Show 7 i 36 von OD IGAL UD GE X fa aa nn via SYNOPSIS the hie scene at tho the opening of the story atory Is I 1 laid to in ha library ot of an old worn ou out southern plantation known us as the bir ony the place ta Is to be sold laid and its history tilD tory and that of tho the owners the QuIn tards Is ir the subject of discussion by jonathan crenshaw Crensh nw a business man a str anKor known as an aladen aden and dob bob yancy a farmer when hannibal wayne ll azard a mysterious child of the old ou thurn family makes his appear appearance ancey baric yancy tells how he adopted the boy na but bitt the Quin tards deny any knowledge ot at tho the boy yancy to keep hannibal captain murrell n x friend of the tha quin tards appears and asks ask questions question about the barony darny barny ny trouble at swatch scratch hill when hannibal la in by dave blount captain murrells Mu rrolla agent yancy overtakes overta keB mount give elvei i 11 bilm in a thrashing anil and secures the boy yancy a appears pears belore before squire lia Halan laam rii and ls in dinega arge d with costs coata tar for the plaintiff hetty betty M millroy Mit a lroy r oy a friend ot of tha ferrissey Ferris ses liaa has an encounter with captain bourrell BIu rrell who forces hla his attentions on her and tenil la Is rescued by bruce carrington hetty sets out for her tennessee Tenne asea homo home carrington takes the s garno ame stage yancy and hannibal disappear w walli ith murrell 11 on their trail arrives at the home homa or of judko judge slocum price mice the judge elzea in the bo boy a grandson Bran daon of 0 nn an old time friend iturra murrell arrives at judges home cavendish family on raft rescue yen yancy Y who la is apparently dead price lu U jail netty betty anti anil cariln Carrl niton won arrive at itella belle plain r rafla discloses edme startling things to the julee judge tan han nebal and bhurrell r rives in belle plain Is I 1 playing for or big stake m tancy awaken from rom annir dream less leas sleep on board the raft judge price makes startling in looking up land charley norton a young i planter who assists the judge Is ir rays anys assaulted norton informs carrington carton r 1 ton that hetty Dett ha promised to marry 1 hlen liz norton to 1 mysteriously more mora light on murrells plot ile HB plaris plana cupris in of if negroes nex roca price with ila ani ba beitl 1 visits betty and she ahe bews keeps the boy a aa a a companion 0 tri panton in a stroll atty takes w with 1 I 1 1 i c t annibal thay r meet bess alicks daughter of the tha overseer overa eer who warris warna netty betty i of danger end and courim la her to leave llella alain at once betty terrified a nets cis on dona bone advice and on their wa way thel their ir corriage carrl nga Is stopped by and betty and hannibal are ae made prisoners the pair are ara taken to ilick milcka cabin raban in an almont inaccessible spot and there murroll murrell visits hetty aliett aind reveals hta his part tn in the plot bud and flis hla object betty spurns his hl proffered love and the interview la Is ended I 1 by the arrival of ware terrified ter rifled at possible a outcome of at the alia crime ju audgo adga price 0 of f the abduction plans ao notion tha ludge takes charge of 0 tho the tilon bearch tor fot the missing ones one tn in carrington caryington the ilia judge judg e anti and allies alllen bra are discovered judge price visits colanes where he het naeta Sn Hy ml I 1 into tha nolo colon nels elIx face and a duel IN I 1 arranged CHAPTER continued miss hucal cried murrell in astonishment in ent for or the t bo man confronting him was the clans messen messenger mes ger who should have been speeding across the state toss tosa up your hands murrell sald said hues quietly etly one tt of tho the other men spoke you are arc under arr arrest estl arreatta Arr Arre att you are wanted tor for nagger abeal ing said bald the wan man still murrell did no not seem to comprehend lie ile looked it at blues in dull wonder what are you doing herot here he be asked waiting to arrest you aint that plain said hues siuea with a grim smile the outlaws hands dropped at hla his side map limp and helpless with some idea that lie might attempt to draw a weapon one ot of the men took hold of him but munell was waa nerveless to his touch hta bla face had gone a ghastly white while and was waa streaked with tho the markings ot at terror well by thunder cried the man in utter amazement murrell looked into hues face you you and the words thickened ene d on his tongue beco becoming mingan an inarticulate murmur tour mur its all up john said hues no said recovering himself yov you may as aa well turn me loose you cant arrest mel inel I 1 ive done it rn answered hues 1 I ive te been on your track tor for mi alx months hs 1 how flow about this fellow asked tho the man whose pistol still covered ware hues ties glanced toward the planter and shook book hla his head where tire anre you going to take me naked asked Is turrell quickly again hues laughed find that out in plenty ot of time and then your friends can pass the word around it they like now conae come with me ware neither moved nor spoke as hues and his bs prisoner passed back alons along the ahe path hues with his hand band onn on lur rolls shoulder and ono one ot at