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Show Zm THE TRAP CORNER By Daniel Shifren -j 1 '"Tirist!" Howie called again, A "Trist! Over here!" Tristam Olds set the rake against the barn and ran over the knoll to the orchard. I 1 Howie was bun- nh Minnto &e& against a O- Minute tree, trussed wrist CP Fiction and ankle, very I I pale. "Goodnesh, Boss-sh!" whooshed from Trist's dry, thin Lips as he undid the bonds. "There, that's good enough. I'll finish by myself. Get to the barn fast. It may be ablaze by now." Trist, amazement on his whisker-framed whisker-framed face, jounced his aging bones and came up the incline breathing hard. Flame licked over the haymow. He swept up two pails and raced down to the pump. Howie came running run-ning too. They scampered around for half an hour. At last the smoke began to trail away. "That's for now," said Howie, "but we'll have to keep a sharp lookout." When Sheriff Gunfrey arrived, Howie had changed clothes and was rocking on the porch. . "What's all this about burnin' barns down? Hasn't been anything like this since I copped the election." elec-tion." "They tried it right enough," said Howie. "Know of any strangers in town?" "Nope," said Gunfrey. "Well, little matter. They're from somewheres round here. But I guess either Sholl or Long is the guilty party either one or both." Gunfrey fired the crusty cake in his pipe and puffed. "How you figure fig-ure that, Howie? They're neighbors, man." He led a coil of black wire . through deep grass until he reached the pine tree. He attached at-tached the wire to the house bell. "In the last couple weeks they tried to buy out my farm. Kept upping the price, but I told 'em 'No.' I got no yen to sell this place." "Did they make any threats?" "They sure wasn't pleased." "Hm. I'll hunt around town and ask 'em some questions. Ring me anything turns up." HOWIE and Trist alternated on lookout. Chores were left undone. un-done. Then, during the night before Howie told Trist to discontinue the watches, he slipped out to the barn, and emerged with a shovel and trowel. He worked and as light gray rose over the horizon, he laid out the last strips of straw and grass, returned the tools to the barn and came back. He led a coil of black wire through deep grass until he reached the pine tree. He wound the wire around and attached the house bell he had in his back pocket. The next morning he said to Trist, "No use to keep up the watches. They're not likely to come back." Trist grunted. "Sure. Might'sh well get back to work." The unexpected shrill of the house jell came that night. Howie rushed out without donning don-ning trousers, Trist behind him crying, "What's that bell for!" But Howie did not answer. He swept the pit with a powerful flash, picking up their figures. One's bandanna slipped as he tried to escape es-cape the slippery pit and he recognized recog-nized Jerry, Trist's youngest son. The boy's eyes, large with fright, lit on Trist and he cried out, "Dad!" Howie's flash went out then. He heard them stumbling away. The telephone rang before Howie could make his call. It was Gunfrey. "Which one of 'em was it bought out Trist's boys to fire my barn, Gunfrey?" Gunfrey said, "You were right. Howie. I didn't know I mean about Trist." "More the boys. They wanted the money bad. Trist couldn't do nothing noth-ing with 'em. Afraid they'd get caught so he kept his mouth shut." "Howie, I broke Long down. He tried to blame Sholl, but I got him to admit something like what he was up to." "I was thinkin' I'd hate to prosecute pros-ecute anyone seein's no harm done. . . ." : "I don't want you to. Sheriff, only . . ." "Yeh, I thought about that." Gunfrey Gun-frey laughed his cackle. "Lonf won't be around after tomorrow, I'm lettin' him leave town." |