Show BELOW ZERO t A I Romance of the he I I I k North Wo 4 J BIt BItHa P Ha Harold old Titus Ii j t ri y 6 4 l dl SERVICE II t dr ui i mere In the open the sound r of or that shot the whine of ot the wild bullet stopped John Belknap In his tracks He whipped Nat's nt's pistol from his pocket a n foolish gesture and as ns he realized the futility utility of ot giving battle to a screened adver- adver r 7 tt f- f ft t Y V i 1 E i l lf f t tJ r J Stay Back John S' S Stay ay Back 0 sary he heard a girls girl's voice olce lifted Muffled the sound was but he caught the last words clearly Stay back I s some me one had called and he lie thought the words were preceded by his own name I Stay back he lie had been heen warned But wh why stay back Shelter was wasn In n only one direction straight on towards that cabin from which his life had been attempted and he began began began be be- gan to run rUIl At an any leap now his flesh might be rent He took the only chance open to him and ran until blood roared In his ears and andas andas as he be dropped forward Into the snow another rifle shot crashed r again the missile clipping cUpping a bare birch twig from Its branch in n line with where his head had been heen Then as ns his pulses slowed he made out an odd Indistinguishable sound Bound coming from the cabin It rose and fell stopped began again Then another a mans man's voice cursIng curs curs- lag Ing sharply And a n shot On that the girl In the cabin screamed again His Ills name John I she called John Belknap Belknap Belk- Belk I nap I Are you OU hurt He stiffened at the muff muffled d sound raised his head In n an Ineffectual Ineffectual effort to s see e through the thick growth before him Not hurt I 1 he cried Not hurt I IThe IThe The rifle crashed A bullet tore through the screen of or boughs to his right Then silence once more A woman a woman who knew him had given warning What woman Ellen 7 he be shouted Her answer came from the close confines of the fur room oom John John are you all right Right I he yelled raising himself him self a n bit so his voice oce would carry better Is It Itou you ou Ellen Where are you ou J m Again Agan the rifle rOe shooting sp savage age nse- ly aimlessly now Six times shot after shot until echoes echoe came ringing ring ing back Right he shouted again Where are arc you ou 7 fur tur room At the east end Sta Stay safe she called He has a world of ammunition and Is shooting at nt you through the window i 1 4 Another voice then a muffled snarl of warning And on the sound John hunched bunched to his knees rose to a nearl nearly upright upright up up- right position pistol In his hand He could see now through the upper up per branches he saw n a movement mo within a n shadowy indistinct movement movement movement move move- ment and fired A pane palle of glass pulverized pul the figure In n there shifted shifted shift shift- ed cd quickly he shot again and his ball tore through the other of the two windows he could see sec He dropped for shelter and cried out Stay back Corbel Gorbel I Ill I'll drill you jou shelp me mel melHe I He pressed his bIs bod body against the r stump but the man Inside did not reply with words or gunfire All manner of Impulses of hopes of fears a vast array of ot miscellaneous miscellaneous laneous and conflicting emotions surged through John Ellen here mere with Corbel Gorbell Ellen under the same roof with a u man mun who had hadi i e nothing to lose loso but his liberty now I II I Why had she come Vh Why had Corbel Gorbel Cor Gor- tia bel bet borne so straight for Cor this tidy place Ellen I 1 he be called suddenly y Iran fran J tic You alt nit right Right l I Her Ifer voice was fainter now husked husted with tears The rifle spoke n again aln six hark bark Ie v. v shots allots and on the the thelast last John Jolin leaped up Two small winnows tanked the cabin door on this the western exposure He ran for the end of the build build- buildIng building Ing sinking deeply floundering and straining until he be threw himself flat flatIn flatIn flatin In the great drift at the corner He wriggled close against the log wall holding the pistol at ready holding I his hi breath listening No sound came to Indicate that Corbel Gorbel hall had seen him close In John removed the snowshoes and I crept along the wall movements silent silent si sl si- si l lent nt in the new snow ducking low lowas lowas lowns as ns b lu passed the near window coming to a n halt beside the door Two I he counted as the rifle rOe crashed once more After another another an an- other wait waft he could whisper Three I And then Four Five and six shots hots then and spruce branches were clipped off oft and dropped and lud feet sounded on the cabin floor And then John Belknup had hIs ills left hand on the latch his shoulder to the stout I door was swinging It op open n. n No turning back now lie shoved sho with all his strength and the legs lega of the table which had set across the entry rumbled on the planks as John pushed it sideways He lIe had a n look at a drawn and haggard face stamped with terror and cruelty as Corbel Gorbel rifle In to one hand the other outstretched for tor cartridges scattered on the cot swung to face this Intrusion Drop It I snapped Belknap Drop prop that gun I He could have fired then and felled Corbel