Show of the NO CHAPTER IX continued 16 the old fellow described the smoke and country as best he could lie ile brought a chair for her to sit in because she would not leave the door way he ile tried to quiet her when she became frantic as he described the way tl ti e smoke rolled higher and spread across the upper end of the lale lake are you telling me the truth tim the she al acl ed repeatedly and the man swore that he was oh for eyes I 1 she cried if I 1 d stayed in chicago the bandage was to bane hat e been til en ell off tomorrow T the he doctor insisted I 1 must not take it off while I 1 was away from him so you must tell me tim and tell beery thing I 1 in depending on you so I 1 after a time as her agitation only increased tim attempted to take her mind at least partially from the fire he ile tall ed of her errand of the sain saha a tion for the job that acquirement of the lairds S timber meant oh tl e brief case she said where Is it mac said he would put it in the safe and we will too katie I 1 tim put the money away and went on talking trying to keep her inter ested in things of a more reassuring nature than the fire at noon they were still in the door way of the store with kate showing signs of the physical strain she was under better come to my shanty nd lay down a while the man said solid she protested at first but blut tim con tinned to insist that she rest and final ly his way ray prevailed slowly he led her across to his one room cabin twenty rods from the store she lay down on his bed and turned her bandaged face toward the wall he stood there R watching as long sobs corn com fenced to rack her body and then bus ed himself preparing a lunch achile W alle he puttered about his stove a man emerged from the timber on the opposite side of the lake and stood looking across the neck of water to wards the buildings his brows were gathered and he waited as one will whose first objective Is to be certain that when he moves it will be in the proper direction after she had rested and eaten kate flynn sat on tim s doorstep and once more the old fellow functioned as ees for her hotter n hot but she don t spread that means th backfires holdin he lie said over and over across the lake the man had ceased his prolonged smoking he walked slowly back and forth behind the screening bushes and impatience rode him severely afternoon waned and once he cursed softly he had gone further in his pacing that time and when he halted a e and looked across the water tim todd a shanty was hidden from him by the store building then he nodded sharp ly in decision and hastened through the brush to where a canoe and pack were cached he ile launched and took the few strokes necessary to send him across the intervening water then very cautiously looking all about and with one long stare up the lake toward where all the available man power of good bye battled the flames he had set ran across the sand toward the store the lowering sun was reflected dazzlingly from windows in the side of the building he ile approached one put his face close and stared within the place was empty and he smiled this was a safe way to use the door would be at the risk of revealing him self to tim slowly he shoved the window open careful to make no sound placed his hands on the sill and vaulted within A moment later he was passing quickly around the end of the counter and dropping to his knees before the safe tim todd had been talking con scantly to kate for the last half hour the girl clung tightly to his gnarled hand life looks better all th time katie he insisted I 1 d like to bet they stopped her at otter creek though how they d do it in slash like that nd on a day like this he broke short as his gaze chanced to wander to the store through a window on the near side he saw a man clambering through a window in the other I 1 ill be dusted I 1 he muttered drop ping the girls hand and rising how come that away a way what tim what s happened kate rose freshly alarmed at his tone just somebody at th store katie hatle likely they 11 need so methin skip oer he did not skip he hobbled as rapidly as he could along the path way his old heart thumping in alarm twenty five thousand dollars reposed in the old cheese box of a safe and some man had just entered the build ing with stealth he ile tiptoed up the steps and poised looking within at franz kneeling before the safe franz had inserted the point of a wrecking bar behind the inner door he strained against it as tim halted with a grating and a tin kle the lock gave the door swung open and the brief case dropped from the shelf on which it had been placed here you franz I 1 what re you a doin doln the words brought franz to his feet an odd sound in his throat they faced one another for an in ferval of 0 strained silence franz was by HAROLD TITUS copyright by harold titu titus service trapped caught red handed he ile ac cepter the situation resolutely you d better clear out tim be he said darkly snatching up the brief case I 1 am in on my way right now I 1 you re a danged thief I 1 tim cried shut up and get out I 1 franz snarled wall walling ing toward him get out be dusted I 1 I 1 in in charge here I 1 I 1 in responsible for what s in here franz you drop that satchel satchell he ile lurched inside and snatched up an a ax which leaned against t the wall the younger man halted balked by this show of resolution put down that ax you old fool I 1 I 1 im in caught fair enough and I 1 ive ve got to go through with it now you cant stop me oh I 1 can t eh can t stop ye cant I 1 IN ell well ell see bout and quickly stoutly he swum swung his ax as though he were striking at a tree driving squarely for franz franza 3 shoulder the other leaped bad bael ward ard the bit burled buried itself deeply in the floor and as tim wrenched it free franz leaped the counter and made tor for tle tl e window through which he had entered no ye don t 11 I 1 tim screeched and lunged after him swinging the ax again ain no ye don t 11 I 1 ye can t came it over oer me franz franzi 1 back into that corner young mant man ill split ye in tu two ci if ye try to git ar away ay now bowl I 1 slowly but surely franz was being cornered the double bit swung in wide arcs as tim adNan advanced ced step by step franz s face lost color get out old man mani I 1 he cried finally get out or and then tim was looking down the muzzle of an auto matic matle pistol lahl he jeered ye cant scare me with no pop gun I 1 ye drop that or ill chop yer hand stay back franz gasped corn com ing up against the safe and then the automatic spat just once orange flame darted from the barrel the ax lost its firm swoop of diorec tion it sagged and drooped and INS oh I 1 cant eh cant stop ye cant 17 well well see bout dropped bouncing and sliding