Show h in rr M da d ONE IM J if r lan an A A djlila by HAROLD TITUS V service lc I 1 copyright ISM 1934 harold titus III a am SYNOPSIS ben elliott from yonder arrives at t the little lumber iniz town of tincup accompanied by don stuart old very sick man whom he has befriended CHAPTER I 1 continued 2 thought of the rules s wept swept the crowd because duval was edging to the right he moved slowly awkwardly nt at the cost of great efforts effort on toward the center of the file log was he trying one more trick not likely A man under such a strain does not attempt strategy I 1 I 1 not fair strategy As he progressed an inch at a time elliott countered by also creeping toward the center so his end might not dip beneath the surface both men had their arms extended and Elli alliotts elliotts otts grin had faded to a sort of curious smile a specula speculative e alertness close and closer claser they came together and then as their extended hands were all but touch touching ln duval suddenly flecked his right wrist wrist in a pass at alliotts elliotts Ell Elli lotts otts left hand ali ah th dirty but bird eyes high scream was cut short b by 7 an 0 ominous roar the bull facing defeat had overstepped over stepped all rules the slightest touch on the others body would upset his balance now and after el llott ilott had bad proven himself above taking what was even recognized as a fair advantage the last vestige of loyalty to town or whatever it was which had put pot men on dugals side was whisked away on dugals face was ruthlessness along with the flush of fatigue and humiliation ile he would be the last man on that log though disqualified for any at any cost he would stay on that log but would he elliott El llott a R steely quality coming into his grin retreated until he be was out of the others reach the log sank beneath him but he did not slow his cadence despite the fact that he be ran in water tie he loosed the last re senoir lr of his energy and by the way his feet flickered and clawed and spurned that log one might well have believed that until now he had only placed with tills this crowned king of the river that flowed past tincup watchers felt their middles aching as they followed those straining contestants te again the bull sought to strike elliotts alliotts Elli otts extended hand and missed by inches his left hand raised Jerk jerkily lly up and up ills his body tilted his great torso was twisting wrenching at the hips and seeing this elliott leaped high came down running sent bent water sloshing slashing shing back and forth the length of the stick until with a throaty cry of rage and humiliation of hatred and jealousy the great bull missing a stride went sideways side ays and backward disappeared beneath bend th the surface of the pond with a mighty splash and came up op blowing and slinking shaking his black thatched head hats went into the air then along with yips bips and yells and enthusiastic cats as ben elliott El llott panting heavily brought the log to a stop and hands on his big knees stood blowing and grinning grinding and watched the man whose title he had taken swim for the boom sticks the bull slunk quickly toward the boiler room of the mill water streaming from his pants and sleeves the pond nan man threw out his pike pole and brought the cedar log to shore and there birney the announcer and master of ceremonies greeted elliott with a clap on the back and with the other hand thrust a roll of currency at him 1 veres heres your money and you sure d deserve deserve it he cried close in bens ear to make himself heard got it on a foul anyhow better this way 11 1 birdeye bird eye grasped his hand and shook it with alth congratulations as profane as they were shrill others surged around the victor and elliott accepted this homage modestly luckl he said to one enthusiastic well wisher 1 I got the breaks in luck luck lock be damned dom ned shrilled birdeye ill lick any mon ave me own old or me own heavy who says luckl luck I 1 you got tuff stuff mo by you got guts thanks chuml chum I 1 elliott laughed a 11 ched 1 I hope you dont find me outi he shouldered his bis way slowly to his packsack pack sack and surrounded by his admirers with birdeye bird eye in the fore changed to his shoes again he had the usual run of questions to answer that Is the lot of any winner in a spectacular contest and he did it with that amiable grin with his mar marked d modesty and yet with a likeable fra frankness ne ile looked about for don stuart craning his bis neck to see over the crowd which was as now dow moving up toward tin cups main thoroughfare who ye mean birdeye bird eye rye asked donny yeah stuart the tha old duffers broke on top of being sick and I 1 want to look out for him A man at his bis elbow said cautiously im affeld old don wont do much in tincup birdeye bird eye turned to him inquiringly and the man nodded brandon Hr anlon ne he found him here while th barlin was coln on lies hes likely other arrangements bird lyes face reflected concern the other nans mans a cynical acceptance of some unpleasant tact fact th dirty stinker inkerl st 1 birdeye bird eye said beneath ills his breath so hes arlvin him out already Is he well th low down chos driving who out elliott asked mesther SIls ther brandon Er andon Arine ricky be a free country