Show 0 N 0 fn in t h 0 t SYNOPSIS kerry young a lad of seven Is pro pared to flee the burning lumber camp of hie his benefactor jack snow who took the youngster to live with him at the do death h of kerry s mother tod west has instructed kerry to come with a file containing the camp camps s funds should it be endangered flames attack the of flee and kerry hugging the precious file and tod race to town tod acts queerly at the bank the file Is found empty and kerry Is blamed with t taking the wrong one snow his headquarters and nd money gone Is ruined and soon thereafter dies leaving kerry to the poor commissioner kerry suspects tod and nd swears to even the score in a st paul office kerry now in manhood and an expert woodsman learns of the whereabouts of west kerry rescues a lovely girl from a scoundrel who proves to be west tod threatens to pauperize the girl nan downer she thanks ker ry and tells him of the robbery and murder of her father and of tod 9 ad vances she Is operating a lumber tract which her father had purchased from west kerry makes camp at the gen ral oral etore store in west a landing he bindi tod engaged in a poker game jim hinkle timber employee loses heavily kerry exposes tod tools s cheating and alq dl arms him the crowd Is unconvinced of tod tools a duplicity kerry identifies es him self elf to west who denies knowing h him lm and advises him to leave town nan N an tells dr ezra adams of kerry a rescue of her from tod and of west s threat ezra who Is coroner visits kerry and appoints kerry coroner coroners s clerk olon of the murder had rested on holt stuart en of downer and upon jim hinkle who was cleared by tod the doctor has the fatal bullet and the serial numbers of the stolen bills one of which has just been paid to adams it came out of the poker game tod orders jim to run kerry out of town kerry discovers he Is being spied upon by a breed jim comes to kerry with a warning to clear out nan hires kerry CHAPTER VI continued 6 he likes me I 1 the girl laughed hap PITY why t he be youn young ached with all sobriety that dogs do S got sense I 1 then he laughed at her dis he ile started back toward his camp end and had gone half way from nan s headquarters to the mill when he saw a man running along the railroad track toward the trestle then an other and from alerts I 1 landing a three more were crossing rapidly then a scream reached his ears something stirring 1 he muttered and began to trot up young called to a man inan somebody ell fell ini A woman s scream cut the air sharply and young saw a man grasp her arms holding her from hurling her belt self into the swirling current below kid I 1 IT bet tip I 1 he muttered sure enough enoh a child little girl I 1 a boy at ai excitedly when he asked the question again dunno who I 1 kerry paused at the waters edge and jerked at his pie pac laces tip I 1 the dog tall vibrating as this excitement infected him peered eagerly into his face somebody in there in the river on the bottom fetch I 1 in went the retriever swimming rap idly straight ht out from shore tip cir cled slowly in the current head tilted trying to see below the surface then suddenly he dived he did not go deep his tall protruded and he was under but a second retch tip I 1 young cried sharply when he came up seconds meant life A half dozen men were in the river diving from logs or from the trestle all searching blindly and then below and outside these frantic searchers tip came up with a sharp little at that young went in swimming the dog circled and went under gain again diving for the same spot when he be came up his master was beside him good doi do I he gasped and dived for the bottom it was dark down there he drove himself deep with mighty sweeps of his arms with powerful scissor kicks kleks of his long ion legs ae he held his eves wide open and when he felt his ahll MAT ity to stay down longer slipping rap idly he groped wildly his hand band touched a slimy snig and then lungs at the bursting point he was forc forced to shoot upward he broke the surface shaking water from his eves and gasping air A ba bel of voices was in his ears he ile went further up stream this time and faced abbit and dived with the current its flow agian he found the snag hut but that was all abkin he dived and this time h he e thought he caught a vague flash of lighter color in the murky depths ai as he drifted past he rose 01 and swam his best to get back to a point from where he could dive n again aln As he be turned he saw another swim mer so close to him again tint thit his freedom of action was restricted black hilr was vas plastered over a swarthy brow an angular ular black eyes looked past him arven in that mo ment of stress kerry had time to remark that this was the face which had bad peered it him while be he shaved shoved this mornin common can cause sure ly a child drowning I 1 he ile went down aien down and down deep and deeper the depths hurt his eardrums his lungs cried out for relief from this repeated strain and then pressure was on his hick on the small of his back a n hand ban ws placed fingers were fastening in his by harold titus illustrations by irwin imin myers copyright by harold titus service he kicked savagely rolled over eluded the clutch and shot upward he dashed a hand across his eves eyes gulped air