| Show I 1 an 4 om bondello Yon dello A by HAROLD TITUS copyright ht harold titus service CHAPTER XII continued 16 ahat what shall I 1 say she asked in ID a whisper nothing No the man replied there Is nothing at all to be said Is there oil oh you gave me such a start I 1 youre the first one 1 im M im too full of things to talk now E emma mma lie he made an odd gesture toward the wall and looked about were in the upstairs front room if were needed she said Is la Is there anything you need yourself lie ile did not reply tor for a moment then heavily yes your help likely A little later the woman did a strange thing then she snatched up her apron and pressed it tightly against her eyes she remember she sobbed oh happen in this house next 1 I wonder martin muttered yes I 1 wonder she left him and he moved almost basits hesitatingly tingly into the living room ue lie stood a ton long time juat within the threshold and then went slowly about from picture to table from book shelf to mantel hands in his coat pockets before tills this old photograph lie ho stood for a long interval beside that worn rocker he remained with bowed head as one might who Is suffering or worshiping when he approached the couch where he was to sleep that night his legs seemed to fall fail and lie he half fell halt half slumped to his knees lie ile let his face down to the blankets and his fingers angers clutched them ripping gripping until the knuckles showed white and a great shuddering moan slipped from his deep chest almly 0 bard grimly card eye el claine alne pro prowled aled tincup that night ile he had let john martin out as he drove through the main street then proceeded to a livery barn where he stabled his team on the way he had sighted ben belll ott but later although he be took up a position before the post office and watched passers on either side ot of the street carefully he did not see him ue he began making inquiries and found that elliott had been about town but evidently blaine was always some little time behind him falling failing thus he went vent to locate bens team and stood in the swirling snow waiting stores closed the aura of light which chich their frosted windows had thrown into the storm became fainter ea as one by one they went dark birdeye chewed and stamped to keep warm find and watched and listened and after a long hours vigil proved fruitless he moved aimlessly away along down the alley at the rear of joe Pl ettes tos hotel he watched movement through a lighted window which gave into a back entry A man was there closing an inside stairway door behind him ue he turned and buttoned his mackinaw mackl naw with wilh hasty movements and blaine drew back into the shadows the man within was red hed bart delaney Pe lancy the door opened the man stepped out ue he crossed between birdeye bird eye and the lights carrying snowshoes followed as the other went swiftly down the alley and then struck out past the depot toward the tracks well now birdeye bird eye muttered to himself saints why all this rush im wondering A chill which had nothing to do with the temperature of the night struck through him red hed cart bart fleeing town towal surely lie went as a frightened fright eved man might go or as one ft hose errand Is completed out into tile the street then went the irishman and into the pool room has anybody here seen meisther el ilott be asked loudly and men enen looked up from their games at the query yes this mari man had two hours ago the butcher had bad talked to him at about eight none other bolher to the dance hall next nest and ills his queries were repeated then hastily back to see bee bens team still standing patiently in tile the deepening snow past dawn sic ile manus house to find only a faint light in the hallway and from there to able Armi at a run had the judge seen den cen elliott El llott he had riot not and excitedly llaine blaine explained ills his empty search the hasty departure of lied bart the neglected team able dressed and they went out together searching the town inquiring of late passers pas So happened I 1 birdeye bird eye iye declared went wrong with th by able we cant feind out what ut Is onell morri ln thin believe me ime well have help plenty aplenty a 1 how so go lave ut to me abbel through the night ten minutes later a team went swiftly westward they left town ton at a gallop they breasted high drifts neross the ay in frantic plunges came to a blotting stop at the linot inot owl turn barn A moment later tim jeners jeffers sat up und and in sleepy bewilder anent fu OT off hie elie nun mail who shook ailin find demanded that he be wake up and listen ls in 0 lui lievore etore sunrise it was mas a vast rolling country and across it from hoot owl toward tincup went ent teams five of them formed a sort of procession drawing logging sleighs across the bunks planks had been placed and or ou the planks stood and sit sat men inen they were silent men who drew on cold pipes whose faces were set n and nd grim whose eyes betrayed excitement the loot owl crew this following tim jeffers and bird kye eye blaine to tincup to ro solve a mystery in nn an orderly manner they loft left the alie sleighs and star stood in groups grouls willie teamsters unhitched and led their horses lato into a livery barn able armitage mirage Ar came