hla companions clr cari at hla his beels valle the third roan mas led oft off the tha but outlaws laws horse presently the distant clatter or of hoofs boffa wits was borno borne to wares ears only hat bat the miracle ot of courage and dar ig he dmd halt hall expected had not hap hai tinned murrell for all his ha wild blast ing ingwar was like ilka other men like himself fa bloodshot eyes slid around in their sockets there across the sunlit stretch ot of water was betty the thought ac her brought min him to quick choking terrors the 7 whore fabric of crime by which haas adu been benefited in the past or had expected to in the future seemed toppling in upon him but ilia etta mind igind clutched ono one ini in fact hues it he knew fenew of bettylee Betty let did dd not connect ne et murroll it waro ware sucked in comfort between hla hia twitching lips stealing nig geral no one ona would bell ve v that he i a planter had a hant in tut igind far i a brief instant he cau ecu soldered signaling ness bess to return must be told ot of murrells Mur arrest but he was sick with apprehension some gome trap might have been prepared for him ho he could not know and the impulse to act forsook him ile iio smote hla his hands together in a hopeless e less beaten gesture and murroll murrell had gone weak with hij bis own eyes he had seen it murrill murrell whom ho he believed without ile ho felt that he be had been grievously betrayed in his and ix a hot rage poured through lira lim at last he be climbed into the saddle and swaying like a drunken man galloped on off when he reached the river road he paused and scanned its dusty surface hues and his party had turned south when they issued from the wood path no doubt murrell was waa being taken to memphis ware laughed harshly the outlaw would be ba free frea before another dawn broke lie ile had halted near where jim had bad turned hla his team toe the previous night after betty and hannibal had bad left the carriage tho the marks of the wheels were as plainly distinguishable AS the more recent trail left by the four men and as 03 he grasped the significance of that wide half circle his sense sensa of in jury overwhelmed him again ile he hoped to live to see murrell hangell lie was so completely comple fely lost in his bitter reflections that he had been unaware of 0 a mounted man who was coming toward him at a swift gallop but now he heard the steady pounding of hoota hoofs and startled by the sound looked up A moment later the tha horseman drew rein at his side warel ware he cried how are you carrington Carrl neton said the planter you are wanted at belle plain be gon gan carrington and seemed to hesitate yes yea yes yea I 1 am going there at once now arow stammered ware and gath ered up his reins with a shaking hand youve heard I 1 take it paid eald car I 1 14 hontou Bl yes yea answered ware in a boaras wb per my god add carrington im heart sick she has been like a daugh ter tn ti me mei 1 11 he bo fell silent mopping mapping hla his face I 1 1 I think I 1 understand your I tooling said carrington girlos flying him a level glance then excuse MO me and tho the planter clapped epurs to hla his horse horsa once he looked beek bach over hla his shoulder ho he saw that carrington had not moved mored from the spot where they hid had met at belle plain ware found his neighbors in ros possession session ot of the place they greeted him quietly and spoke in subdued tones ot of their sympathy when bo be could ho he shut himself lil mael in hit bis roots room ile he hid experienced a day ot at maddening Lux lety he had not slept at rl the previous night I 1 la mind and body he be was worn out and now he be was plunged into the thick of this sensation ile he must keep control of lie he nought to fo forast the tec pen 1111 irga 98 of the next few hours murilla MurK MUT TellS lla friends wourl break jail for him that as a foregone conclusion but the insurrection he had planned was waa at a 11 end hues had dealt its death low lilore moreover over though the be law light bo be impotent to deal with mur 1 ill al he could not hope to escape the vengeance enge ance of the powerful class he ad plotted to destroy he would have quit the country ware gloated in its idea of craven flight thank od ad he be had seen the last or of himl him but as always lila his thoughts camo came ck to betty would wait at icks pless fur for the man murrell had him and falling failing the mesi nger for the signal fire but there be neither and would 1 leit left to determine disown his own course of tion ware war felt certain that he b bould wait through the night but as anre ire as the morning broke it no word I 1 id reached him he be would send one t hla his men across the bayou who must I 1 arn am of murrells mun ells arrest escape flight tor for in wares mind these three c ants were indissolubly associated 1 mia w planters teeth knocked together Is ie was having a terrible acquaint tice nice with fear its very depths had jal swallowed sh allowed 11 owe d bf him m up it was a black pit ll 11 which b ic it he be sank bank from horror to hor her chehad lie had lost all faith in the clan iri h bad d t terrorized halt a dozen bates atea whit which had bad robbed and mur red with an apparent immunity which I 1 ad marketed U its hundreds ot at stolen