OCR Text |
Show THE RICH COUNTY REAPER. RANDOLPH. UTAH By HAROLD TITUS Copyright by Harold Titus. WjmU CHAPTER IX . Continued 10 Before, he had conducted his affairs with confidence; he was sure of both his standing and his abilities. Secrets bad rested in his heart, to be sure, but they had rested easily, comfortably. And then, out of the welter of Dead Bear rapid had come this stranger who upset not only his body but his mind; who had replaced confidence with harrying misgivings, had driven out assurance and supplanted it with doubt and made of those secrets not cherished possessions but rankling growths. . . . Like the clanging of an ominous tocsin had come Bluejays sketchy report of Youngs talk with Ezra Adams. Why should these two be talking of the Downer case, when that had been considered closed months ago? And there was the disappearance of his pistol on the night he believed his house burning. Explainable, probably ; the chances were that its disappearance was, in reality, a simple, casual affair. . . . But he did not know that, and in his state of mind shadows were taking shapes. This evening Ezra and Young had had their heads together for long over the doctors motor . . . but West, watching, had not been fooled. Their talk was not of mechanics, he felt sure. He .walked on home, not daring to enter the store and be seen by others. Safe within his own walls he went hastily to that cupboard and. resumed the drinking which his visit to Nan had interrupted. And across the way Kerry Young lay in his blankets, that strange numbness persisting. His eyes were open; sleep would not come. In boyhood he had, thought he knew suffering, but now he realized he had not even skirted the edges of the fields of human misery. - ' CHAPTER X By noon of that Thursday, Kerry had his camp made on an island a quarter-mil- e offshore in Townline lake. He had been in a strange mood . . . so strange that Tip sat for long intervals watching him intently, studying his face and, now and then, whining lowly. Sober, his master was, but his mind evidently' insisted on straying from the job at hand. He was clumsy, It struck too, and dropped his belt-aa stone and a deep nick was knocked from the bit. He held it in his hand .And stared at the implement for long. In t4e afternoon he and the dog set out for the first hours of cruising. Before sundown he paddled across to the cabin where he might have stayed, went inside and looked idly about and then returned to camp. They were alone. They had not seen sound. a soul, or heard a Of course, Frank Bluejay, squatting in the alders, made no sound except a surly, impatient grunt That was when he raised himself to one knee and sought to cover the man in the canoe out there with the worn rifle he carried, and found that the glare of sunlight made the sight-bea- d show large as an orange, j When the canoe was out of the glare, the range was too long for certainty. And the next 'morning, when Young set out a spanking breeze blew. He kept to shoal water for a mile where the seas were not dangerous so that he could square away and lay a course into the wind, thereby avoiding the chance of swampifig.' By ' thk timfe' hq was out over the Indigo depths again he was far from the breed and once more Bluejay dared not shoot He could have killed his man without half trying once, but the body would have fallen into shallow water then. His father and his fathers father had told him that Townline lake never gave up its dead, did they drown in the channels. Bluejay wanted no risk of discovery in this doubly motivated undertaking. So the Indian went surlily back to camp and cursed his squaw and their children for not picking faster, and grumbled over the salt pork. He had hunted for two days, now, and had not found a deer. Then you aint so smart, his woman snapped. We see lots o deer. If youre so crazy for fresh meat you better come with us." in Ill get meat! he growled,-anthe morning, set out after it He carried buckets, saying that he mflffiae well pick berries after he got his deer If he happened to find a good patch. ' Thursday and Friday passed with no fresh meat In the Bluejay camp; when the breed left on Saturday morning it was early, at the crack of dawn . . . a splendid time to find deer browsing or Making their way to the ridges where they bedded for the day. But x. i ... Illustrations By Irwin. Myers Service. man-mad- e d his eyes were not alert for deer. He made speed, threading the timber at a lope when camp was safe behind, covering the miles swiftly. Kerry Young was up early as well, the next day, stripping and .running naked into the biting cold lake, plunging, blowing, splashing great fronds of water at Tip,, who had followed him in. The dog liked it; he barked and yelped, and seemed to be trying to say ; Thats better chum I Thats the way to act! Thats your old self! I belong to a fellow who laughs, not to a man whos as solemn as an empty church! Young played roughly with the dog and then, turning shoreward, otitswam him to the fringe of reeds. A spanking little breeze had come again with the sunrise, flattening out the smoke of the small fire, making coffee slow to boil and delaying