through open mouth A rod below him the swarthy man rose spitting and turned up stream he gave young one glance and the dark darl eyes shone with malice trying that I 1 and now of all times I 1 the feitor fellow was not even attempting to find the child he was intent on bringing harm upon one who was A bitter loathing san sang in kerry s heart for a moment but he drove it away awny no time this for personal ties he ile took a deep breath and went down again water hurting hurling his ears pressing against his throat and once more that vague blotch of light er color sand A boulder A clay ledge he ile expelled the air from his lungs and put all bis his will a all I 1 his heart and console aness into a final downward e his ills reaching hand touched something soft his fingers en twined there it was cloth I 1 the cur rent bore at him his grip on the fab fob ric held he dragged himself against the cur rent tugging at that garment bat aling to dislodge it his head buzzed a quick nausea si read through his vitals he ile felt that this was his list instant of consciousness his tortured lungs expanded and water gushed into his throat he ile wrenched mightily with the one hand as a new an inner darkness engulfed him and then gae gave up yielded let his lungs have their way and was shocked to find himself breathing sweet air he was on the surface barely able to float but he was not alone in the crook of his arm was a limp light bodyl body I 1 upstream up stream he heard screams and shouts none had noticed that he came up with a burden tie ile drew the child a head bead to the surface got a hind bind beneath her chin and kicked feebly he tried to shout for help but his voice was only a gurgle he ile redoubled his efforts but his strength strength was spent and then a whine in hia his ear and hot breath on his cheek and tip was there at his side good he gasped hie I 1 he fastened fingers in the mat of stiff curly hair the dom do angled ackois jrr Z e ap V ft he fastened fingers in the mat of st ff curly hair the current towing his master youngs young s floundering feet touched bot hot torn tom and he reeled to the bank he dropped to his knees beside a to log 0 he threw the little girl face down across it he ile hooked a finger in the mouth prying open the set jaws flattening the tongue and bore his weight down on her back water gushed from the mouth again he drove water from the small lungs and again while strength poured back into his own body others were coming now help was on the way A man was almost to him more streamed behind but there was a job to do and he be knevi how to do it the task that would give strength to this last and perhaps wan ing inv hope roughly he lifted the small body with arras ms and legs so litif lly ily lifeless and stretched it on the log to head bead lower than the feet he ile jerked one of the child s arms beneath her face rolled her head to one side and straddling the log placed his great palms across the lower lover ribs and pressed firmly he held the lungs compressed an instant and let the ribs spring out ward word down donn agan went his weight eight and water trickled from the mouth A distracted woman burst through the growing group she tried to hurl herself on young on the child and the men took her gently away keep em back he be gasped she 11 want all the air steadily he worked watching that waren waxen profile for sign down hold up down again the group was quiet now watching with stamped on faces women had the mother because surely such dis tress could only have been a mothers mother S on tl e high bank her sobs bad taken on a high pitched walling ten minutes passed men were look ing at one another shifting from toot foot to foot res rez lessly aesy what do yo you u think young some one asked th they ey knew his he ile twisted his head doubtfully and a sharp pang of dismay ran his heart it was not nice doubting his own abil ity to restore life to a child so slen der so tender A lump swelled in his throat but he drove it down the girls me tie arm hanging inert over the log swayed dismally as he corked fifteen minutes the watchers were moving and muttering the child s eyes were nere hilf open brown eyes he saw twenty minutes figures were running along the high bank tl TI e woman screamed again A man hurtled down toward t them hem and the crowd parted to let him through it was war tim jim hinkle panting his face the color of suet he ile stopped abrupt ly lips parted one hand sving slinging Ing meaning meaninglessly I 1 e ss ly his ills eyes large and desperate nith query turned to young this must mut be his child 1 can t tell jim kerry replied to the unspoken question we sho should U id have an outside chance and we won wont t quit I 1 11 s shoulders and back ached the inside of one knee had rubbed raw on the log it was nothing though compared to nhat hat jim hinde was beelin feeling and arid then nan downer was there standing aist j 1st inside the circle of men one hand was at her lips and her eyes nere dark with si ile smiled sm ailed ass ranee rance at her as he worked the little girl s hair was drying in the breeze now golden it was and in disarray about the small motion less head bead A full hour had passed since he carried her from the water now and again jim looked at young and his lips would twitch others