank At | bank flank the file tIle Is I * round found empty andri and and.J .J J . .JT7 the4 f . ry T7 ri la 1s Is blamed with taking ta1dng tho the thon thefig nc fig n one ono . . . Snow , bla his headquarters headquartersq headquarterstmoney headquarters,1hnoney headquartersA.hnoiry headquartersAhnoiry . q ,1hnoney 1hnoney , . tmoney gone , la Is ruined , and nd 800n soon soonrafter oon ' Ctearter eitter rafter dies , leaving Kern ICern Kerry to the thef raCM theraCM raCMCommissioner f Commissioner Kerry suspectst suspectsand suspects suspectsand uspect t ( ( and wears swears to e es even , en the th scoro score scorot.A scoret"1 core t.A tA t"1 t1 . ; > A St Bt . Paul offlce office otDce Kerry , now In InShood 1 " Shood jhood hood , and an expert woodsman , aLns = , > jn n8 of ot tht the whereabouts wheroabouts of ot West West'ry Westry est . . , ! ' ' ry rescues a lovely girl from trom a a"tndrel a'Indrel aIndrel 6 " , ' "tndrel tndrel ttndrel attndrel " , who provea proves to be b "West West " . . Jzf : ! ' . , threatens to pauperize pauperlzo the girl girlDowner .44 44 . Downer She thanks Kerry and andPQ andi andlQ PQ : ! ? ? i , him of ot the robbery , , and murder murderler murderter murderrr ler ter father tather and of ot Toda Tod s advances adances adhances , , ) s a operating a lumber tract whichfather whichfather which : father had purchi'sed purchised purch\ced purch ced purchased ' \ : ' from trom West Westmahes Westmakes Westy ; makes mahes camp At the generalI generala general ! In a Neste West 8 * Landing , , he b findsengaged finds findsengaged findsi I ) engaged In a poker frame game Jim JimIe Jimle Jimtie Ie le , , timber employee loses heav heat - . heav-D heav D heatOf D Of ! ) 'Kerry Kerry "Kerry " ' ' exposes Tod s cheal1ngdisarms cheatingdisarms cheating cheal1ng cheatingdisarm disarm disarms * him The Tho crowd Is un- un unJ unInced un1 uninced un-1 un 1 - - J 1 Inced of ot Tod a s duplicity Kerry Kerrytitles Kerry.Ifles KerryIfles titles ( . ifdes himselt hlmselC himself to West , who de de- de deknowing de-Icnowing de Icnowing - - . knowing him . , I 6 CHAPTER 6CHAPTER CHAPTER IV-Contlnued IV Contlnued IV-Continued Continued IV - - Continued Continueds IVContlnued5 IVContinued5 -5- 5 - 5)0 5hitched - s )0 0 " ) hitched hltcbed at his belt with a aI aI aTOdy I | fld.v fldv dy . swaggering swnggerlng gesture gestureter gestureter gesturefter ter all these 3 ; } sears ears , the job job'done jobdone job'done jobdone 'done done ' ' quickly qulchly ; in mere hoursnow hoursnow hours . now I . . . I can C'ln Cln ' be on myF myturned my mye , J : F- F - Fturned e turned on bis bls his heel and mnde made madefly made'lj madelj fly _ ' 11 for the door doorrat . , . I Irrlt IrrltbuzzIng [ [ ' * buzzing murmur filled l1ed thea the -a\ a aLYes - . o a \ ; , Eyes LYes were on Kerry , on onIlfeY ll llWest ! West West , , standing standmg there with withl withlhtltseething withftchPeecthIng l m-seethlng m seethlng lhtlt-seething lhtlt seething . - in him lie had a a1JHo anlslto ajJio 1JHo nlslto , " , [ ? play , this West He lie had a axbitation aXt itatlon xbitation ! tatlon at stake st1he , loyalties toder toder to toider -ider ider - ( der . , perhaps things toHis toHis to | * His place In tlie the country was wase wasie e balance b.lhnce blhnce . , , he knew hnew . But the thee thee theee e of cheating at cards v . was as too toodlbJe tooBible toodible dlbJe Bible in the minds of these theser men to be of more m'Ore inure ' than pass passonsequence ; onsequcnce onsequence pass6nsequence passonsequcnce if he played hIs hIsroperly hisroperly hisproperly roperly , as a respected lead leadould leadould leadiould leadiouldtound ould ouldfound tound found his ' voice 'folce folce at last lastQ . . I { Q\ Q Qold ! \ old Id 1d up there , . you ! l ' Kerry wasIe wasthreshold was wasL L f S threshold thresholdy thresholdt thresholdu're Ie e t turned , smiling tb1t that bitter bitteriId iId iIdu're ! yu're u're ure y ' a rat 1 ! " West said ag'lln aglln again againT again"You again\j again j ' T \ . "You You " re a , . k \ . , damned damnedWbat's damnedak damnedWhat's damnedWhats ak toO Wbat's Wbats What's Whats ' the Idea , tryin tryln ' to tome tome O me out a crook crooh ? Blackof Black Blackever of ofever ever seen or heard beard of you your youruse youl've youlve I I've use 've ve ' ' only this to say , after afterof after'jou afterjou of ' ( .ou ou you ; . a rat rat . . Just this : you'd youd you'don you'don you'dS youdS ' on your way .1y 1y . come sun sunup up ' I Ind Inds s not wanted here herey ! ! " ' * lifted a hand band to scratch scratchle scratchJe le Je slowly 8JOlYe 8JO\\ 8JO \ lYe . . it's its t's ts is ' ' tough on me . , Tod West , . , ' e Ie . d d . . "I'm Im 'I'm ' " ' ' through , , here 1 I 1ed Ied Ied ed on the thing I wanted anted to toor toor tofor or years And ' I'd Id ' like to toe toe toIe e . e , , being the roaming hIndthere's kindthere's kind hInd kindthere's there's theres ' one thing tblng I'm Im ' more moreot moreof moreof [ ot of than taking root . , It's Its ' ' . . , . , | ilrlven driven Tod West f ' " " " He Heto Heto HeIto to laugh Jaugh . "So So " ' I've Ive ' ' got to toI've toI've toSf-re toSf re I've Ive [ ( ' - got to light a n while v . while'yent whileyent hile ! ! ' t tent ent out Into the darhnes9del'p darknessI1 darkness darhnes9 I1 ' , del'p delp deep ' laughter floated bach back backA : , ' A fierce tlerce e exultation uItatlon racked rackedhe rackedaI racked1 aI aIbe he be did not look looklbout 1bout "bout bout " , ' ; didI dId dIdNan didNan thereJi Nan Downer standing stnndlng thereiuge there therege Ji I Jige fromd ge of the light Ught shaft from fromow fromow fromow ( d ow , , one hand across herIIE her herLBOUT IIE OU OUCHAPTER CHAPTER V VOUT LBOUT OUT the time Kerry Kerryng Kerryfig Kerryng r Kerryr - ng fig was finishing flnirblng ; his hh eve- eve eveJ eveI eve-Hi eve Hi - - - ' -I I J , Dan Dov Downer . ner and Ezrashort Ezra -j j Ezraj jshort - [ short hort , , squat , , grav gray haired hairedountry hairedountry hairedlountry ountry doctor who had hadut hadut hadut ut from trom Shoestring Shoestrlnst : , thet thet the theat at t , t , , walked walI"ed walIed " slowly sJowly across acrosstIe acrosstie acrosstie tIe bcadquarWest's bcadquarWests beadquar'est's from trom Nan's Nans N'ln's Nlns Ngn's Ngns ' ' ' beadquar \Vest's Vest's Vests 'est's ests [ ! \ ' ' Landing L'tndlng Ltndlng L < Landingid L'tndlngd ' mdin id d man listened attenth attentls attentivelymsclously ely elynsciously [ nsclously nsciously sIo\\ sIo slowed sIocd \ cd his pace pacey pacepin's pacepins paceirl's ' ' Irl's Irls story progressed progrcssell toclIm'1t to tocllnns tt y / cllnns clIm'1t clIm1t climax ' : . , ner IIer Her ' voice 'folce folce , thoufh though thoufhquIck thoughi : tOh1quick quick and ten tense < : ; c , and once onceIn oncet sSA t ! In a sobat's sob sobthat's lints , that's thats at's ats ' , that , , Efa Etrn E7ral ? l ' l * ' she saidh saIdlYe said saidly h > ys t lYe lYe"It's ly , . "It's Its " ' me or . . , . or orrty orrty orcrty rty 'Oh-\\ltb 'Oh Oh ltb 'Oh-wlth wlth ' Ob , . " , " - \ with \ sudd sudden suddenI've suddenI n n'I've 'I've Ive * ' I've Ive ' bad had a feeling teellng aU all