| Show r R r. r 1 1 7 f 4 I 1 r ay ayWIN wiN NU NII w. w p. p t w SYNOPSIS r r our ft s led la of seven liven Ten lan Is la n It i IM see tb the tb burning bumm lumber Jack Snow W u II Y tern to t ve wl with h foci mother of Kerry's Instructed Kerry to toT hu I od id T in fie containing coat In the th camps camp De endangered Js 11 dome H u be endangered sort Suck the fps office and Kerry precious ale Hie and ToJ Tod a in JIll I mea art To Tod acta ct queerly lu Atae At Attin tin JIll ait Ee Is le found empty empt and ands s 1 burned ned with taking the 4 Seow bit hll headquarters 13 11 tone con Is ls ruined and soon loon It tales HIM leaving Kerry to the Kerry suspects pea to even the score core o office Kerry now Inand InId In la lai i ul Id an sn expert woodsman f t fps whereabouts of West M s a lovely lovel girl from a ato who to proves to be b. West alona to pauperize pauperise the tb girl net nef she thanks thank Kerry and andl ot of l the lit robbery robber and murder and of Tod's Tod advances cadet a lumber tract which t t It k lid hid i purchased from West m camp ramp At the general generali i Wears Landing he h. finds pled In a poker gam game Jim Umber limber employee 10 loses hear bea exposes rods Tod's cheating I e him The Th crowd I Is le unet un un- rf it of Tod's Tod duplicity Kerry to West Wast who de de- vhf him biro and advises him himi i t torn ton Nan Kan an tells tell Dr Esra Eara rf If Kitty's Kittys rescue of ot her from io if 01 Wilt Wals threat Ezra Ear who If lilts Kerr Kerry and appoints racers racer's clerk Suspicion of dw 11 wild had bad rested reeled on Holt Bolt Stu Btu byes of et Downer and upon kl ay who 11 was cl cleared eared by Tod tot tur pea tas the fatal bullet and HI numbers of the stolen tolen DI to of 01 o which has baa jut just been Hams Adams It came out of the thein pm in 4 Tod orders Jim to run tit out ot 01 town Kerr Kerry discovers leg or spied upon by a breed MI II to Kerry Kerr with a warning toil ooL suf Kerry answers with a alu aIu lu Xu hires Kerry Young res 1 Il Je I daughter from drowning j II alb the lit water Frank od who hd hed spied on aD Kerry ell to t to ta drown Kerry Young I fill VIII him I APTER VI Continued VI-Continued Continued 7 7 Impact ot his body on the nude Bide a I mighty splash He lie I 9 tV Immediately shaking his tar liar ind end treading water stet you yon tInk you yon doln I gasped What you you you- sink Ink t I knocked you loose ai I a beginning I 1 old aid hotly hoU And Im I'm stand ito t 10 wit walt for you to come up n ID knock you yon In as fast asse as all asae ae se rp ap p Injun That Is It If til Ip sp on this side If It you i s keep out of trouble with within witha in a swim yourself across r ud itay ta there I Get that I T a PI P I. I 1 bo So you yon h I i defiant deflect curse the man i j swimming for the f forbid forbid- n are ind and Young hitching at t ti i followed slowly along the ready read for tor a second t Jt had not gone far t reward at that dark and 11 tace when he hesitated 1 Wy ll and turned striking r Rests West's Landing swimming I otter latter CHAPTER VII VIIi B B and Ind some enemies and Est i st t the v beginnings of some JI T pondered those posses posses- J I Is be spent a drizzly an after his hi camp Permanent u 9 er dirk dark as es he sat Bat In Nan Nail t I and talked to her t It wart Stoart he wondered Just sin thIa quick spoken high Youth h was I going to fit In Scheme BI of ot things IP to him as one who Come to rapid deform de de- for form lad Perhaps snap judg t Iu In yet let Kerry had the e feel feel- his hie case the forester lilt nac Ud aud back reserving ng his esaud es- es opinion Holts Holt's eyes rested on Nan rf lof long Standing Not appeared Tests the lust IUSI that had been face yesterday after ftp stet riter but bit a R clean upright t t. t and Ind something deeper withdrew San n after a tune time and Ind Kerry I the alone The treat creal Sing room of one S open i. i s on 00 the hearth earth rth ma there tile Ble girl l said u Ir talk k lets near Tn the fire carted d In OB A a massive i lODe ode ann arra side C e of ot the rest lVa sat e hearth I the oPPosite her II nn and 1 sigh talk of the Job Tip TIr I as 00 ot of contentment hi IlcI aide Me I rheo before re the a pan pause e c came me In ot of the Be girls girl's eyes rested S I lovely tl d Ind ture I she n the he tIe ye retriever open r his tall IS as It r understanding and appreciating the compliment Nan and Kerr Kerry lau laughed hed and Tip stretched and sighed luxuriously and flopped his tall again It was late when he be left lett Nan an agreement reached and ready to report In the morning to work at the big drafting board lie Ue had not gone far tar when he be felt Tip come a bit closer and then thena a vague figure detached Itself from the shadow of a pine tree The hall when It t came though cautious and low was not un nu- nu friendly Young That you yon Young Tot Yol I What's What up op The other approached and the then n Kerry halted baited Its Jim Young Oh Oil hullo Jim I now hows the girl Fine I All AU right I P 1 looking about cautiously I I wonder I If It f I could git you yon to stop here a minute minute minute min ute ute I got I got to say ISI to you yon Young I Ine Ino no ne was wholly sincere and ao not t at all aU at ease That e which had