laves lie he had bad utterly collapsed at ia a first blow dealt the organization ut he was still seeing murrell pallid nil nd shaken A step sounded in the hall and an I 1 distant later hicks hicka entered the roeln room without the forina formality lity of knocking I 1 ware varo recognized hla his presence with a glance of indifference but did not speak hicks slouched to hla his e employers erp side and handed him a note which proved to be from fentress ware read and tossed it aside if he wants wanta to see rae me why dont he be come coma here he growled 1 I reckon that old fellow they call judge price his has sprung something uddin on the colonel said icks ile he was out cut here bere the first thing this morning have thought he q lo 10 I 1 the Plan planter tees knees knocked to torether dether I 1 owned belle pla plain an thoro thero was waa a couple of strangers with him biro and he had bad me in and farej questions at trio for half ai an hour then le lc hiked off up to the oaks murrells been aiTes arrested teda i judware ji dWare in a dull level aliks gave gava bhim him a glance of bf astonishment not no I 1 yes by chodl risk it risk it UT man he be almost dead away a damned caward coward heill allow do you know this thier asked hicks appalled appalled 1 I was with it it him him when he h was waa ank en it was waa hues the raan man he ha trusted more tb than an any abao oth gri ware piave pave tie the ova ovora czoer oer a ghostly ghastly grin and was vms silent but in that allence he heard beard the drumming of 0 nta his own t agart arl lie wont went on 1 11 I yov to savo himself john mur murrell r ell will w III implicate tb the 9 rest of us ua wave sot got to got get him freed free stud then by hell we tight to knoch knock him in the hend head he be OL bt to uve the lall jail aint built tha it hold him muttered hicks of course ho cant be held dgreen ware and hell never be brought to trial no lawyer will dare appear against him no jury will dare to find him guilty but theres hues what about him he paused the two men looked at each other for or a long moment where did 1 they carry the captain 1 I dont know it looks like the clan was in a hell bell fired holo hole but shucks chucks what will be easier than to fix H hues aes ues and while folks better not overlook that old fellow price iles hes got some notion about Een dentress tress and the boy mr hicks did not consider it necessary to explain that he was himself largely responsible tor for this 1 how do you know that demanded wire ware ho as good as said so BO hicks looked uneasily at the planter plan tvr he fie knew himself to io be compromised the stranger named cavendish had forced an admission from him that murrell would not condone codi lofte it it came to ic his knowledge lie he had also acquired a very proper and wholesome fear ot at judge slocum price ile he stopped close to ta wares side What t ll 11 come of the girl tom can you figure that out he questioned sinking fits bis voice almost to a whisper dut but ware was incapable of speech sch again his terrors completely comple overwhelmed over him 1 I reckon shave have to find another overseer im going to strike out tor for texas said eald hicks wares eye amet his toran foran for an instant ile ho had thought bt f flight too was still thinking dt it but greed was as aa much a part ot at hla his nature as fear belle plain wai waa a prize net tobe lightly cast aside and it was almost his bla ile he lurched across the room to the aladow if he be were going to act the sooner sooner he did po BO the better and gain a respite stron from his tears fears the ro road a d down dowa the coast slid away before h his ts heavy eyes he marked each turn t then h en ia a palsy of tear shook him his bis heart beat against his ribs and he be stood gnawing his lips while he gazed up at the sun bull do you get what I 1 say tom I 1 am m going to quit these parts said bald hicks ware turned slowly from the window all right hicks you mean you want TOO me to settle with you Is that it he asked yes yea im going to leave while I 1 can maybe I 1 cant later on said bald hicks stolidly he added 1 I am going to start down the coast as aa I 1 so soon ad as it t turns dark and before tta its don day y again ill have put the tha good miles between mo me and these youre going down the coast and ware was again conscious ot of the quickened beating ot of iiii his heart hicks nodded see you dont meet up with john murrell laid edid ware ml ill take that chance it seems a beahr heap better to me than staying here ware looked from the window the tha BI shadows were wen length lengthening endric across the lawn wn flether etier fi fl ettor start sart now hicks ho he advised ill watt wait until it turns dark need a horse 1 I was going to help myself to one this aint no time to tol stand on ceremony said hicks shortly aboud nt bo be left jett la in the lurch ike this or your br brothers brothern folks have to figure it out for themselves ved bama as aa me rejoined hicks you can stop there as aa you go by no sald eald hicks 1 I 1 never did believe in this athla dasin damn foolishness about the girl and I 1 wont go near georgea Cleor gea gela ca 1 I 1 dont ask you to go th there re I 1 you can n give them the signal fram from the bead of thi IN bayou all I 1 want la |