aUt allit allit it it1o 1o d t he wasn't wasnt ' ' the man thea'l the thenks thehlnks a'l al a'ld a'lnks ' | nks him to bel be I ! " rot , jyour , your womanly IntuItion IntuItionopInion intuitionbT0 Intuitionopinion bT0 opInion was a 11 . . . , doc-leas"alked doc leas"alked leasalked doc doe - . ess eS3 . . . " . lked for tor a n time , standdusk standdusk stand dusk and nd then tben the girlYt girl girlor Yt , or Jim and Elsie HInkle's HInkles HInkle'sand Hinkle'sand Hinkle'sy Hinklesy ' ' , and led him resolutelj resolutely ' " i "tered tered " itcred tered iitcred a n tar paper np & ' bouse house bouseoman houseGU houseoman GU GUOman oman byf washed dishes by b ; herIn if f a kerosene lamp , hei her herkin hein \In In kin \ n an expression of ot for tor forc ( c 1 / , 1I 1N I N - - I Ibealance beaiancc bealance beahance In a chair clJalr , his one leg legstrapped legstrapped legstrapped , , strapped between wooden splints spllnts , a afiveyear afive-year afive year five-year five year - - old boy played with a abattered abattered abattered 'slelan slelan phy'slelan ' battered toy . At sight of the phy physlclan physiclan slclan he began to yep yelp ] etcltedly excitedly etcltedlynnd excitedlyand excitedlyand : nnd and threw the toy violently away away"Unc away"Unc away"Unc "Unc Unc " ' : Ezra Izra 1 I Unc ' Ezra I l ' be he becried hecried hecried cried , his face shInIng"llullo shining"Hullo shining shining"Uullo "Uullo Uullo "llullo llullo "Hullo Hullo " , Jimmy 1 1 I E Es Evening ' enlng ening , Elsie ElsieAll ElsieAll ElsieAll All ready to be measured up for forthe forthe forthe the brace , cb eh ch ? Well , , . well weU , . we've weve we'vecome we'vecome we'vecome wevecome ' come along so far and have got gotkInd gotkind gotkind kInd of a log leg left lett . . . Now we'll well we'lJ welJ ' start starton starton starton on the job of ot making mahlng a silk sIlI , . purse purseout purseout purseout out of . . . . something " He IIe began pulling pu11lng off ort his bls coat coat"Where's . , ' "Where's Wheres 'Where's " ' Jim ? ' he nshedThe askedThe asked nshed askedThe The v . woman's womans oman's omans ' face darkened darhened "At At "Atthe "Atthe "Atthe Atthe " the store , I guess Gambling agaIn againI , I ; suppose cuppose " ' "Well Well "WeU WeU " .Yell Yell . well 11 ahead ' . , , we go o , anyhow And he went ahead , holding the themisshapen themisshapen themisshapen misshapen ] leg eg on his knees eyeln eyeing eyeingthe eyeingthe the long , blue creases cre'lses crelses ' of some ter terrlble terriMe terrible rlble riMe hurt and Nan looked on onwatching onwatching onwatching watching the play of ot his deft fin fingers fingers fingcrs fingcrsThe gers gersThe The painstaking p'llnstahlng pllnstahlng ' chore finaU finally finallyfinished finallyfinished ) " finIshed , and no Jim In sight , the thets thetv\o thetv o 1\\ 1 ts 10 \ % \ 0 o walked walhed towaEd toward the store , Ezra EzraS1'Ing Ezras'tving Ezrasaving S1\'Ing S1 'Ing Ing s'tving stving ' \ ' : 'Of Of ' Of course , if It Jim hasn't hasnt ' the thecash thecash thecash cash , 111 III Ili ha\e ha e hale \ to buy the brace br'lce brlce br'ice brice ' ' my myselt myself myself selt self I told him that last time I Iwas Iwas Iwas was out and he promised But " " - with a slgh- slgh slghtimes sigh - = ' times being what they theyare theyare theyare are , ' I'm Im ' scraping scrapmg the tbe bottom of the thetill thetill thetill till myself myself'If 'If If 'IfSo i ' " So they approached approac1d ! ( the store and andsaw andsaw andsaw saw v . what hat they saw snw . As they left lert . , Tod West was say sayIng