been on display early earll t Inthe In Inthe n the morning was wholly gone Well when a mans mane got to tat talk k why he's hes Just got to talk hasn't he her heT herI I I I t I dont don't want certain parties parties par par- ties ever to know I hunted bunted you up friendly Id be a skunk If I didn't say sal It after what you done for us os I aint even thanked you yet for Elsie back to us His Ills voice shook nil all I can say about that that that I 1 thank you That's all right Jim You need needn't nt even have said t that teat at much Ob Oh yes yea I I had to say sal that But that's the smallest part of It 1 I I got other things to say Young Im no good you yon know Im I'm i a hell of a citizen I drink and I gam gam- ble and I dont don't pay attention to my debts like I ought I dont don't amount to lint Hut Its It's only when happens like happened today today to to- today day that I sit git about It much And I got this to say sal because because because be be- cause of the things Ive I've been think think- In this flits I was lowern a snakes snake's belly to come to you like I did nd ad try to drive you out of this country 1 l Pause You see Its It's different erent now I That Is I come to you just after sunup like I like I believed believed believed be be- what the rest of em belIeve believe be be- l lieve that you framed up op some some- thin on Tod And you knew all along that i It t was real That he did cheat Another pause Then Yes In Yes 1 In Ina a whisper Something unusual here And you figure I am In danger now and you yoa i lured the same way this morning Then the change Is all In you yon Jim In your your attitude I might say I guess that's that to i It It t. t Young oung scratched his head bead and took a deep breath Its a little mile deep for me he laughed Aint It what a man thinks that counts more than what he does In voice was a sort of passionate passionate pas pas- plea for understanding Yes I guess youre you're right You see Young Young grasping grasping the front of Kerry's slicker and lookIng look look- Ing log quickly about about I I didn't want to come to you today I I knew you caught Tod crooked even en If I didn't dare let on to him nd ml tl the e rest But Dut I had bpd to make you think I didn't owe you yon any thIn That's what makes me feel like a skunk l' l lOh I IOb Oh Ob I 1 see ste Yes I see howit how howIt w It Is So It was necessary ary fa fayou for tor r you to make that play this mornIng morn morn- Ing That It Jim Almost reluctantly the man said sold Yes that's It It Id Id say that was a queer fix for fora fo foa r a man to get himself Into I told you I wasn't any good hut But you were ere wron wrung wrong You ar ore arl e some good a u lot of good Id I'd say If It you Ou weren't you wouldn't b be e waiting wailing for tor me here tonight to tr try y to lix up what youve you've broke Well It aint Its It's all I can lan do Young shook his brad hoad No 00 youcan you yoa youcan can do quite a little more mon Yo Yocan Youcan You Youcan u ur can t rill Ill me for tor Instance why you yon r thought thoO It necessary to e believe ft what hat West Vest said Instead of who what t your eyes ejes told you lie amounts to a lot aroun around I here Tod West does dols And you ilont dont dare darp cro cross him Not Oot much God Young roun If It f you rOil only knew knel I Im here Im I'm ready to listen But I cant can't tell you I Its It's that concerns you Its It's nothing you fOU know sunlit about U lie had started to back away awas Kerry Kerr mind tied lied clicking smartly real real- that here bere was perhaps an out out- side ald chance to I learn arn more morl of Tod Too West Rest than he be could learn from any anI other source lie He pressed his ad- ad Its It something that c concerns you though Jim It Its It's something that makes make you rou well ell that keeps you yon under West's West thumb That It ItT Or his hla heel beely I I The mans man's voice shook hook Youve had a lot to think about tOda today Youve You've made an face about and have come clean with me on on one on detail Now wouldn't It be the th smart thing to carry right on on To put yourself In la a position where you IOU could look an any man In the eye ere and say lal what you think and feel fet n Jim laughed harsh harshly I As If I 1 could I And what If I tried tried des des des What If It I tried You Yon think I want to find myself locked up and and and- Ills intentness had bad overridden his bis best Judgment Go 00 on Jim Locked up For what The man tuna was adamant refused to talk so gently firmly Kerry b began gan arguing urging for confidence playing on the funda I mental decency In Jim HInkle's HInkles heart I cant can't 1 I I cant can't I he burst buret out You Yon dont don't know Tod West Why to get what he wants hed he'd as soon charge an Innocent man with murder mur mur- der as not I There I 1 Ive I've said It I Murder Yes murder I If Id I'd try to get out of doln doin what he be wants me to do they'd have me In fa jail like Uke that that that snapping snapping hIs bis thumb thumb and and charged with killin Miss Nans Nan's father I But you yon were suspected weren't you yon Ive I've heard the story Yes I was And If It hadn't been for Tod West Nat Bridget Bridger the sheriff dve took me sure cure as hell belli l I But Bat when Tod told them