hurrying and he alone was as welcome lu in that phalanx of intent men others of the town savi him film gesticulate as lie he talked with jeffers and blaine saw him shake his head and spread its his hands as one will ill who has no answer for a pressing question old tim turned to the bews and motioned them to him the men gath ered close and listened while ile he spoke briefly then the compact huddle broke jeffers emerged and started for the main street that body of shanty bos falling la in to mo moe amne e shoulder to shoulder behind him it was a strange spectacle for that peaceful sunday morning doors were opened men and women peered out then they emerged and stood to watch now and then one hailed an acquaintance in the marching company but none replied to such greeting hastily caps and coats were donned and along the sidewalks followed a growing crowd of the curious the breath vapor of the men rose in a cloud no other spoke far down tile the street h small boy hipped yipped excitedly across the way two women were muttering to one another hinging flinging quick excited questions question disclaiming knowledge for fitting responses they swung into the main street old tiro tim wallowing in the long drift at the corner his men trampling it dowid doat behind him film on down past ables able ance past the pool poo room and then without a word of signal they halted the halt was before the bank over which nicholas brandon had bad his bis offices and his ihling alln rooms the silence as they stood every one of the hundred faces upraised to those windows mith eiith the letter lettering lug which proclaimed the tenant was portentous and then tim lifted his clear strong voice brandon crandoll Cran donl I 1 he shouted nick brandon I 1 brandon Bran donl 1 tim shouted again and his men stirred behind him swayed giving up a low short mutter come out nick I 1 a teamster shout ed voice thick with repressed excitement ay come another cried then where they hittl had expected movement up above a face appeared in a window nicholas brandon looked down upon them they could see his lips compress as he discerned that crowd come down brandona brandeal Bran donl doal this was tim again his voice edged with shar sharpness as he might speak to a rebellious man of his crew brandon moved and threw up tile the sash what do you men want he demanded sharply la in the rone cone of one who has been long accustomed accustom eI to fo make demands we want ben elliotte Ellio jeffers answered elliott El llott ile he here what would he be doing here what could I 1 know of him A mumbling a stirring behind tim we want bilm we e want you to help us find him I 1 youw youre d n rl ht I 1 tell us you skunk I 1 show him to us or well wreck your whole blame town towal I 1 tim held up tip a silencing hand against tills this outbreak then he be address brandou elliott El llott came to town last night ne ile been seen since ills ilia team was found where lie left it IL theres only one man in town have an object in getting him out of the way weve come to that man to you brondon brandon we want Ellio elliotte 1 brandona Bran dons lips writhed 1 I tell you I 1 know tie he slammed down the sash and cut the rest of his sentence front from their hearing so those men lid did not know that ills his vo voice ice broke sharply as panic laid its hold on him ile he turned his back deliberately to tile the window then in frantic lunge lie he reached ren clied the telephone and rang the boll bell give me the jail I 1 lie he said excited ly IY quick 1 the baill outside a growing mounting roar sounded like the voice of an approaching wind then canle came a sharp shout a loud food elirse curse then quick silence again as tim jeffers reasserted his leadership and demanded that they move only as a unit put but this order prevailed for a brief moment smash in the door 1001 its lock locked edt 1 someone cried take him until lie gives den ben up tip good boy the ball of lee ice cast in the street front from some horses foot fool now nov picked up and flung sto stoutly otly crashed through a an office window brandon cowered as a yell of ap went up tip and pressed his face close to tile the telephone art this brandoni Bran doril theres a mob out here and pie ive seen it the sheriffs voice trembled 1 I saw em cm come in I 1 dont know what nhat get down here then and be quick about it get down here and scatter them brandon waited for the ready acquiescence aich always had come from the men he had made front from officers of the law and judges and public both dign and low are you there lie demanded f ly as a shrill yip came from the street yes air brandon I 1 hear you but but what ayou expect me to do against a mob alone I 1 alone I 1 youre sli sheriff criff you fool I 1 youve the law behind youl you I 1 bring a gun and hurry I 1 but that crowd nick I 1 why the best men in the north tear me to ribbons ribbon sl good men and mad you better get out the back way if you can I 1 with an oath brandon flung the receiver beiver from him as another window pane exploded to fragments abandoned to that muttering mob and by a man whose political career he had bad shaped with his own hands I 1 from a safe vantage point he looked out A half dozen men were pulling at a sign post the street was tilling with peo pie his people his