saylag sayIng Ing lag to Jim Jtm ' . "Hell Hell " , No ' ' I won't wont ' take tahe bach back bachth1t backthat backthat th1t that money ! nes Hes TIe s a rat r'1t r1t r'tt rtt ' ' and a lIar liarJim , JIm , but . , . . , " He shrugged and andmet andmet andmet met Jim's Jims ' eyes e ) es sqUal squat squaiely ely , neatly CO'f COf coy CO'ferlng coyering covering ' erlng ering the effort required "Lord Lord "Lordbov Lordbov " , bo'f bof boy ' , 1 ' I's Is I've Ive ' , e always alwavs tried trlCd to lean b'lck blck back b'lckward backward backward ' ward In mv my dealln's deallns de111n's de111ns deilln's deillns ' ' with v . Ith others'No othersNo others ' ! No sir If ' anv 'lnv lnv any man savs says I took mone\ mone money moneunfaIrly moneyunfairly moneyunfairly \ ' unfaIrly , I don't dont ' een cv e\ e es \ en want to argue argueNot argueNot argueNot Not on your life JIfe , I don't dont ' Money Money1ID Moneysin Moneyam 1ID sin t worth that , , Jim 1 I ! ' . . . . . . . Kerry I\.erry I.erry I .erry erry Ierry \ . sat in the darkness on the therIver theriver theriver rIver bank , listening llstening to the booln booing booingof booingof ot of an owl and the song of crlchetq crickets crlchetqand cricketsand cricketsand and the plopping plopplDg of a night feed feedIng feeding feedIng Ing trout He lie smoked smohed leisurely and andTIp andTip andTip TIp , his head in his lap , breathed breathedeven breathedevenly breathedeveni evenly even 1) 1 ; ) . , . . , So his childish chl1dlsh suspicion had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen been right ; so the last sane thought150 thoughtalso thought -\150 150 -also also - ' \ also a suspicion-which suspicion which suspicion - which Jack JackSnow JackSnow JackSnow Snow had had , had been justifiedThe justifiedThe justified justifiedThe The dog now lifted Jilted his head headsharply headsharply headsharply sharply and Kerry could feel hIm hImstiffen himstiffen himstiffen stiffen After a moment , a low lowvibration lowvibration lowvibration vibration ran rnn his back bach , which was wasthe wasthe washe the ; beginnings bl'glnnlngs blglnnlngs ' of ot a growL grossL grossL"Steady gron growL"Steady L L"Steady "Steady Steady " 1 I " the man v w . whispered h1spered hispered nnl1 and nnl1reached andreached andreached reached for bis his bed , , jerked jerhed his rIfle rIflefrom riflefrom riflefrom from the blanket foldsThen foldsThen folds foldsThen Then , aloud , he hailed : "Who's Whos " ' there ? ' A voice from trom above answered : 'Caller Caller Ca1ler ' , Young 1 I ! Still sun up ? ' Slow Slowfootsteps Slowfootsteps Slowfootsteps footsteps came through the pop poplars popmars poplars poplarsYoung lars mars larsYoung marsYoung Young , on his feet , waited with withthe withthe withthe the dog stiff stier and suspicious besIde besIdehim besidehim besidehim him him'Funny Funny 'Funny ' business , , bustin ' In on a aman aman aman man this way , this hour bour , " the voIce voIcewent voicewent voicewent went on , nearer now "But But " I got gotthings gotthings gotthings things to talk tau , , over " He could see seethe seethe seethe the other , now . He lie was short short.squat shortsquat . , squat , and breathed rapidly , . "I I "Imnamed Imnamed " m mnamed mnamed named named.dams . Adams \.dams .dams \ . , , Young ; Ezra Lzra Adams AdamsI'm AdamsI'm AdamsI'm AdamsIm I'm Im ' ' the local pill peddler . " "Oh Oh " . , hullo bullo , doctor 1 I ! " The old oldman's oldman's oldman's oldmans man's mans ' voice was WD.S WDS . pleasant pJeasant . , ' Gladyou Glad Gladyou Gladyou you dropped In In . . . Here , . sit on the thebed |