Gorbel In his tracks but he did not He was no killer not when the weapon In the time others other's hand was empty empt But an ab empty empt rifle riOe Is a weapon nevertheless He saw the tiie quick bracing of Corbels Corbel's feet observed ell the short sharp gesture with which he hurled the gun He lie ducked quite sure suie of himself too sure of himself The butt of the rifle missed his head as It t sailed towards him but the barrel trailing dropping dropping drop drop- ping as ns It came rapped him across the skull It was a heavy blow His Hs cap was protection enough to turn It from a stunning shock to simple bewilderment for a n second or ora ora ora a fractional second He fired as Gorbel Corbel rush rushed ell He fired quickly with v Intent to kill but he fired tIred blindly too was off balance when he squeezed The bullet found some other mark and Corbel Gorbel was upon him bm beating him down sprawling over him as the pistol knocked from Johns John's grasp skittered acro across s the floor Locked together they rolled over with a mighty threshing of legs upsetting the table coming to rest against It John held head now cleared on top grappling for Cor Gorbel's Corbels throat The bod body beneath him h heaved arell and bowed It was like steel with the strength of desperation They were up again locked once more and John could feel reel ragged breath hot on his cheek check He lie struck shuc at the hand which groped for Cor his hs throat He stamped on Corbels Corbel's feet They had an nn Instant of blows toe to toe and th then n Corbel Gorbel was at Johns John's throat lie tore at the locked grip and could not break It He Hedroe drove e his his' knee upward and though r idL I 0 i r Things Began to Grow Fuzzy to Darken the ilie force lifted Corbel from his feet teet his throttling hold did not weaken Things began hean to grow fuzzy to darken A buzzing sounded In la his ears growing louder Ills legs went limp and he lie sagged eel to the hoar Corbel leaned over o him both hoth ha hn 13 locked on Johns John's throat heedless of the other hands eln clawing at Hl atI them I t it t a man mau with a Ii t u of work to do o cant can't fall can call he Not when failure means tragedy can enn he John Belknap struck hard the blow landed squarely on Corbels Corbel's mouth and John was free with the sweet air flooding his throat with the buzzing dying out but as he rolled over the other kicked His HIa pac toe caught John in the side threw him against the wall knocking knockIng knockIng knock- knock Ing down an ax which was leaning there He was free but Gorbel Corbel also was free and scrambling towards the stove stooping over to retrieve the pistol y He gave a crow of triumph as asbe ashe ashe he be whirled weapon In his b hand nd He brought the muzzle to its mark but butas butas butas as he pulled he ducked clucked because an anax anax anax ax was swinging towards him flung hastily and none non too surely A man manon manon manon on his knees cannot seize sebe an ax and fling It all In one ane movement and be sure But nut It was good enough The tongue of ot flame flamo spurted wide and Corbel Gorbel fell hea heavily lly as ns the time ax head caught him full on the chin John was on his limp body In an instant He ha had the hands crossed on the small of the time mans man's back pinned there by a knee as ns he stripped his own belt from his waist He felt the other struggle slightly as ho he took the first hitch about those hands and he lie struggled led harder In a second but It did him no good He might curse and threaten and thresh the time floor with his body He De was bound securely He lIe was through I CHAPTER XIV JOHN JOlIN JOHN found her cowering against the wall He lifted her slowly to her feet Its lilts all right Ellen l I he said gently Its all over o l 1 He lIe led her out into the wrecked room which showed Paul Corbel Gorbel bound hand and foot Coot In a chair leaning forward sobbing straining with futile movements mo against his lis bonds The man look looked ell up then He stared at them with glazed e eyes es ats at's what you oU wanted I he lie croaked what you OU want want- wanted ed ed ed g at them as the they stood John supporting the tIie girl b by an nn arm about her shoulders why you oU came eh No Gorbel Corbel 1 I didn't know or It would have haye been why I 1 came with witha a warrant that Nat Bradshaw tried to serve sene And therell there'll be another for tor you OU by now For murder maybe Corbel Gorbel- II Murder Murder ills His voice olce was shrill and he wrenched l his Is wrists against the unyielding belt No IINo no That cant can't be No murder Mistake Ill I'll tell you ou Belknap Belk Belknap nap D n D-n n mistake Ten Tell you you licking ou licking hIs Ills lips Ill tell jou ou Ill I'll ll trade with you ou Belknap John Ill I'll trade trado You got her now She's yours ours when she knows Ill I'll trade you what 1 know for this warrant you OU talk about I l Let me loose Ill I'll tell everything Im not going to untie you OU Gorbel Gorbel Gor- Gor bel John said evenly while he watched us as one fascinated the play of desperation on an that teat wretched countenance and felt Ellen press closed to him Oh Ob yes you ou will I 1 Tears sprang to Gorbel's Corbels eyes Ill give you all you want no now v for just a moments moment's start