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Show ty Harold Titus- rViiKK mir'H ' a. - CHAPTER XIV Continued 16 "Dawn!" he called loudly as he shoved open the door. "Hello, who's here " He had crossed the threshold, peering Into the gloom, a sudden and cold misgiving sweeping him. "Turn back; withdraw!" a small voice warned but before he could gather himself a blow struck him and he went down under a heavy, living weight. But as Elliott went down, with his assailant on top, he drew his knees upward, bowed his back and with a trick of rough-and-tumble fighting used the very impact which had floored him to toss the man on beyond. lie heard him curse, saw the other turn as he pitched across the floor and scrambled to his feet. "Brandon!" he cried hoarsely as a savage joy swept him. Brandon did not speak. He rushed with head lowered. Great arms wrapped Ben's body, a head drove Into the pit of his stomach, driving driv-ing the breath from his body. He fell to the floor fighting, but his blows were weak, Ineffective. A hand clutched at his throat and he tore at It with all his strength. The fingers shut down on the windpipe and he writhed under that agony, summoning all his courage, all his will to break free, to outlast that strangling pressure. But he could not do It. He went numb ; his brain clouded. He lay still and then after a time, sweet air poured again into his lungs. That was all of which he was aware for a long interval: air, bathing bath-ing his tortured chest Air, which had been denied him by the strangling stran-gling grip of a man's hand. That thought burned away the haze which enveloped him and he started to throw himself over, to rise, to be up and fighting. But he found that he was unable to move. His hands were stretched out above his head ; a harsh bond held each wrist helpless. He tried to kick and failed. His feet were locked together and held there as by a great weight. Footsteps, then, came across the floor, and Nicholas Brandon looked down at him in the dim light, a whisky bottle in his hand, swaying a bit on unsteady feet. "So!" he grunted and laughed. "So you fell for it! So you followed fol-lowed your blessed Dawn, eh?" He went off into a tantrum of crazy laughter. Ben twisted slowly against his bonds and discovered that the rope which bound him was wet. He could no more free himself without with-out aid than he could hope to fly. "It worked !" Brandon cried. "G d, how it worked! 'Dawn!' you yelled like a fool, standing outside out-side there. 'Dawn !' . . . And then stepped Into my trap, eh?" He sat heavily in a chair. "It all worked, even to the weather 1 You came alone. It's starting to snow. Nobody's nearer than the Hoot Owl and the smoke of a burning camp wouldn't be seen twenty rods a day like this." He leered. Smoke of a burning camp! Ben's racing thoughts connected that idea with the odor which filled the room. ... His fingers felt the strands of hemp that stretched from his wrists to the posts of bunks against the wall. Surely the rope had been soaked In kerosene. So it was Brandon's Bran-don's intent to leave him tied helpless, to fire the building. Then his mind centered on thwarting thwart-ing the scheme of this ruthless man gone wholly mad. . . . "Yeah. It worked ... so far," he replied, and grinned. Brandon snorted in contempt. "So far, yes ; and on to the end, it'll work. You're tied fast, aren't you?" leaning low so Ben could see tlie cruel lights In his eyes. "You're tied hand and foot! I'll touch the camp off. You'll roast . because be-cause this old camp'll burn like h 1 Itself! They'll find your bones here; they'll find an empty whisky bottle. That's all they'll find." Brandon had schemed competently: competent-ly: no detail which would Impli-cate Impli-cate him seemed to have been over looked. StiU, fear did not manifest itself in Elliott's heart; only con tempt was there for a man so mer ciless. Contempt and a stout deter mination to stall for time. "You're smart, Brandon," he said "I'll admit that. The plan's so good I m surprised that you overlooked a bet. The other turned sharply "tt!" he C"rsed isivelv. What dyou mean, a bet?" "A little thing. A thing a,most anybody might overlook. But It's bound to come to light if r don.t show up, and one murder charge's as good as another. Vm tal " about a letter Don Stuart wrote me just before he died." "Stuart didn't know! He knew nothing, I tell you! He wasnt even here! He took Faxson's word for it and even Faxson didn't know He was asleep in that room righ there pointing "and be came out while we were talking and Mac went crazy and" Elliott could not restrain the Impulse Im-pulse to laugh in a wild shout of triumph. "While we were talking! bo that's it! And you've sworn that you weren't here that night 1 And you were here after all!" "I wasn't here. ... I wasn't here. Wasn't here, I tell you. . . And McManus won't dare come back, with a warrant waiting. . . . He won't dare . . . won't