Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-09-21
FRANCIS LYNDE

squared his account.
The leisurely chase led the round OF
the great gates first. and thence
through the deserted and ruined coke
yard to the foot of the huge Stag dump.
cold now from the long shutdown.
Tom looked to see Farley turn back
from the toe of the dump There were
no gates on that side of the yard. and
consequently no guards
But the short cut to the office was
uo the slope of the dump and along the
railway track over which the drawings
Of molten Stag were run out to be
spilled down the face Of the decliv-
ity. There had been no Stag drawing
since the new "blow-in" earlier in the
day; but while he was watching to
keep Farley In sight in the intervals
between the gas-flares. Gordon was
conscious of the note of preparation be-
hind him: the slackening of the blast,
the rattle and clank of the dinkey To-
connective pushing the dumping ladle
into place under the furnace lip.
Farley had taken two or three
scrambling steps up the rough scanned
declivity when the workmen tapped the
furnace. There was suffering roar
and the air was filled with coruscatlng
sparks.
Then the stream of molten matter
began to pour into the great ladle. a
huge eight-foot pot swung on fitting
trunnions and mounted on skeleton
fiat-car; and for Gordon. standing vt
the corner Of the ore shed with his
back to the Stag drawers. the red glow
picked out the man scrambling up the
miniature mountain OF cooler scoria-
10 ~
swiftly to overtake him.
He looked on coldly until he saw
Kincaid head of the retreat and face
his adversary. Instantly there was a
squirt of fire from a pistol in Farley's
right hand. brief flash with the re-
port swallowed up in the roar from the
furnace lip. Then the two men closed
and rolled together to the bottom of
the slope. and Gordon turned his back,
When he looked again the trampling
note of the big blast-engines had
quickened to Its normal beat, the blow.
hole was plugged with its stopper Of
damp clay. and red twilight born ~
the reflection from the surface of the
great pot of seething Stag had succeed.
ed to the binding glare. Where ther,
had been two men locked in struggle
there was now only one, and he was
lying quietly with one leg doubled nm
der him. Gordon set his teeth In AN.
CRY disappointment Had Ktnca,d
broken his compact?
The first-long-drawn exhaust OF tho
dinkey engine moving the Stag kettla
out to Its spilling place ripped the al.
lence. Gordon heard-and he did M,
hear: he was watching the prone f,p-
ure at the dumps toe. When 1t shonid
rise. he meant to fire from where hs
stood under the caves OF the ore-shed
The murder thought contemplated
nothing picturesque or dramatic. II
was merely the dry thirst for tho blood
of mortal enemy.
The putting locomotive had nushea
the slag-pot halfway to the track-end
before Farley sat up as one dazed and
seemed to be trying to get on his feet
Twice and once again he assayed H..
falling back each time upon the bent
and doubled leg. Then he looked up
and saw the slag-car coming; saw and
cried out as men scream in the death
agony. The end rails of the dumping
track were fairly above him.
Gordon heard the yell of terror and
witnessed the frenzied efforts of the
doomed man to rise and get out of the
path of the impending torrent Where.
upon the murder demon whispered in
LIS ear again. Farley's foot was caught
in one OF the many sears or seams in
the lava bed. 1t was only necessary to
wait. to withhold the merciful bullet
to go away and leaves the wretched
man to his fate.
Like bolt from the heavens into
the very midst of the cold -blooded.
murderous triumph. came a long-nee-
lected form Of words. writing itself In
flaming letteds in his brain: Thou
shalt do no murder" And after 1t an
other: But cay unto you. love your
enemies. bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you"
Something gripped him and before
he realized what he was doing he was
running, gasping. tripping and falling
headlong, only to spring UP and run
again. with all thoughts trampled out
and beaten down by one: would he
still be in time?
There was something wrong with the
dumping machinery of the slag-car,
and two men were working with it on
the side away from the splitting slope
Gordon had not breath wherewith 10
shout; moreover. the satety-valve was
still tscreeching to gulf all human cries
Farley was lying face down and mo-
tionless. with the twisted foot still
held fast in a wedge shaped crack In
the cooled Stag. Tom bent and lifted
him: yelled. tugged. strained. kicked
tiercely at the imprisoned shoeheel
Still the WISE grip held. and the great
Kettle on the height above was creak-
ing and slowly careening under the
winching of the engine crew. If tina
molten torrent should plunge down the
slope now. there would be two human
cinders instead of'one.
Suddenly the frenzy. SO allen to the
Gordon blood. spent itself. leaving him
cool and determined. Quite methods
cally he found his pocket knife. and
he remembered afterward that he had
been collected enough to choose and
open the sharper of the two blades
There was quick, sure slash at the
shoe-lacing and the crippled foot was
freed. With another yell. this time Of
glad triumph. he snatched up his bur.
den and backed away with 1t in the
fitting half-second when the deluge If
Stag. firing the very air with shriveling
heat, was pouring down the slope.
Then he fell in a heap. with Farley
under him. and tainted az woman
might-when the thing was done.
CHAPTER XVII.
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