the frying of bass he had caught last eve- ... . ning. Young wanted to call out to reassure the retriever that all was well, for Tip was In a great state of excitement and distress. But to do that he feared, would set the animal diving for him and that to a watcher, might betray the secret . . . that he was safe and in concealment The toss of the canoe grew more pronounced as they drifted into heavier seas. The chill of the water ate Into his flesh, Into his bones. His teeth commenced to chatter. With great caution, he shoved himself downward and came up on the leeward side. With a shake of. his head he cleared water from his eyes and, opening them, burst into laughter. The dog had Just rounded the bow again. His look was tense, almost agonized, but when he came thus face to face with his master, the ears pricked stiffly and then relaxed, the orange flare left the eyes and a pink tongue showed. All Jake, Okay! Kerry choked. chum! HI! All right, then! And he turned his cheek to the frantic tongue for a moment. Listen, Tip, he said, holding the dog beside him with one hand while the other rested on the canoe. I got to get out of this! Cold? Dyou ever feel colder water in summer? Before wed drift to shore Id freeze. He looked about. The waves werp high. Straight down wind was his with warm sunisland, shine beating upon It. To one on shore, a swimming dog would scarcely be noticed. . . . You, Tip! . . . You get to camp! He reached for a hold on the Savvy? tail. Hie on, now! Camp! Hie dogs Wavelets hissed through the rushes. The deep blue . of the channel was flecked with small whitecaps. Young looked at the weather and opined that the day would keep clear, though the wind might rise to half a gale. That is what Frank Bluejay thought too, as breathing heavily, he made his way to the edge of a cedar thicket on the shore and saw the smoke of that breakfast fire. The wind was increasing, and that was good. The sound of a shot would not travel so far on a day when the elements rioted. He did not fidget nor fuss through the Interval of waiting. But when the canoe put out he rose slowly, certain of his good concealment, and stiffened. Young paddled straight toward the ambushed Indian. The light craft on !" pitched and rolled rhythmically under the dog turned down Obediently the impulse of his paddle, in the bow wind. his hold on the Kerry kept Tip balanced nicely, letting his tongue let go the canoe. He turned to tall, his loll. side to and then his as and his back, Closer and closer to the fringe of discame on Tip the retriever weight tant cedars they progressed, within slowed and looked backward. two hundred yards, a hundred and sevenHie on! Camp! gasped Kerry. a hundred and fifty; then ty-five, Tip settled down to swim, low In the the seas having subsided, Kerry swung water, making slow going of it, but sharply to the left, putting his canoe nevertheless towing his master steadto broadside the weather. . . . And a watcher, from a disIt was now that Bluejay pulled back ily. had he seen the dog, would tance, the hammer of the worn old rifle. never have guessed what dragged beSlowly he pressed his cheek tight hind. against the cool stock. The sight-beaKerry wormed his way through the came down, wavering ; found Its object once were reached, and reeds, The muzzle moved thrice, following the stretched flat they on his belly on the clean of canoe. fall The brown the rise and letting the sun drive the chill hand on the grip squeezed. . . . The sand, from his bones. breed stood there for a long moment He lay there a long time before he lips loose, watching. moved. Then he wriggled into the On the shot Young had pitched forbehind his tent, extricated got brush, rail. ward and sideways, across the his binoculars from the pack and for For an Instant the canoe hung so, on a long Interval studied the point from its beams end; then with a quiek roll which the bullet must have been fired. and a little splash, it went bottom up His canoe had followed him ashore and began to drift with the seas. but for,. a long time he made no move head Tip, thrown into the waters, to secure It. At length, reassured, he held high, began circling swiftly. his rifle at hand. Tip out Around and around he went crying in the bow, he set out for the again for the master who had disappeared. following a course that With a sharp nod, Bluejay turned. mainland, him away from the point would take He left the cedars, climbed the bank of ambush. There he cached the canoe and pushed on through the hardwood. In bushes and began circling the shore. A little later a yearling doe leaped p He spent considerable time trying to before him. He shot quickly, and shot determine the course of the bullet, on toward walked ; then he camp, agaih Unlawful, and searched the shore for sign. But bearing the hindquarters. this . . . but the wardens winked at men there was no sign. In a thick clump of the country living from the country. of cedars he found faint traces of No one would trouble him; he rather movement; a trampled seedling, a hoped he might be seen. The venison bruised herb. But an animal might No footprints would, explain, this having the rifle have