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Show r { ' FLAMEf fLAMEIN ( LELAME FLAME fLAME-- - ; : f kl INTHEkl IN INTHE THE THErORESi .L L . .L"I ' ' - 4 "I I " tFORES FORES jFORES tFORES.OIJ FORESL.09 rORESi j L-.09 L.09 L .09 09 _ _ - . - - - ' --.OIJ .OIJ HAROLD ? - . ; - . ! ? - I 1- 1 1I ) / T ' .r r . . 1 1HAROLD I ; TBTUS TaTUS U . 1 1r . / ? r . .5 5 s . . . . - : 1 i . ' " f - = - IHiM-frafton.r IHiMfrafton.r IHiM frafton.r fraftonr IlIusf'afiohl IlIusfafiohl IIUJtl/'Qf/OttJ IIUJtl 'Qf Qf OttJ - . / ' / . ' " 4 3T i ; ' : / ' IRWIN.M'tERS IRWIN.MtERS IRWINMtERS IRWIN . MYER MYER5 MYERV ' ' t tIRWIN.M'tERS , . . . W.N WN \V V W.NU.SE2VIC WNU.SE2VIC WNUSE2VIC \ . ( U . & $ ffZ.V'C ffZ.VC ffZVC R.V RV ' C of ' AypyCid 6r.1l 6r1l y.Jy yJy . . .ii ii . / ; t . , - + 1f 4 IR t ' CHAPTER XII-Contlnued XII Contlnued XIIContlnued14 XII XIIContlnueda XIIContlnuedtHe - - Continued Continuedi t tCHAPTER -14- 14 - 14I - i tHe a He came cnme on and peered througb throngb througbthe throngbItbe through.the throughthe . Itbe the door , trylnr trying the lock . Youn Young YoungitId Younihdd ? he1d itId his lung lungs lunga flat for fear tear the thet the'irhole thehole thesirbole t hole 'irhole irhole ' panel would move movc . l.you lyou . . You boys all rlghU rlghtr " ' he nsked asked askedC l lThe C "What What " d'you dyou d'yon dyon d'youmean dyoumean ' . * mean , , aU all right ? ' > Btnart Ituart stcart growled growled.FThe growledFThe . I , IThe It t The sheriff sherIrt laughed and turnedway turned ' J ? W way . ' ' JFor * For an hour , then , they lay still stlU stlU'Ind stillI stillnd still'Ind I ' 'Ind Ind 'Ind Ind ' nd not until a mum muffled ed , regular regularinoring regular'inoring regularinoring . ' morlng inoring heralded the fact that rest'iad resti5ad rest restid 'iad iad i5ad ' id come comp to the county's countys ' ' servantthe serant"lid servant ser\ant ser ant servantlld \ "lid lid " the lld they leave their cotst cotst cotsIt cots t ' t l It was tlie the woric work of ot n a mere mo moBent Bent 1J1ent meat to remove the last screw and and"irltb andirltb , 1twlth lirlth " his shoulder to the tbe panel . , ' Toung 'Coung Coung shoved carefully caretully . r rThe I The bottom plate grated on thett theIrronerete the -tt tt - ttoncrete ' Irronerete > 'oncrete oncrete ' . , gave , squeaked a trIOe trifle tritle trifleiDd tritled trIOeuid iDd uid d then tben . . . wung swung tree free freel I ! A manQuId man maniould ! + iould QuId outd roll beneath it to the jall jail jailrridor jailIwrrldor rridor and be on his bls way wayi . ( I But he be let It awing swing back and andached andJroucbed ucbed ached there tbere on the floor listening listeningAbruptly listeningAbruptly listening1 fttidor Abruptly be he said : jl , "After After HArter " rm Fm gone , you set Jet net ! therews therews the beadsFrith crew rews * back and cover the beads heads beadsflth headsfth fth dust dust- dust dustStuart . . - " flth | Stuart looked at t him blm blankly blankly.I blanklyI . ' * " ' Ton "You You 'You mean . . . That II 1s 1 . , . . I I'ou're ou're oure 'ou're ' ' going alonp ? ' , L ' "Listen Listen 'LIsten " ' , , chum chumi I ! It's Its ' tough , I 1 ITt It ITtow Itnow how now ow . But you're youre ' In as a murder murderl murderuspect murderStuspect ' wruspect l uspect . . . Breaking jail would be beriamned : belimned riamned amned serious for you With WithxJ2e With"tie "With"Ie WithIe " -xJ2e xJ2e "tie tie - " , It's Its ' a n lesser ofTense offense And , be bedes befides beUdei _ fides des that thnt , , , we'll well ' need Informationboot information4 Information - -4 4 - -boot boot 4out Aout out Bridger's Bridgers ' plans , perhaps perbaps " I . . "That That .That . " was not his reason , his realmon realon real ason on Good enough , to be sure ; ' it t knowing Stuart for tor hot head headimpulsive headl mon . , Impulsive lmpulsl"e lmpulsle , " boy , he did not darek darek dare ) Ek k liberating him 111m now , wlien when so soach