Show 4 THE RED LOCK LOC I I I Ir A Tale of the Flatwoods atwoods r B Bj By DAVID ANDERSON ANDERSONs s t. t Author Aut of The TK Blue BliM M Moon i TU Th B bU Cc c. CHAPTER XV I Continued II I y 25 25 I With a cry crr Jack caught up the Ithe unconscious girl In to his arms rm to j cover that she must have hate been In the i river for tor her garments were complete complete- Ij Iy I saturated and her hr hair hung lung about tier her shoulders sodden and dripping tripping lie was wrapping his hunting blouse about her when with a 0 startled ex exo he Jerked war away his hand land and held It up between his face and the sky It It was wal smudged with blood lie bent leut over the girt blood girl Wood WR was stream stream- streamIng Ing Ipg from her right shoulder and running run ron fling DIng down her side That last net bullet from the edge of the yard It yard It had found the core of n ft tragic target Picking her up In his arms he ran around to the kitchen da dashed hlll the tho door open and aad laid her ber on the sofa In the bitting room He lie had wrapped wrapped her In la blankets I matched snatched from th the parlor bedroom tore up a sheet for tor bands band bandages nod and was doing his bc best t to stop the blood when there came the sound of ot a n man running run ron and the next neat wo- wo woj ning across the tho yard J j went meat Uncle Nl Nick k doubtless by byi that lost lest shot shot coining coming as It did Old upon i f heels of ot the housekeepers housekeeper's story story- story was calling and a pounding at the tho sitting silting room door Jack threw It open olen r 7 hurt I 11 Ue he cried Quick r Doctor Arnold Arnold und and Aunt Liza and Sirs birs Irs Curry Without a II question lon the Id man num bur bur- tied away aw y t The The woodsman WOOdS had hod brought th candie can die out but of ot the room where the dead I f ij 3 robber lay closed the door and anil WOl doing his lIs best to stop atop the blood and andi i I restore the tha girl to consciousness when the doctor ran I In A hurried hurried u r ed word or two to and ho lie was at atthe atthe the hurt burt shoulder The bullet bullet It It wall f his first c care care re With quick skill he hunt hunt- located It almost st fin Im- mediately It Just had missed the lung ranged upward and lodged barely be Death neath the skin at nt the top tOl of at the tho Ghoul Ghoul- der lie made s a small Incision and anti pr probed bed it out lie lle had bad washed the wound anI and had bad hadit it nearly n arly dressed when vh n Aunt Eliza came running In 10 followed An Instant later by Mrs Curr Curry flurried and pant pant- lag Ing Changing sodden gar gar- gar gar- meats for tor dry ones while the woodsman woods woods- man man built a fire In the kitchen llen sto o stove they laid her b warm worm blankets In time parlor bedroom Picking up the candle the woodsman ro door threw open the door of the room where the dead robber lay and end motioned for tor the two men Even the doctor started aghast at athe w v st wet Alia he huddled form turm sprawled there among the littered spat blood money Uncle Nicks Nick's muttered cry cry- brought the two women running from the sick room to gaze with the others others awed to silence by the tragedy that had bad again atalo visited the quiet cot cot- tage The Th woodsman well knew that questions questions ques ques- tion would be flashing through each mind mind had had been since Ince the discovery of or hurt knew burt knew that each ench looked to him for tor the answer A low moan came from the parlor bedroom That last treacherous shot shot shot-he he knew that the theman theman man with th tho the red could n never ver come come back It had bad been a mistake t to shield him a blunder to trust him him him- 1 n k tt blunder that was Wal being paid for tor at a II fearful cost The doctor was the first to break the silence t What does es this mean the mean the question ques ques- w tion lOD was half olfa a demand It means Caleb means Caleb Hopkins was the bard Incisive answer The doctor started the two women caught their breath Uncle Nick swore f tilt felt lt shamed ashamed of ot It It looked foolish This dead the man man the woodsman dropped a hand toward the huddled form Is form Is mock Black Bogus Rogus The two women wont wom- en en looked at each other shrank back bock The doctors doctor's eyes eYE lifted he drew a astep astep step nearer and gazed hard at nt the body bod II Him and Hopkins and und Loge Logo Belden Delden the man was about to tl say sa but thought of ot the mountain girl and ond he he- he didn't besides field nelden Belden en had not shown n himself lt at the robbery robbery both outlaws and counter Hopkins would take good money out of ot the safe and put bills In place of ot It It It was that him that killed lap Tap Simon that that Is lap Tap Simon n run ruo out on Im hn that night while he be was the c counterfeit tr tOr good money mont money and In the scuffle died of ot heart disease That abet shet off their game of ot course no 80 so they planned t V t make wake a clean sweep and una go went t t town and anti writ writs s back u a letter t Texie makin out Kwas It K was from from In Ken The Thel letter said he was wall sick In town and wanted er t t orve corpe corce to