dare. . . ." "So you admit, as the rest of us now know, that McManus didn't throw himself into the river that night, eh? So you admit he still lives, do you?" "Admit nothing . . . nothing. . . . He's a murderer, I tell you. . . . And I wasn't here . . . He's a murderer, mur-derer, I tell you. . . . And I wasn't here . . . wasn't here. ' . ." He rubbed his palms together, looking about dully, like some hunted, hunt-ed, haunted thing. ... And back to the northward three people came through the darkening forest on Elliott's trail, bending low against the mounting storm. Two men were ahead, beating down a track for the girl who followed, pleading with them now and again for more speed. Ben watched Brandon narrowly. The man's mind, under the influence influ-ence of the whisky he had taken to goad himself to go through with his murderous plan, and beneath the shock of Elliott's fortunate shot In the dark, was cracking. Ben needed need-ed time, now; he spoke: "I've a proposition, Brandon. How'd you like to trade? How'd you like to have Stuart's letter for, say, the use of my hands and feet for a minute?" Brandon come slowly close and leaned over him. "Mean that? Where is It?" craftily. "My affair." Even then, he could feel the bill-fold in his breeches pocket where old Don's letter reposed. re-posed. "What d' you say?" Brandon's fingers plucked at his lips. "For the letter. And for word of McManus, I might, Elliott I might trade your liberty for" He checked himself with a grunt as if realizing that he had by his own words placed himself completely complete-ly in -Elliott's hands. "To h 1 with you and your questions!" ques-tions!" Brandon snarled, straightening. straight-ening. "To h 1 with you, Elliott! I'm not afraid of lies and McManus was so drunk he never knew what happened ! "They'll find your bones," he growled between teeth which remained re-mained clamped to still their rattling, rat-tling, "They'll find . . . after a while . . . your rotten bones." From beneath the sink he dragged an oil can and sloshed its contents along the walls, across the floor, over Ben's body until Elliott lay In a pool of inflammable liquid "You crossed me ("Brandon cried digging into a pocket "From the moment you hit town, you did what no one else had dared do! you kept it up, turning them against me, slipping through every trap I which f0UDd the which he searched. "But you sealed your doom when you took me on, Elliott!" The match flared it s over now, you fool I lfs the trail Faxson took for ,ou" Cross Nick Brandon? U-l He took one step to a pile' of 'nii drenched debris against he oi ' soaked wall. Ue bent forward ,, apply his torch and stopped as f frozen, hand extended oenina tiim came Martin . . Dawn sua down the s e p , t the entry the burning curl of tin l dropped to th n tinder whirfed. "0r and I!l'nuon "Get him, Tim!" erleri n ic,Thisz,Mr'; frantically, but mil, i , fo"Kht him down, Q "ckly thy bore "Take that!" Tlm' lowed. "Kd tl, .J0'00 "' The sound of k ., U the wor lM " ''-h ""articulate shouts ' ' ' "'N,s' Dawn's frantic ' U," Ther''re are '" with a long, gagging sound from Brandon. Tim rose, looked around the room and moved to where Elliott's prone figure showed indistinctly In the gl"Well I'll be d d!" he said. "Get up. . What? What's this?" "Trussed up, Tim. Cut me loose. Hurry 1 This is going to be a great party!" A knife blade clicked open; the oil-soaked ropes parted. Ben lurched to his feet. Dawn, running into the kitchen of the camp she knew so well, came back with a lamp, its reservoir half filled. The wick was lighted and the shadows of the room retreated. "WTe seen the note," Jeffers muttered. mut-tered. "Dawn there, 'd come out We suspected you were In trouble and-" "Never mind about me, now," Ben broke in. "But you're all that matters!" Dawn said. "Ben. ... It was my note that decoyed you. It was an old one, written to him. He'd saved it" Elliott smiled and covered her hands with his. "Never mind anything that has to do with me. I'm only an accident in this. It's going to be a wonderful wonder-ful day, dear Dawn. This part Is tough for you, but . . ." He gave his head an emphatic twist, smiled at her In assurance, then, putting her gently aside, stepped close to Martin. "Let him up, now . . . Here. . . . Into this chair, Brandon." He stood back a pace and rubbed his chin with a knuckle. "We've got this citizen in quite a stew," he said. "He schemed to get me out here and did a good job." He looked at Dawn quickly. "I hadn't even had time to wonder about that note. It doesn't matter, though. You saw me tied, there; that rope's soaked with oil. The place Is drenched with It He was just touching her off when you three came in and It would have been as neat a murder as I've heard about in a coon's age!" "A lie!" Brandon muttered. "Was only trying . . . trying . . . letter. let-ter. . . ." "Have you forgotten what you admitted ad-mitted to me, Brandon?" Ben asked sharply. "You gave it away, gave yourself away !" 