but tincup aint in it thin bowld donny aint welcome here nd ind va ts likely hes got his orders to move on elliott hitched his packsack pack sack higher this orders wrong with him seemed like a harmless old gaffer to me bent on coming to tincup too wanted it like a little kid wants candy got my goat chos going to run him oil off 71 birdeye bird eye had hopped nimbly to a log from which point he could see across bobbing heads ah ha he exclaimed sure its listher brandon himself chos arun a run DID donny off boffl I 1 elliott craned his neck and could see halfway half way to the depot two men on the sidewalk one was his companion in travel earlier that day the other a man he had not seen before the latter had bad don stuart by one arm but that contact t was not the friendly assistance which ben had bad offered the old fellow As elliott looked the feeble old man tried to draw away but the other was Insi insistent scarcely hesitated in his progress toward the station train bests due now birdeye bird eye said sure nd ind pore bowld donny hell be a passenger its a bryin shame kapin him away from tincup sol elliott started forward birdeye bird eye at his heels crossing the street leaping to the high board sidewalk and swinging on ile he overtook the two he followed just in time to hear stuart gasp 1 I aint long to I 1 I 1 live nick id like stay here aint pleasant to be sick and not I 1 among friends neier neer mind the other said as one might to a protesting child ive told you any number of times to stay away on this reply elliott moved abreast of the man hello old timer he said addressing stuart going some place lie ile did not look at the man said to be nicholas brandon his manner on the question was almost casual oh hello don panted 1 I ulster blister brandon here wont let me stay then elliott looked at brandon A man ot of age not old neither young powerfully built with a peculiarly white face and eyes as black as night those eyes bored into alliotts elliotts Ell Elli lotts otts now keenly Inte intelligently lil gently with the look of a man who Is accustomed to gauging others without delay or hesitation they were the eyes of 0 a man who knows men the glance of one accustomed cus tomed to rule men oh this man want you to stay ben said softly and then with a smile to brandon 1 I sort of took the old timer under myrln my wing today he wants to stay here quite badly ill look after him theres no place for him here brandon said positively come stuart its almost train time lie ile twitched at the old mans arm but ben broke in brow wrinkled as if he be wanted to handle a perplexing matter fairly well now say I 1 I 1 no place suppose a place was made tor for him a few days id sort ot of planned on that I 1 rb eres a hotel here and id be willing t to II 11 1 I dont know you brandon interrupted and irritability crept into his voice ive never even seen you ive known this man for years hes an old employee of mine this Is my affair I 1 never have others especially strangers meddling A low vil whimper limper came from stuart and ben rubbed his chin cala with one knuckle yeah I 1 am butting in I 1 guess but you see the old timer told me a cje little about himself iles hes been lonesome a long time I 1 take it lies hes not what call in robust health I 1 figure that it if I 1 was in bis big shape id like to be with a few old friends myself and if in the distance a train whistled and on the sound brandona Bran dons eyes snapped ive not time to argue my affairs he said bald sharply come stuart B but u nick kick I 1 see here nick ill never get back again its lonesome abeln sick I 1 I 1 I 1 alone where you cant I 1 I 1 nicki youre hurting my wrist ile de winced from the grasp and on that the last shadow of smile went out of ben Elli alliotts elliotts otts face the slightly apologetic look at interfering in a matter which was not strictly his affair passed from his eyes he put himself squarely before brandon let him go he said quietly but hla his look drove hard into those black eyes the man hesitated and flubbed if you arent looking for trouble lie said voice edged with wrath keep out of tills fair enough but unless youve got a better reason than I 1 know about let the old timer alone let go co his he added sharply as stuart winced again ill you to keep out of let go lils his wrist you d dd d bully lie he had grasped brandona Bran dons forearm with both hands letting his pack slip blip to the sidewalk the clutch on don stuarts arm loosened with a snarl brandon drew back and swung tor for bens jaw elliott ducked swayed forward and bending his supple body caught brandon about the middle drove his head into the mans chest raised a knee to his groin lifted him from his feet swung shoved and flung him free with a sharp oath brandon went down in the half thawed mire of the streets street sprawling ignominiously on his bis back bach well now this was something else again men lien had been coming edging cautiously near during the brief argument between bet elliott and nicholas brandon but when brandon the man who ruled tincup and its county was seen lifted from his feet and tossed ignominiously into the mud trampled by his horses stirred by the wheels of his wagons and tractors the street which led through his town to his mill I 1 well then they came arun a run dangl