done these. He went on, to' the cabin. along, and while Townline lake never showed. He opened the door, peered in, then gave up those who die In its depths well, a man can never be too safe ! stooped, frowning. A fine dusting of Townline lake never gives up its dry sand was on the floor. Sand? No, dead. That was the thought which his fingers told him it was powdered flashed through Kerrys mind as he clay. It went from the doorway across went overboard. Once down in the toward a far corner; just a light dustchannels ing of it, a ragged stringer. He wondown not in any dered what that might mean. FollowBut he was going channel ! He was there, under his cap- ing, be found that it ended at tWo sized canoe, still holding the shattered short sections of flooring. At some time there was no way of determining paddle in one hand. The blow of the bullet had all but when these had been tampered with. torn it from his grasp. Just as he was Perhaps broken boards had been reStill, why that dirt on the dipping the blade that terrific impact placed. had struck. Perhaps the smooth ash floor? It had not been here the other had deflected the missile; perhaps the day. aim of his assailant had not been good. Tip, he said, as he stuffed tobacco feut the sound of the rifle, a flat, into his pipe, Im getting good and dull crash, had reached his ears be- hot under the collar! Shot at from He fore he could make a move in reac- ambush! Now, who the devil tion to amazement And then his first lighted his pipe and stood frowning, debating. act was for Lets go to town, he said to the Someone had lain in wait to kill him. Someone had shot with reasonable ac- dog, and see whos surprised to see curacy . . . and to let them believe that usl That was about noon; he had foura desired end had been achieved was teen miles to go. . . . He could cut off and smartness once caution. at S9 he went over the far side, his five, he remembered, if he took an 'torso lolling la the water, the move old road, long disused, which Nan had Tip out with a great scram- pointed out to him when they had throwing ' bling., Kerry cautiously twisted his traveled this way together.. Beaver body so he woulf come up beneath, the had flooded it years back, she had said. This spring the abandoned dam craft f j In there, he could hear nothing but bad gone out With a little work the the slosh of water, the rustle of wind, cut-omight be made passable. So he .went that way, walking in the sharp, inquiring bark of the dog. ... reed-fringe- ... d ii. .... ff d, stride of of the boys are gatherin up a lot of tently, with the . the woodsman, rifle In the crook of support ! his arm, seeing but little of what he Now, lets see. Butch s away out space-eatin- g passed. He did stop once, to watch bees working in fireweed. CHAPTER XI Now Nat Bridger, the sheriff, though a man large in stature, was small in heart and soul. There were those in the country who called him a bootlicker. He was alone in his office when West entered the corridor. Tod glanced around at the barred door to the bullpen straight ahead with a man standing against it, holding one bandaged hand in the other gingerly. Hullo, Dick ! West said to the prisoner. Heard you drank too much of What ails the your own hooch hand?" Blood poison, the man growled. Most drives me crazy! Doc Adams says its better, but it dont seem so to me. The voices had attracted the sheriff who came to the doorway. he cried and Tod! Oh, hul-lwent on to remark how well this sight of an old friend pleased him and shook hands and went through a performance of greeting which, to an understanding person, would have explained clearly just why he was considered a Lord, what happened to you ! he demanded as West followed him in to where the light was better. Why, Tod, youre all swoll up! He was, in truth, badly swollen. His face was and even the left eye slightly puffed. Dam hornets got me yesterday," he said. Was fishin up Big Beaver and kicked em out of a stump. They sure are good at their Job! Ill say so! But what brings you here? he asked. Anything I can do for you, Tod? West sat down and crossed his legs and put his hat on one knee. Well, not for me, mebby, he said, but I heard somethin the other night that I kind of figure you ought to know. Likely nothin to it but you never can tell. Yeah? You know Bluejay, dont Yes. you? Thought so. Kind of scum, Frank is. Hes worked for me off and on nd I dont trust him much, but theres things about him . . . For Instance, hes always snoopin, always sees things. Hes been camped out north of us pickin berries and comes in most every night Well, night before last he came to me to get a little he had cornin, and I got visiting and he told me something kind of suspicious. He says hed been lookin for berries north of Townline lake Thursday and long about sundown swung past that Downer cabin on his way back to camp. He says he heard something that sounded like poundin Inside. Now, you or me, wed ve walked right" up to the door, but we aint breeds. Theres no explainin em and mebby its a good thing for Frank and for you and for the county itself that he didnt . . . Leastwise, if there's anything to Ms story. He