'You fool, you. You think you've got me cold, eh? You've nothing on me that'll amount to a snap of my thumb!" His gaze went back to The Wick Was Lighted and the Shadows of the Room Retreated. Dawn. "And I've watched you shrink and cringe all your life, and I'm glad now that it's warped you and weakened you " "Hold your tongue, Brandon!" That was Martin's voice breaking break-ing In. thickened and shaken with congested rage. He advanced toward Brandon slowly. He halted and did not speak for a long moment Eyes still fast on the other, he reached toward the table, groping for a pair of rusted shears which lay there. A cloud came over Brandon's eves and he blinked. "And you'd taunt hor with It! Because McManus disappeared!" Martin said slowly with low tensity. "Ah, It made a plausible case, Brandon. Bran-don. ... It, and your stories. . . ." Then he did a strange thing. He lifted those shenrs In a quick gesture ges-ture to his chin nnd a lock of the thick beard fell away. "And you'd make lives h 1 because be-cause you held the power. . . . And you'd write to the hiding, skulking McManus for years and toll him she was gone . . that she was married mar-ried . . that she tinted hor father's fa-ther's name, ch?" Another lock of hair fell, and another. Ills blue eves were burning, now, and Brandon's chin trembled as a look of horror crept Into his race. "I!t If he was to come back, Brandon, and swear to her with his own lips that he did not kill . . . swear so, to a girl like that. . . . Mie'd believe him, wouldn't sl,0? t-hed believe him, wouldn't she, and be at peace. ... At peace. . . . Ay. at peace with herself and . . . the one she loves." He cut the last lock from the bearded jaw and Hung awav the shears. Ho stood erect, spreading his hands. "Seel" ho cried. "See, Nick Bran-don?" Bran-don?" The , M u olll,r lmuU ng ,f t' rise, lie could t. lie lifted an arm as (hough to rend a blow IH'iinyP ht ohoked. "Denny Mc- Manut. . . v , you're a . .' Urek, He ended in a cowered back acaln! Beside Ben. D1, "16 He Put his arm Was"- sagged agaC'W, "So I wouldn't w the man they hart ?e "I came, Dawni v !; t0 tell yon that L ' C(:-Thatmyhear? C(:-Thatmyhear? Ju, er- her in hl8 ""t eek to her '" . -I'm not ait who killed Fa ' d I did andll0st, KUk; and then it J, . "" hidden. for yTaVr.: ten me thC . Wl0sH d, little d t stand it longer!'. croake'd. "A t "-re. In nt, Pay. ..." ".. McManus drew Dam, "Eu' you'U C Z You'll taowr- i, r "Wait!" cried Be, Listen! This thing, here, as me that he killed 11 ': He was herein t Faxson was shotHe! telling you! He admitted '' not ten minutes agol "I don't know Mch , rules of evidence"-tt,. bill-fold In his pocketl-f good guess about what d-had-to tell the night J; that Brandon has trapper He shook the soiled velope from the purse, -f this thing for weeks and I didn't read it . "Listen !" He ripped open the t Brandon, cowering agafe,, watched him with jaw a,. "I have been a cor read aloud. "McManas -Faxson. Brandon did. 'j-had 'j-had McManus drunk atj r ting him to sign away Ms s the partnership when F". to stop It Brandon st ": and when Mclianaa enough to understand, n that he Mciianus-had o McManus believed hia i know what became ot 1! Brandon came to me beJ:-died beJ:-died and told me MdlaK. out and that, if I did not s;-Faxson s;-Faxson said McManus she-; he would send me to tte : stealing from the compaa;,: God's truth. I was ara'i ard. I am sorry I did dm ; ycuis tifui'vi." ' Brandon's head was twit;: "Lie," he gasped. ", , . t bum. . . ." "So lie, Brandon. It's : Ben said without heat, quite : Tim Jelfers turned ti S smiling gently, and as fe Brandon sprang forward ' wild cry he gained the ; snatched it open and pb:: side. "Get him !" Tim crie-i i Manus followed, leaping the gloom of late afterE: "Don't leave me alone: Ben !" It was this cry of Dai: arrested Ben on the thrs turned to see her swari: "Hold me! Hold met Ah, Ben, dear!" Her arms clasped t; : she began to cry softlj. "Easy !" he sid c "Easy, now ! It's all f Everything's over!" No sounds of the thtt7 fled into the darkness f-many f-many minutes and the: Jeffers stamped grid1 : room. He did not speaSs looked Inquiringly i : waited for the man & known as John Siar;-came Siar;-came slowly, this a heavily. "Compensation," beeper bee-per as he advanced t5i arms outstretched Mad Woman has him- started Into tks'c; supposed to have ; fession of murder. . went tonight . fle s. and I. . 'e atf ' under the ice. . ( , It was after mi&--; group assembled In Home. Tim lJ. Sweet, Denny McW-Ben McW-Ben Elliott sat rs;. the long, low li;-; Aunt Em "sleii kitchen. Little was said Em appeared, brt with gln "d ' : walked into a , Fiddlesticks. UUe it was a W ' . about the nPl' has sect, in . one spoke- N ' self and looked faces iu dlnlst- tongm'sr chuckled "J smiled. ,,,,kfi': Tin, had sakl - . hi ft. f t low colllnpH ro . clear win- " II looked Hheot. gesture of - |