birdeye bird eye cackled an impudent laugh and turned to watch the faces of the vanguard who came to see their liege lord sprawled in the mud there scram 11 with A sharp oath brandon went down into the half thawed mire of the street ble to his feet their voices were raised in incredulity in two decades and more no man save birdeye bird eye blaine had dared lift even his voice in tincup in other than respect for nicholas brandon and now this stranger had picked him up and thrown him awall but brandon was up lurching for the sidewalk where ben elliott stood legs spread fists clenched but with good humor re possessed and grinning as he had grinned at bull duval grinning grinding as a man will who loves combat for its own sake and not at all as one who lights fights in red rage however his smile faded and his jaw settled as brandon uplifted his face in that rush murder was there in the black eyes in the loose hanging of the lower up lip in the purple flush of his cheeks blur murder der and no less As quickly as that homicidal look had come it passed something like fear swept those eyes driving it away not fear of this encounter ben knew not tear fear of a stronger Et ronger younger man something else again something entirely different it was the sort of fear that comes from within the kind of fear a man has tor for ills his own impulses brandon halted abruptly IS ills fists relaxed into hands and with one of them he brushed rather aimlessly at mud on his sleeve A dozen men were nere close then holding back watching waiting listening others were coming many more pounding over the walk splashing through melting puddles keyed to grand excitement and as brandon halted looking up into alliotts elliotts Ell Elli lotts otts face and evidently fighting for self control one of these new arrivals pushed to the front and came up importantly the matter mr bir brandon he asked sharply with the manner of one ready to render service brandon did not reply at once he settled ills his coat on his shoulders sheriff arrest this young man immediately ined lately he be said then ill swear to a complaint of assault and battery myself 0 A sigh of relief of disappointment of tension or of all these com bained went up from the growing group the sheriff turned to elliott and touched his bis arm significantly better come along elliott El llott he said you took in too much territory 11 ben looked about almost foolishly ile he was embarrassed and surprised lie ile had expected a rough and tumble tight fight in what he considered a righteous cause and surely he was the sort who would have been on familiar ground in such an encounter but here ho he was wag with a sheriff plucking at his sleeve 1 ile he laughed a bit sheepishly all right sheriff it if its arresting you run to here in tincup likely im it he turned for his packsack pack sack and as aa he did so observed old don stuart sitting weakly on the step of the vacant store building before which the scene had been enacted perspiration beaded his waxen wasen face and his quick breath came through open colorless lips he was obviously a sick man and trouble clouded alliotts elliotts Ell Elli lotts otts eyes minute sheriff he said and crossed to don thrusting one hand into a pants pocket here old timer he said gently the hand came out and into stuarts palm he pressed a thin packet of bills and some change get one of your old buddies I 1 here you straightening id and beckoning birdeye bird eye who approached pro ached with alacrity get the old timer to a b otel hotel better get a doctor too hes heeled enough to take care of himself a few days after that I 1 well see lie ile turned then and fastened a severe gaze on brandon and you chum let him alone 1 he be warned until a doctor says he can travel you watch your step with him III 1 but brandon ignored this he was buttoning his coat pushing his way through the group which tell fell aside respectfully fully all right sheriff said ben to that worthy lets got gol CHAPTER II 11 able armitage justice of the pence peace in tincup looked over his spectacles into the face of the prisoner before him and a twinkle appeared in his keen blue eyes lie ile asked now young man youre charged with assault and battery on the person of nicholas brandon are you guilty from the rear windows of his little office able had watched young ben elliott emerge from the status of a complete stranger to the populace to that of its latest hero by sending sir mr bull duval to a damp and ignominious finish in the log birling after that he picked up an old clarinet and commenced to play a halting aimless and not completely musical tune he was so occupied either with the musical performance or with hit thoughts that he did riot not hear the tramp of many feet on the walk outside and was unaware that he wm was about to be called on to function in an official capacity when the dooz opened though and ben elliott Elli ort hick ens the sheriff and nicholas brandon followed it seemed by the total male mal population of the county surged through the doorway the clarinets clarinet squawking leaped into a shrill squeal and died away the judges feel fee dropped to the floor and he swung ill ahli chair to face the entrance the sheriff stated his errand the th complaint was drawn nicholas brandon affixed his signature and |