Im lm So she he went leavin a note aute with ill 1111 curry Gurry f tr fr r mt me Th The minute min min- ut ute ute I 1 got the note I It was was was- Hopkins IM Id ben beli suspicious of lm I and aud had bad ben tm to so I rode after er r as quick as us I could Could clean clean t t the city t V the place pines where whre the letter C said Did Ken Lien was sick found I was wall off oft t the trail troll rode back as t fast st as ns Graylock Graylock Gray Gray- lock could bring me t try and pick 1 It k up op d to I found where re Hopkins had hen headed dell r Texie off up the ways roada ns and go goer goter got er on that house-boat house Uncle Nick Kick and the rest of ot us saw law hid there at t the head bead of ot Mud haul the day Ilay we wen went But Dut I t found wl where ere hed he'd hid Jt it at Alpi Al AI Alpine Al- Al pi pine no Island and watched Mm hn sneak back to the woods woods t t watt walt rr fr dark a aI as asI I lowed As AI soon loon as he be was out o o 0 sight Bight I took is skiff crossed to th the them ther r r m It f Y Ii without stand Island got en n the house-boat house without Texie know I was there and found out she wa was safe Then without er know U It was me Ine I moved the house boat and hid ild It In a new place left lett he ht her locked In because n I thought It would be the safest place she could be then then then- and hurried here bere t watch the house holtse ully fully bl they levin the they Intended t rob the sate afe About midnight they come I I- I tilled Black HIack Bogus and hurt Hopkins but ut he got he-got got away Texie mu must t a broke out o 0 the houseboat boat somehow and swum ashore I t didn't know It but ut she he was comin Into the yard when I Jumped out o 0 the winder after and that last shot he fired at gt me hit her It was a tremendous recital brief terse erne not quite true yet ret anything but by far the longest speech he had tad ever made In his life lite even o with so o much left leCt out lie He saw questions till still In the eyes yes fixed upon him A AmORn mORn moan came from the parlor bell bedroom bedroom- room room- and every other consideration gave wn way vay to the sufferer Alone Alon with le Nick the woodsman woods woods- nan man securely fastened thee the I window that hat had been pried open closed thedoor the door loor on the gruesome scene and went vent to o the kitchen Curious faces were be beginning be- be ginning to gather In fn the yard lie He turn turned d to the till old man Uncle U Nick his voice showed the the train strain he was vas under under send send them n away Tell Idt Vm em n us liS little as possible jut hut for hEr for her sake keep tent em III away away- ferry Jerry Brown above nil 1111 nil If It h hd l happens t tl wake woke up and take It mu fa ts head t COlU come conns up her here And I t low yu U git somebody t ride In after attEr the coro curo- ner nor norThe The old oM man nodded and turned to the door The other Caught his sleeve And when Its It's light I wish yuil yu sneak up Eagle Kagle holler a n little ant and a S 1 G n A m t o m It Meant Mean Caleb Hopkins Hopkin Was Wa the Hard Incisive Answer kinda throw an aa eye out f fr r Loge Bel- Bel den The brows of ot the old hunter lifted I wandered pondered why yu U left lett him out In there Ho IIO jerked hi his head Gad toward to the room they had hot Just jut left The next moment with a step that the years ears seemed powerless to totter or stiffen he had hud glided gilded through the kitchen door and out among the time curious curious curi curl ous faces facea Inthe yard ard CHAPTER The Sprawled Figure on the Broken Floor The 1110 sleepless night wore Itself out morning came to the cottage and still lived On the heels of ot the dawn Uncle Nick poked his head bend In at ut the kitchen door and motioned with his finger The Tile woodsman lifted his liU face from his bis hands rose and went out Without a word the old man turned tume-d and with another very positive motion of ot his hand led Id the way across the corner of ot the yard Into the little park out through the fallow tullow pasture lot and to the l Eagle Kagle 11 Hollow ow road Well within the dim gray jaws of the hollow he paused When I m nose up the crl k this mornin as you OU said I noticed thedoor thedoor the tho door o 0 that ol of cabin whar lien Hen Spencer Spen Spen- err clr raised i the devil that night IS part way 01 open 11 I It hadn't ben open fr years so 80 I snuck muck up and peeked In III Come on on With the long lon lanky hanky running stride that he had hod probably copied from the Indians the old ranger and I nd scout closely followed by the young oung nun man trotted away up the gulch Climbed the fence In front of ot the cabin of ut the d dead ad woodchopper ran up through the time wet dew weeds weds to the the opened half door pushed it It wider wilier and entered There on the time dusty tool boards partly twisted on his side his bis face t staring up one arm ann crumpled under him with a dirk knife burled buried to the hilt In his breast breust sprawled the man mun that called culled himself Caleb Hopkins dead The woodsman stooped over the body looked up curiously at his hili aged companion cO Do fi ya know Its Hopkins Look close The old man roan glanced Ian d