were talk ing lowly moving about their gone kerry could see shrugs and heads shaken shalen they had given up hope don dont t you think mel knight the storekeeper at the landing asked as he came close that it ltd of be as well you see they got to realize it sometime no 0 we won t quit but man you can t keep on hangin to hope sill sh he had just started the pressure but relaxed it he held his hand on the small back and turned his head intently waiting for what he had thought he felt to come again then leaned low held so in a S strained si st lence then it came again just the whisper of a cough I 1 careful biml steady bowl now he held the trembling father back with one arm and began to chafe one of the little girls girl s wr ats rapidly he beckoned nan to him get after the feet he said quietly ashes she 8 on her way you mel rustle up hot blankets blanhe ts and things ten minutes later kerry gave the moaning child into her fathers arms and stood beside fan nan watching her carried tenderly away the look on the mothers face the vast relief and thanksgiving which showed in the very set of alms jim s shoulders touched things within young nostrils smarted his 18 throat constricted and a mist came into his eyes A breed had turned to join the ragged procession moving up the bank bant chos the injun he asked the girl eyes following the great frame of 0 the man strength of which could not be concealed by the cotton sl and faded overalls overall and moccasins his ills name Is frank she answered and then as if pointedly why he shrugged he ile was spying on me from across the river this morn ing A slight gasp escaped her tool hes a bad citizen she whispered sly my father used to say he believed him the crudest cruelest man he had ever known ds dis trusts him except tod W est he ile works for him when he works A hard smile came into youngs eyes and he nodded when he works ph he be asked they parted then nan going toward the mill young mounting the trestle nhut abutment ment slowly HI III 1 he hailed the breed turned standing on the ties what you want he asked with tl ti e accent of his race and his look wai clearly a belll belligerent gerent one young did not anaver until he had covered the di between them when at arms arm s length kerry stopped he said q lealy I 1 want to know this why were you watching me from cover thie mornin and ahen hen ive found that out I 1 in going to ask you why you were fighting me under water down there A cigarette clarette dandled loosely from the other s to 10 ver lip tip and now the upper one c ried sll slightly 11 ho s ast as in that he aked you huh hub I 1 I 1 tell you I 1 say sav to you vou it s none of your dam what I 1 do he nodded slowly head thrust forward I 1 dav av comet in more to you eh eb I 1 sly viv these vou get to hell autta here before comet so meting ing very had catch up with u he did not finish the threat q irp ire of himself as a bid man well and long feared will be he nas unprepared for kerry s quick move he swung sharply and stoutly put ting all his strength th into the anin his palm caught on tie tl e ear with a stinging smack the force of 0 the blow rocked the man swayed him off balance he ile threw out hia his arms teetering on one foot he clawed cloned ta tie e air twice writhed and strained an instant to get the other foot down in time and falling flung himself sidewise for the river in a h half alf fall half dive the impact of his body on the stream made a mighty splash he ile came up immediately shaking his eyes clear and treading water nater ath what you tink you doln eh he gasped what you 1 I I think I 1 knocked you loose from yourself as a beginning innings b kerry said hotly and I 1 in standing tandl ng here to wait for you to come up again ITT 11 knock you in as fast as you come up injun that Is it if you come up on this side if you want to keep out of trouble with me you swim yourself across yonder and stay there therel get that stay there ho I 1 so you t ink with a defiant curse the man start cd ed swimming for the forbidden shore and youn young 1 hitching at his belt fol lowed slowly along the trestle ready for a second encounter but blue jay had not gone far tool ing upward at thit dirk and infuriated face aher he hesitated spit spat an rolv 11 ana and turned ing out for west a landing swimming like an otter CHAPTER VII A job and some enemies and at least the beginnings of some friend ships young pondered those possession possess iono as he spent a drizzly afternoon mak ing his camp permanent and aftel dark as he sat in nan downer s of flee and tall ed to her and holt stuart he wondered just where this quick spoken high strung youth was going to fit in with his scheme of thin things holt appeared to him as one who will normally come to rapid decisions form perhaps snap judgments and yet kerry had bad the feeling that in his case the forester was holding back reserving his estimate and opinion when holts eyes rested on nan a hunger of long standing appeared in them not the lust that had been on tod bests face yesterday afternoon up river but a clean upright respect and something deeper than that stuart withdrew after a time leav ing nan and kerry alone the door to the great lounging room of the headquarters was open logs amoul dered on the hearth there it its s damp the girl said let |