to the tar far side as tim with a low whimper raised both hands as if they were ere great weights to his pierced breast shot me I 1 1 he gasped in amazement dusted if ye dida t his knees gave he went down slowly wilting rather than falling slumped to one hip and then sprawled shuddering on the floor from the doorway of the little cabin bate rate flynn had heard she heard tim shout heard another voice giving answer and the tones of the exchange stirred her to action she groped her way into the beaten path as voices raised higher as feet thud ded as the ax crashed and smashed her hands were extended before her and she called out repeatedly to tim then nearing the store she heard franz s final warning and todd s gal lant defiance lastly the venomous spat of the pistol with that the girl ceased groping her hands whipped to her temples fingers fastened in the white gauze of the bandage and with a jerk she pulled it from her eyes sharp pains tore to the back of her head she puckered her lids against the assault of light and wrinkled her face against the sudden torture but she could see and that was all that really mattered she stumbled forward those last few steps knees weak with misgiving and when franz pistol in one hand brief case in the other stepped over the prostrate form of the old man he came face to face with her A low breath half moan hat half in articulate curse slipped from the man kate a hand on the door jamb swayed backward sick as her eyes though throbbing and aching selling trans bitted to her understanding what ht had happened you she moaned you shot him I 1 you killed him I 1 you 11 answer for ul I 1 heard everything i I 1 was just out outside sidel for an instant franz stared at her then an odd smile crossed his face he shoved the pistol into its holster against his side and he wet his lips yes you heard but you see you are here alone he said simply and the quality of his tone was ominous and with you gone what then who would know knowl behind him tim todd closed one hand from his chest a dark stain was spreading on the floor boards you mean you d shoot me down too because I 1 know franz laughed mockingly and tucked the brief case under one arm no he be said and stepped closer it pleasant business ive iva discovered A slight shudder traveled his big body I 1 I 1 wouldn t harm a hair of your head kate unless it became necessary lie ile licked his lips again the lights in his eyes were shifting and changing as he planned a way out for himself I 1 t in tend to steal I 1 didn dian t want to kill I 1 wanted to block your deal with rith mac donald only but with a shrug things broke badly with th the e breaks going against you you do the best you can so with you there are things to be done I 1 what things she whispered alarmed for her own safety n now ow I 1 lou ou are alone when you go there will be none to know what happened no nol no I 1 you cant do that I 1 1 I can cant t ila I 1 ile snuggled the brief case closer against hn side what s in here and liberty are all I 1 have left he ile ca caught her hand as she started to turn away away I 1 can use the them both seeing that they re all I 1 own we well 11 start now just you and L well ell be together long enough so I 1 III II 11 be sure I 1 ive ve a start and then well cross that bridge when we reach it she commenced to struggle in his grasp twisting her arm to free it kick ing out with her small feet but her efforts were futile franz dropped the brief case turned her roughly about pulled her hands together behind her and bound them securely oh help she screamed I 1 help hel 9 his ills palm cut off her words no one near he reminded her however there might be a little later we will take no chances the bandage she had torn from her eves eyes hung loosely about her neck he ile put one arm about her head drawing it tightly against hia his breast and with quick movements slipped the gauze across her lips twisted a knot at the nape of her neck and then held her at arm s length bound and gagged bate kate made inarticulate raging sounds but he paid them no heed bitting lifting her in his arms with only one oni look behind at old tim time a form he walked quickly out to his canoe and laid her gently in the bottom with the duffle he headed up the lake to where the smoke shroud now hanging low in the heavier air of approaching evening obscured all landmarks pleasant Jour journey neyl 1 he taunted but a queer and foreboding hunger showed on his face as he stared at her back in the store old tim had rolled over he ile tried to rise and could not tried to crawl and could not so much as at et his knees up so slowly at the cost of infinite pain he hitched himself along half way to the open door he saw the canoe making northward he tried to call out ills face dropped again to the plans plan and he moaned twice and was still 4 steve drake stood aside as the other men clustered about young jim flynn the men he had saved from probable death and the others whose hearts he had won by that achievement lafane approached him that grim smile playing about his lips broken would you say lord no nol I 1 madel made I 1 steve replied ile hes s got the boys with him from the start I 1 and he hell 11 keep cm ein ile hes s wound on grand stuff no need of your fearing to let cm ein know inow who you are now drake experienced an odd let down on this the polaris property was safe with kates rates arrival young jim was finally on the job capable competent and his courage had been spectacularly demonstrated there waa was no longer any reason for him to use an another others s name no longer cause to be reluctant to reveal to kate flynn the facts of his pretense the twin goals for which he had struggled seemed to have been attained he drew a slow breath as he thought of the girl she was more lovely than he had believed the feel of her lips had stirred in him all manner of in tr redl edible ble impulses the impression of a girl which be he had built up for himself in those past weeks was a feeble thing compared to her reality evening was at hand the fire was under control already wartin bartin was preparing for the nights night s work steve beckoned to him you told me where she started got any idea howl how the man pursed his lips and shook his head must be a bug fire what makes you think that well she come up over on the southwest of twenty four weve had no men over there all summer there ain aln t any berries in that country so there wouldn rit t be any there lookin for fruit nobody would be going through that particular country gettin from one river to the other because there theres s better ways who d have a reason that we know I 1 mean dont don t be dumb jimmy 1 I try not to be or to be going off half cocked either what a in your head TO BH BA |