be he played cards with you you you- That settled It It And If It you yon had been playing cards with him all aU that evening 1 q qI l I 1 I I f I h i II IIi i a I l a Then Why Has Ha He Got Anything On You Then wh why has he be got anything on you A long moment of silence fol fol- fol lowed Because all I know about what I happened that night Is what Tod told me said sold at last Young gave a long long drawn drawn Oh h Oh-h-h Oh I I After a moment he added added add ed So that's that It It Yes that's It I desperately That's l It It and hes he's henna down dow n on me nd holdin It over me like a club That sounds goofy Jim He lIe all all- bled you out of suspicion lIes lIe's on record with his story Isn't he But nut a man with his can admit that he told a certain kind of lie nd ad get away awny with It cant can't he He lie could go to em nd ad say that he didn't think at the time I had anything to do with tb th killin so he be went to the front forme for forme forme me but that Its It's worried him since and that things ve ye happened tomake to tomake tomake make him believe that I 1 I might not be as straight as he thought I was w-as last November lie He could do that couldn't be he Yes he could of course he could But how would that put you rou In la wrong with the sheriff sheri If All hed he'd have to tell em era em Jim said u was wall as what he swears to roe me mes me's athe s 's the truth nd rid they'd put It on me Just as sure as 88 hell I You mean that you weren't at West's house that night That you didn't play cards with him that evening ng I l stayed there sure enough Leastwise I woke up there hut But when I come In I dunno what Id I'd done before that I dunno nd nil If It ItI I played cards I dunno that either I Good Lord Jim that doesn't sound BO so rood god does doe It II What was It that really happened The man also drew a tremulous sigh Damned If It f I 1 know that Is Is what happened between bout hout sundown that night and anel the next mornin I dont don't know any more about that n a you do Young Stung You ou see lIe Id I'd had hod a 8 In run with Cash the day before He lie wasn't nn an pos easy man to work for wed we'd had hada a run run run-in In and he fire tired l me rid nd got pretty prett rough roub 1 It which was his ids way ny A Job joh was a Job and I fl Id I'd had a n raw ra deal rid nd didn't k know V o what I was AI join to do lo la last t winter and I lo lost t mv my h head ad I told vIlA Id I'd set get back at him some way wal and a lot of others othen beard heard ice me I I was 1188 broke It Ie wu the time when deer hunters deer hunters was wu comin In La to make their camps campI just before the he season opened A lot of ot em allus allua stop at the Landin to buy bUI their grub I hired out to four of em to pick out a good spot and to work up firewood forem for tor forem em I took my ml rifle along cause I 1 thought I might knock a buck over He lIe paused and looked about and listened and then went on rapidly Well Rell I got em all right upon up op upon I on Big DIg Beaver They Thel was waa good od lads and paid me well they thel had bad a lot of booze and give me a bottle dud and I started back on foot bout sundown for tor the Landin and that's that the last I know untIl when I woke up In Tod lie Ue woke me up op see Bee De He told me me then that b been D killed L lie He Just said that Cash was murdered mur mur- murdered dered last night And then he lie asked Where was you yon Jim lIe He was pleasant enough but bot he be had alook a n alook look In his eyes hed he'd never bad had before before before be be- fore and I want to tell teU you his hi grin went through me like Uke a knife I II I I didn't know where IM Td b been n Young I knew Id I'd been round somewhere with a rifle rille I 1 knew Id I'd been awful dam mad at Cash I I. I I Just didn't know know- any anything thing more than that I l strained to swallow his breath quick and audible I lost what little head bead I ha had Iguess Iguess I guess I went down on my ml knees to him I begged him to tell teU me ml where Id I'd been how bow I come there I was scared I tell teU you yon I lie He told me to brace op up He TIe didn't know where Id I'd been he said ned Hed found me along the siding late In to th evenin Nobody knows know just when Cash was waa killed but but as a. West Neat tells teU It that was 1181 probably some lome little time Unie afterward He De set there and tg- tg It all out The ground wars wie froze hard as Iron there wasn't any anI snow sno except in the timber Whoever did the Job left no sign Ign and If It It wasn't told around that Fd rd been out alone drunk and with witha a loaded rifle suspect maSo me ma So he said he was always ready ready to go to the front for a friend and framed up a story bout my ml cribbage with him la In his room upstairs where be he bad had bada hada a stove stove- Kerry's mouth was a bit dry The significance the possible Implications Implies Implies- of this confession put him In Ina Ina ina a fever I aint no killer Young I I never wanted to hurt a man serious rye Ive figured and figured over this thing It Its It's most drove me crazy sometimes some some- sometimes times I I was waa pret prof sore at Cash but God Young I wouldn't ve ye killed him sober I wouldn't ve ye e edone done it I He Ue ran an |