employees they were wide eyed excited and he saw a dozen of them men who had whined and groveled ronaled roNe led before him laugh and jeer as another missile spattered on the bricks outside lie he ran down the hallway and looked out a window in the rear A grim guard of three men stood there read and waiting for him to attempt flight that way lie ile went ment into his sleeping chamber and took look down a rifle from its rack on a pair of antlers anglers ant lers ue he threw open tile the chamber but it was empty ue lie jerked open a dresser drawer and pawed through it in a fruitless search for cartridges curcid cursing because he be found none ills breath was ragged as he threw the rifle on the bed and rumpled his hair wildly bring elliott out show us benl beal get a rail these and other terrifying cries stood blood out above the constant mutter of the mob brandon rushed back to the front office and waved his arms for silence as lie he stood in the file shattered glass glas of his bis window but the sight or of him only provoked hoots and jeers which were forerunners forerunner of a great billow of savage snarling rage the men nere liall having trouble with the sign post ue he heard the stair dour tried and a voice called hustle with that post I 1 coming I 1 they were coming in to get him ile he could not satisfy them lie did riot not know where elliott was last night delaney had promised to try again but lie had not come to report though brandon had waited late and now tile crowd was howling for rl pl llott lacking elliott Cl liott they would take him lie ile covered ills face with his hands tried to stop ills his ears in those menacing cries lie heard tile ilia knell of this i reign for bior years lie he had biad ruled by the force of his will and now that force was not enough bit by bit ben bell el llott had caught the hie fancy of the country and now with will that group of stout men as a rallying point the entire town was setting up a demand for the SYNOPSIS don den I allott from froin yonder arrives at the lumbering town of 0 tincup with don stuart old very sick lck man whom he has haa befriended nicholas brandon the towns leading citizen resents stuarts Stu artt presence pre Benco trying to force hirn him to leave and billott EI llott resenting the act him down judge able armitage hires him to run t the he ono one lumber camp the hoot owl that brandon has haa not been able to grab this belongs to dawn mcmanus whose father has disappeared with a murder charge hanging banging over his hedd head brandon sends duval to beat up ben and ben throws him out ot of camp don stuart dies leaving a letter for or elliott to bo be used when hen the going becomes too tough ben refuses to open tile the loiter letter believing he can win the light eight by his own efforts fire breaks out in the mill ben when the names flames are subdued discovers it was started with gasoline billott gets an otter offer for or logs that will provide money to tide him over but a definite nite time it Is set ben discovers dawn mcmanus Is not a child as ho he had supposed but a beautiful young woman the railroad bridge over which his lumber must pass Is blown blo wn up by superhuman efforts den ben builds a new bridge and himself drives the train over the rickety structure to tincup making the delivery on time brandon compels a woman known as lydia Ly dla to accuse L eiliott ott of mic misconduct 0 induct with a girl at a danco dance to which elliott escorts dawn lydia makes p public bublic her charges overwhelmed elliott can only make a feeble denial dawn apparently believing him guilty leaves without waiting for or him while I 1 in n the woods woodi elliott Is 13 fired on and drops but his fall Is a ruse to make his enemy believe him dead aunt emma dawns closest friend prevails on the woman lydia to acknowledge the falsity of 0 her accusation elliott and dawn are reo ree onci lod but the girl la Is not fully responsive to dons pleading for her love missing elliott El llott they wanted wante d pen ben el EI llott ilott they would have hae ien ben elliott Rl llott go home lie screamed and waved his arms standing lose to a broker broken window clear out youl you fair warning im ghang gl but his words were drowned in a great fell cell men alen came lugging that post across the street while tim jeffers hastened toward them with gestures of protest hold your heads bowl now I 1 give us hoot 01 boys a cliance chance well get what we ronie come for or well take tincup apart but no destro destroying yin of property until everything ever thing else falls fails ills his will prevailed a moment ile he lifted liis ills face to brandon Er andon we mein mean business will you come out our and show us its lion ben or must we come ind and f get you we wont wait much lo longer riger an opening there a chance to delay coming 1 brandon croaked 1111 im coming A gratified mutter wont went up from the crowd and burst into shrill words coming like the devil lie he bould go lie he was ransacking drawers no now w 1 3 he could not satisfy them dumping their contents on the floor in ID his frantic search for rifle cartridges that should be there the noise outside increased more people were nere conald coming to join the crowd it seemed as though the whole town must be there lie he sought a key |