at his companion companion com com- panion caught the odd expression In his bl eyes stooped over th the sprawled figure cure and bent his hla e eyes eye Intently upon the he dead face slowly shook his bit heatS head Course Coune I 1 dont don't low Is II nam names name's Hop flop op dm n a moren mine U Is fl he be muttered but It Its It's the best I 1 lean can doThe do The woodsman stooped raked the themus mass mus of ot hair down brought the red lock ock Into view spread hi his hand over the he lower part of the the tae fact to bid hide bid the thebaud baud i iBy By the lord lord lien Ken Colin Colw Jack took Ills his hand awa away from over ont the he beard scraped the hair carefully back mck Into place They say sar that red lock comes down from rom ol of ted lied Colin CoHn a sea ea pirate hundreds hun bun of years yean ago that It shows up op every three r four tour generations al al- along with It a drop r 1 two taro wo of t bad blood It shore played the devil dedI with Ken ill It I was Uncle Nicks Nick's thoughtful comment robbed comment robbed Fobbed and murdered murde Is ol of man an an then preached Ms is 1 funeral Lord funeral Lord I IA l lA A short silence fellI fell tell I 1 could a killed lm there at the sate the woodsman mused half halt to himself but I I I-didn't I only shot away Is gun gUIt and fought Im fair When he was down dun with Is hair all all' mussed up and the red rd lock worked out ut In III sight that was the fir first t time I mi After that I tried t tave t save ave Ira and had let tot Im git away not he had another pistol hid on Im m. m When he thought e had hod me off ort guard he turned around quick and missed me and me-and and hit hit her her He lIe stood a long time silent his head bead h half lt bent aside his thoughts doubtless back mck where a hapless s sufferer lay moaning mooning turned turnell at nt lost last gazed at the knit knife burled buried to n II gruesome depth In Intha inthe he the mussed blood shirt front front of ot thIS the the fallen alien man nian glanced up at his old friend and and found Cound the set deep eyes eye's him In thoughtful retrospection lon tion Uncle Nick what sort of ot a lock tock have ha yu 11 got pot on yut yur Jaw Tight as a clam shell If It you rou say lay so 6 wo was the ilie ready reddy answer Im lock It his it his words were w re serious and slow It use t worry worry her her he Jerked hid Ills head hOOd down the tte gulch gulch- gulch by by by er r find Hud out It was him lie Ile goz gazed d' d down at i tl the e sprawled d body Im askin you t tend tend t out ut and Mm and anti be t keep kelp Ms is s combed sos so's s 's the red ed lock lock- dont don't show Nobody wo would ld know enow Mm only by that The way way- he heind pad ind c cobbled bbl tl up them uv-them them clothes and anel nd specs spec's and ond whiskers and nd the way wayt d t talk talked d and Is Ms face tace puckered up the way vay e kep kel It It lie he didn't look a bit more tore like Ken In Colin Cohn than you rou do Stay 1 here ere re and Ill I'll send Al up with Doctor Arnolds Arnold's stretcher t hep y carry corry lm In n. n He lIe stooped to straighten the dead deadman deadman deadman man a and and a subconscious act oct of ot compassion com com- passion perhaps to perhaps to get the cramped arm out from under unde-r him As he moved the he ann arm the frock coat cOnt tell fell open and a alece apiece apiece piece of ot soiled white paper stuck In a pocket locket of the vest caught his eye He lIe drew It forth glanced over the dozen orso or so so scra scrawled VIed words and passed the paper to Uncle Nick The old man muttering something about not having his glasses along pa parsed tied ed It back and the be woodsman rend read aloud This lies man no preacher Ship Finger Doolin lies the slickest forger torge-r and ond that ever er lived and devilish de light fingered with a six gun un He lIe ruined my mr slater sister That's why hIs flea les dead lIe He aint no human lies got gothe the he guts of ot a snake and the devils blood why I knifed Im fetid IV yr ira im white It Jt wont Je ie e no use me cause yu ru wont ketch me LOGIC LOGE A long silence followed the reading of the time note The woodsman was the first to break It ItI It I aint t toll follow ow lm Mm he said while a n spark of ot flint Hint narrowed his eyes eyes a es a a man back his sister that like Ike that I low Mow hes he's about as black block as the devil makes em was the old hunters hunter's thoughtful comment as he slowly reached for tor his pipe but well we'll hat haf t consult Mm one one white hitI feather teather lIe He kicked Black mack Bogus Bogus' box to the open door stood It on end sat down anti and scraped his match on the doo door doo- doorjamb jamb With a final word of qt caution td to keep secret the Identity of ot the dead man the tile woodsman hurried away At the Inquest an hour or so later Jack merely repeated the statement he had hod made the night before belore Of Ot Loge Belden and antI his sister sister knowing knowing at last lust her lier pitiful secret he lie let fall tall no word Th The house-boat house when he went to Its place hiding days later Inter had hod peal d They fhy had bad gone Jone with It They Thy were never ne followed TO DK UE CONTINUED |