soi ( * uch ach Ch and such careful pitlent p\Uent p Uent patlent patlentork pUentork ' \ irk ork lay before betore him .2 2 . ' "Hell Hell 'HeU HeU 'Hell " ' , Young t ! I hadn't hadnt ' figured- figured figured-- figuredtd figuredt1 figured - - - " td t1 tj3l "But But " S"But SBut " I had . I . know 1.now 1now just wh'1t'sr(4)t what'sroot whit's whits wh'1t's wh1ts what's whats whit'scjiot ' ' cjiot r(4)t r4t root : ( ) to be done , outside Can Cnn t you 4that you4that ij that maybe you 11 ll ] ) be . . , . , ; . you'll youll .1U'11 .1U11 1U11 u'11 u11 ' ' ' be helping Nan by sUckIng1J sticking sUckIng stickingiiere 1J ii-ere ii ere 1 - ere re and keeping your eyes and . andtr andgars gars -tr tr - r8 open 7 ? ' ' KH'Of KHOf 'Of Of ' course , If It you put It thatis that My thatMy 'Y Y ' . . . . - " "Vila Vila " Is consent was not without remnce retaace re " " ttance mnce taace . . . Cerry erry rolled rolIed beneath beneatb the outng outng out outang -ng ng -ng ng - ang paneLood paneL paneLGood . Good grippeddB ood luck lack I 1 " ' They gripped grippe grippedI grippeI grippedjda grippecis d I dB cis through the bars 'Tell Tell 'TeU TeU ' Tell Na Nat NatfaIrIes Nat.fairies Natfairies t ' . , faIrIes falrles came for me . . . And Andy Andyn d den cfeD , , en < n you've youve ' got the screws backt backk back , ' k that wrench 'ftown ftown iiolvn ' the sewer . " ' , t ! nd d silently sUentJy he be made his bls way intos0 Into sideI sidks s0 'f f 'fthat II . herilTs sheriff's sheriffs ' ' office olfice , , down the sid aide side e /I I / II ks ) I and with a n low whistle t to toI . , leaped Into the d car standing standln standlnn g ddy dYe dy dYeIt . rJI ! ' n It s I e opened the choke widepped wide wideI , 1 I ped on the starter and the mo- mo mor m mcaught mo-f mo f - o- o - - r caught and drummed Then9R Then 9R CklT kly ii , , , . he be ho sUpped slipped llnnort In In the * tiA eluteturned clutch elute clutchturned Aintnl h , , ' i turned down the jail jaU j0.I1 j0I1 . drive drhe to.treet t tit to it itstreet streetace .treet treet street . treet . . 'nee nee ' Dee ace there he looked 100J.ed 100Jed . over his hisalder h ht bisolder t alder . Lights showed above two twoances tw twantes tworanees ances antes to the jail but windowsthe windowIii windows window windowsthe Iii Iiithe the quartersed sheriff's sheriffs sherIfr's sherIfrs ' ' ' living quarters quarte quarterawed r i ied ed blank . Nat Bridger Brldger wa waIn wasIn was wasSin In dreams of or continued contlnued grandwhile grand grandwhile grandwhile Sin while a prisoner used his car carescape en carescape : escape and as Kerry bouncedthe bounc bouncthe bounced bouncedWt ed Wt leavIngthe the railroad raUroad tracks , , leavln leavlnthe leavIng leavingl edg g the outskirts outs1.1rts outs11rts . of or town behindheaded behind beblnd , , headed beaded for tor the Mad Womant NomaI Woman Noma Womanles n I 1 * t Tip's Tips ' ribs resoundingly with withband wit withand h nh ne band hand and lauhed laughed ! tlntll until th thley the thelea e ' les lea ley of ot his belly beny ached . . 11 R Ri,1 - i,1 i1 i,1CHAPTER , CHAPTER XIII1HIl'KLE XIII XIIInch tHINKLE 1HIl'KLE 1HIlKLE t HINKLE ' had d not slept . . Too Tootlch To Touch 0 nch tlch uch had happened at Nan Nan's Nans Nan'suarters Nan'luarters Nanluarters ' ' 0s s t6 t6uarters uarters 0g and too much specu- specu specs specu-i specu i - - specubad pd specspd had bad gone on at the Landing Landingnight Landin Landine Landingnight g e night to let his senses sin sinunconsciousness sink sinkunconsciousness sinliunconsciousness k hetiad unconsciousness Besides , be bead b bd e d untt ad Tod Too West to watch , unt until untiltook tl t \ " took too1 . to his bed He ha had tld tlh d $ Ised iced hadIsed Young he would watcl watcb watt wattd tlg h watcb's watt's ' ' d 's s doingt every mo\e mo e mo'e moe \ ' and was wa'i wai wag ' doing doing"at doln dolnDI tle tlh g : DI DIt "at at " t to make mniro his hl word wr > - good goodwhen , i