I 1 Ill I'll go away Ill I'll stay Ill I'll never bother you again You Youcan Youcan Youcan can go to your father then and tell him you OU found out what he be couldn't Great man old Tom smart But you'll be smarter than he He licked his lips Ups a again aln See It'll give you OU prestige that's what you want now after Ellen there Prestige with the old man Yes That's It I 1 r You ou can tell him how I crossed him up North Star Lumber company Ever hear of ot I 1 1 1 That's me P Paul ul Corbel Gorbel Dummy company compan In St St. Paul I got the good grades of lumber at cull prices see I paid with notes at the Belknap a Corbel Gorbel 1 bank In I took It all every dime of ot It Papers Paper's no good worthless Belknap Gorbel Corbel d have been Insolvent In an another ther year If 11 It hadn't been for you ou When old Tom got suspicious we forged Inspectors Inspector's reports and changed car numbers on him Ho He couldn't check up North Star looks great on paper St St. Paul banks like us But It was me all allme me mel See Your finding make a hit with hm him He laughed shrilly Arson Arson John Got Cot that warrant Give It to me now Ive I've come clean you ou gl give me a break Oh dont don't l Dont Don't let him go on I Ellen whispered She buried burled her face on Johns John's chest and he gathered her close turning his back on Com b l whose chin now sagged low as he sobbed hoarsely Hold It l I he whispered mout against her ear Hold It old fel fellow fellow el low Jow 1 I Its It's an nn ordeal but but but- But worth It iii I She caught up his word and lifted her face to look Into his worth It to know oh John John How could I ever cr have believed belle It What a silly blind girl I- I I 1 She might have said more had hat his lips Ups not stopped her words They stood so In that tha t first long kiss It was evening when that strange procession made malIc Its way Into Kamp ramp test feat John Belknap In the lead lend Wolf Richards behind him dogs and toboggan nn with Its bundled burden next and ana V II en walking in the trail the they made The town swarmed about them until John had to call on others to clear the way Night then and wires commenced to sing and the next mornings morning's newspapers told the story In bold bola headlines for Harrington to read In the Belknap Lumber com company pan offices of or 1 flees for others to read the world over some In a n Paris hotel Harrington could not get John tho the first dozen times he called because the bo boy with Ellen In the corridor outside sat at the bedside where Nat Bradshaw fought for his life lite Tell them Ill I'll answer no phone calls he whispered to Ellen That goes until Nat Is until a n change comes II I And so other telephone calls caUs had time to be made e even en calls which spanned the ocean It was e evening before the doctor who had leaned over the bed with such concentration for so man many minutes this time straightened with a sigh I Well Nell he said It lilt looks like aYou n a I I You mean hes he's going to make e eIt It I John whispered The head on the pillow moved moored the e eyes es owne opened and looked up 1 at them blinking II Course Johnny Nat peed Sure thing And then a n boy could be bo free to ease case a distracted central to sit In Inthe Inthe the flue hospital office and converse converse In Harrington's methodical wa way of ot con conversation ersa I guess the newspapers n newspapers had It all aJI then lien he sn said after he had hall listened for long Im all ail right I Nat's going to live were we're all set here bere and I guess youve you've spent enough on tolls toUs Tolls I Walt Wait until you ou see the toll bill for a talk Ive I've had hind with your father today Hes He's In n Paris and read tho the bulletin In the tile Heralds Herald's Heralds Herald's Her lier- I ald's aIds edition over there He got me meon meon meon on the wire and 1 luckily u the afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon editions were coming off so I could give ge him some details Ho He I says first that hes he's on his way home borne on the next boat Next he wants me to read you a n letter that he left with me to be opened In Incase incase n case well In ln case caseR a cathedral fell feU on him was the way he lie put It Its It's dated in December the day he left lett He wrote It Just before you came In from Witch Hill I guess This Is It Dear Johnny Johnny-I Johnny Johnny-If If you read this It will be because the doctors overlooked over over- overlooked looked a n lot Jot of shakes and blow- blow downs when they cruised m my Insides insides In- In sides two weeks ago Ive I've kept my mouth shut about being under the weather time enough to worry folks when theres there's a cause especially especially espe espe- cally your our mother They tell me that three months of ot rest will put me spry u again aln I hope they're right for tor a lot of or reasons but only one of ot them frets me much This Is because If It I hit the grade for the last time now you ou are Ie going to beat me to finding out just how big a monkey Ive I've been me made de deIn In the operation Yes son things are wrong up there I Iguess Iguess Iguess guess you OU were Ight In your estimate estimate esti est estI I mate of ot Corbel Gorbel For over oer a year Ive I've been certain that a plenty Is being |