was leaning forward, now, and nodded seriously. A little draft through the open' transom above fluttered his graying hair and the lone prisoner in the bull-peleaned closer against the bars, straining to listen. He peeked through the window and, Nat, he says he saw young Holt Stuart on his knees in a corner takin money out of a tin box hes got buried under 1 , o, Hed1 south, servin some papers. ought to be back a little after noon. Nobody else knows this? Not a soul, fars I know. I told Bluejay to keep his mouth shut Bridger began to pace the floor in agitation. It wont do to go alone. Takin a man as a murder suspect aint a simple matter. As a matter of duty. Id ought to have my deputy with me. Yes, and then some, maybe." Would you go along, Tod? Anything I can do Id feel It my He rose. Tell you duty to do. what: Ive got to drag along home. I might hear somethin there. Ill be waitin when you and Butch show up. And thatll be as quick as I can get hold of him. Ill try it by telephone. . . . So it was that when Ezra Adams, rusty black bag In his hand, mounted the jail steps to make a call on his patient there, he heard the story the prisoner had heard; and learned that Bridger and his deputy had started north a few moments before and went down the steps In a fine flutter of excitement ! Kerry Young, dog at his heels, swung Into the mens shanty behind Nan Downers headquarters, set his rifle carefully in a corner and immediately went out. He strolled down through the mill yard, speaking to a man here and there, scrutinizing faces, talked briefly with the foreman, and the pond man and then crossed the trestle toward Wests Landing. A car stood before Tod Wests house. The motor was running. A group lounged before the store; a blueberry buyers truck, half loaded, came to a halt there. Kerry looked long at Wests house but saw no one. . . . Tod West, within, had his back to the sheriff and his deputy. They had not seen Youngs passing but West had and for a moment the man felt panic come again into possession of his faculties. Young, alive and in town? . . . And when he returned from Shoestring at noon Bluejay had been waiting for him with word that Young was forever removed from the Mad Woman! The breed had collected his money, too two twenties and a ten and gone to wait for the coming of the Landings most patronized hooch maker. Tods first thought was that Bluejay had been mistaken; that his shot had gone wild, that Young had escaped. The Indian had been so sure; had told Tod West of how Young had gone down into the deep waters of Townline lake; of how his dog had swum round and round the drifting canoe and finally struck out for shore. A shaking rage gripped him. The Indian had lied, then ! Wed ought to be gone. Tod!" 80, Bridger, breaking in on Ms swift train of speculation and doubt and suspicion. "He might light out. . . ." "Ready in a minute, he said thick. But he was still bending over ly. and a mans voice, when he is in such a posture, will often sound so. Young was out of sight when the sheriffs car, bearing the three, whirled around in the street and drove past the store. Yes, Young was out of Tod Wests sight, but in full view of Frank Bluejay, sitting in a chair tilted against the store wall. Kerry had been in full sight of the man for, perhaps, ten seconds, standthe floor I His voice had dropped to a whis- ing there in the doorway, surveying the dozen people in the establishment. per on this last. He watched the look of amazement Then his gaze came to rest on the spread swiftly over the sheriffs face. breed. (TO BE CONTINUED ) StUart? he asked In surprise. Stuart, takin money out of a tin box buried under the floor? My God, Air at Higher Altitudes Tod I . . . Why . . . Nd he was in that for dust and water vapi Except cabin the night Gash was shot ! the composition of the air does n Of course, Nat, youre not dumb! change up to the lower limit of tl He narrowed his eyes and nodded at about seven miles all stratosphere, You and I, wed ve had the tude. The constant wisely. mixing resultli young lad in for a talkin to, anyhow, from the wind keeps the proportioi if it hadnt been for Ezra. of the gases constant. Above that al: Ezra was so damned sure that that tude these proportions may vary, o ankle had been sprained the night Gash serves a writer in the Chicago Tribur was killed and that the kid couldnt The higher we go above that level tl ve gotten out . . . Oh, well! The best larger proportion we expect to fli of usll make mistakes. of the lighter gases. Actual measur Brldgers face was gray with excite- ments made as high as 23 miles bei ment. out this prediction. From mathemai We wont overlook this bet! he cal formula we can estimate the coi snapped. , By God, Tod, if I can Just position at higher levels. It Is sa clean up tMs Downer mystery, then there is almost no oxygen letf at I guess these other birds thatve been miles and no nitrogen at 75. At th threatenin to run for this office, come altitude the air, or what little remaii fall, ll crawl back into their holes! of it, consists chiefly of hydrogen ai Ye& . . . But If you dont . . . Some helium. boot-licke- r. lop-side- d - . .. n ... , . I |