ii top goodtop topwhen when that i cami light rapping came camedoor cam e i door he was out of bed wit with withalthy h althy ltby lthy wIthltby witlthy boundung bound boundung - ung . , Jim , . , " " came the cautlo cautious cautiouser Is Iser er ! In n aDS\\ aDS ansa answer aDSer \ er to his quer querfa query querye y . . fa faout e out here herel here I l " a r God , , Young , how'd howd ' ' you- you you - " * " youver , ver Jim's mind anythIng now , Jim J ! m I 's s * ' s West West"leep Westleep ? " sot eep-peering eep peering , , " - peering toward to\\ard to ard \ Tod Tod's Tods ' ' 5 ! "I I 'I 5'I " ' 1 watched until onUl long atter atterone aft aftone aftcione er too one to bed . . He como come to th . ' o ; t ' 8 pret , well tanked up , I'd Id ' ' sa en , . : . , 11 11as as * s 'n n ' a hour after atter they took tooktown toeifs too toe k ; ; ifs ' town . , He seemed mo moold more moreold morl re old self selt ' 'n n ' he has bas fore for tor a ae . e e . . . He laughed 'nd nd 'ad ad * ' nd Tlslte visited visiteden vtsit vtsiten ed < watchedh watchb cn en went home borne . . . I watche watched watch watchen ed < ; h b n his window 'nd nd 'ad ad ' ' laW saw w him hima hi hia bin m . a bottle right hard bard . . Thci Then 1'h 1h Thcint ' ett nt t Thent 1'ht to bed . . " * * other Item about W West est e ewas . . r Fr waa was he h yesterday Jesterda " 1 , F FI Fis prf Fri r1 I < s " ' fa ra is isomethln Bomethin aomethln /omethln omethln / * ' I dunno . , AU All AUW'Bdar Almuniday W'Bdar WBdar ureday ' he be bunl hung hnn { here h re . , I It IJ Ir t J r seen him talk tal1 . to Bluejay In the thee thee e\ e eenln e \ enin enln ' ' 'nd- 'nd nd 'ndCheck 'nd nd ' - - " * ' , Check 1 ! " Checkhe " -he he - - he turned In right after atter that that.Friday thatFriday . . Friday he made a lot of ot tuss fuss tussabout fussabout fussabout about goln goin ' fishin tishin ' ' . He drove to BigBeaver Big BigBeaver BigBeaver Beaver 'nd nd 'ad ad ' set up his rod 'nd nd 'ad ad ' got gotreaJy gotready gotready rea\Jy rea Jy ready \ to flsbl fish I ! He cached his rodunder rod rodunder rodunder under a log 'nd nd 'ad ad ' nd hit out . . I follered folleredfar's folleredfar's folleredfars folleredfar's far's fars ' ' I could , , but lost bis his trail , It ItbeIn itbeln Itbein beIn beln ' so dry that- that that"Which thatPlilch that - " " "Which Which \Plilch Plilch " \ way'd wayd ' he g07 go ? " "North North "Nortb Nortb " 'nd nd 'ad ad ' west . . " . "That That " checks , too , . And when wben be he became hecame hecame came back to town , , what ? " "All All " puffed up . Said a hornet'd hornetd bornet'd bornetd hornet'dstung bornet'dstung hornet'dstung hornetdstung ' ' stung him " , Fine I l * ' whispered Kerry . "That That "Thatall "Thatall "Thatall Thatall " all ties In In . . "That's Thats " ' enough of ot West . . I'vegot I've Ive I'vegot ' I'vegot Ivegot ' ' got to talk fast tast . Back down the theroad theroad theroad road halt haIr half a mile mUe you 11 find Nat NatBridger's NatBridger's NatBridger's NatBridgers Bridger's Bridgers ' car-If car If carIf"Nal's car-- car car"Nat's car - - - " " ' ' " "Nat's Nats "Nal's Nals I ! "Yeah Yeah " . , It . . . It 1t helped peed speed peedbls speedhis speedhis bls his departing guest-chuckling guest chuckling guestchuckling"I guest 1 I ! -ehuckUng ehuckUng IehuckUng ' ' - - chuckling"I chucklingI "I I " " 1 don't dont ' ' want him to know what whatdirecUon whatdirection whatdirection direcUon direction I bit bU , of ot course . . , I wnnt want wnntyou wantyou wantyou you to drive his bls bUB bus bu back to Shoe- Shoe Shoestring Shoestring Shoe-string Shoe string . - - string , cut east on the trunk linehighway line linehighway linehighway highway , go as far as you can with without . out making maUng too much of ot a walk walkfor walkfor walkfor for yourself , , let the air out of a aUre athe atire Ure the and leave It ! t . , " 'But But ' But what are you goln goin ' ' to do doKerry , Kerry7 Kerry ? ' "Going Going " bee hunting " " "Bee Bee " huntln'l huntlnl huntln'I huntlnI ' " The man's mans ' ' incredulity In IncreduJIty Incredulity creduJIty credulity nas "as as was " explosive e"tploslve etploslve evploslve " 'What What ' doyou do doyou doyou you want waDt ot- ot of- of ot'I ofI of - - " 'I I ' I don't dont ' ' . know 1.now 1now . . That's Thats ' ' the devll devil devllat devilof devilof at of ItJ It 1 ! Im I m on my way . . You get getbach ge gebath getback t bach bath , , fast tast as you can , and standby stanel stand stanelbv standby bv by . toatch to \ watch \\atch atch \ Tod . . " 'My My IMy I ' My gosh , , Kerry , I don't dont ' under understand understand understand stand- stand - " standAnd ' 'And And ' And neither do I , maybe Good Goodnight Goodnlghtl Goodnight night nlghtl ' ' At Nan's Nans Nat's Nats ' ' , Young also encountered encoun encountered encountered tered sleeplessness He could see seethe se sethe seetlie e the girl and old Ezra sitting to together to- to together t tgetber - gether getber In the light of or a single lamp lampand lampand , . and from the doorway be he hailed hailedthem haile hailethem hailedthem d them cautiously"Careful cautiously"Careful cautiously cautiously"Careful "Careful Careful " , now i 1 i ' ' he warned a atheir as astheIr astheir s theIr amazement became articulate articulate11 ' I don't dont ' ' want to be seen " Omitting all details , , he told what whathad wha whahad whathad t had happened Then : : ' 'Money Money ' and honey , Ezra 1 I ! Therea There s sa sa a boo1 hook hookup . up somewhere ; ; : they tie In in In.I'm In.Im InIm . . . I'm Im ' ' ' on my way to try to wrangleIt wrangle e It out . . I want some stuff sturt atuff fro frothe trom tromthe fromthe m the kitchen and the men's mens ' shanty shantyNan , , Nan . . " His eyes had been fast on her herface he herface r face as be he talked , , rapidly and low low- lowly lowly lowly - ly , . Its oval oral seemed more sweet sweetand sweetand sweetand and gentle than ever . He wanted wantedto wantedto to touch her ber , to take her hands handsto handsto , to draw her close cloe ! and say the thethings th ththings thethings e things that were surging In his hisheart hl hisheart a heart , , of far tar more consequence tha thathe than thanthe thanthe n the things he let his bis lips Ups say . , But Buthe Buthe he put pat the Impulse back . . They followed tollowed Into tnto the darkenet1 darkens darkenet1k1tchen darkenskitchen darkenedkitchen d k1tchen kitchen and be he searched for tor what wha t I11 I 07 07She She Looked Up Almost Timidly and andGave an andGave d ' Gave Him Her Hand Handa Hands he nee needed ed ; a small , , fiber cracker crackerbox crack crackbox crackerbox er box , a tumbler , , a jar of ot straIned stranne straInedhoney strainedhoney d honey . , pleaseNan 'Get Get * ' Get me a quart bottle , , please pleas ( , , Nan . . } Ull l1ll Fill It 1\\ 1 \ two-thirds two thirds 1othlrds o-thlrds o thlrds - - of or boney boneyand hone honeyand y , and finish l1nl b with water v.ater vater . ; ; warm , , Ifyou've Ifyouve It Ityou've ! f you've youve you're youre ' got it It . . ' I'll Ill ' need a pack packsack pat packsack k sack and some stuff stntt from th theshanty the e : " ' shanty . He was back In a moment , , sack sackon sackon sac k on bis his shoulder , ride rlne rills la In his bls hand handand ban handand d and quickly stowed away the oth other otherarticles otherarticles er articles . . "Ezra Ezra " , we've weve ' ' got to keep Bridgera.s Bridger Bridge er as a.s . tar far In tn 1n the dark as 0.e 0e a . we hope wecan we can Keep KCtp ? West tivest . , We didn't didnt ' dare daretrust dr daretrust e etrust trust Nat with the bullet Identifies- Identifies IdentltIca Identifiestlon Identlfl c0 . - . tlon ; no more can we on the finger flnger flngerprInts flag er prints . . . You'll Youll You'U YouU ' find flnd Jim HInkIe Hinkle home homeby hors horsby homeby e by the middle of ot the forenoon , |