The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1911-05-11


nicely that dart would At In the
groove that was cut for IT, YOa
know. altogether too we'll. Whist the
stain 10 that discolors It. You know
where Ne found that dart You're
only surprised that II was ever found
At all-it and the body Of the man Il
slew"
Everything you say 10 perfectly
true" said Cayley. very quietly. lam
surprised that the body Of the man was
ever recovered. I'm . little surprised.
also. that you should think. because
this stick fell from my belt last night
and this dart. which you found trans
fixing 4 mans throat this morning"
Tom Fanshaw interrupted him His
eyes were blaxing with excitement
1T was not from US that you learned
that that dart transnxed the murdered
mans throat!" he cried.
Il knew It, nevertheless" said Cay
ley In that quiet voice. not looking To-
ward the man he answered. but stu
keeping his eyes on old Mr. Fanshaw.
And also little surprised" he went
on, ~ II he had not been interrupted,
that you should think. because this
stick and this dart At together. that I
am, necessarily. . murderer"
You have admitted It now. at all
events" Mr.. Fanshaw replied. HIS
voice grew quieter. too. - the IN
tensity Of his purpose stsadisd It. Z
suppose that 10 because. upon this
'No-MIn'sLAnd.' you are outside ths
pale Of law and statute-beyond the
Jurisdiction Of any court. l tell you
this: think We would be jusunsA
In giving you . trial and hanging you
from that yard there. We will not do
It. We will not even take you back b
the states to prison. You may live
outlaw here and enjoy. undisturbed,
your freedom. such ~ It 10. and your
thoughts and your conscience. such
as they must be. But II ever you try
to return to the world Of men"
Cayley interrupted the threat before
1t was spoken: Il have NO wish to re-
turn to the world Of men," he said. Il
wish the world were empty of men.
az this part Of It IL. or ~ l thought
1t was. abandoned mankind once BE-
fore. but yesterday when I saw men
here, l felt = stirring of the blood
the call Of what was in my own veins.
Last night when l took to the air
again. after the hour had spent On
that ice-nos yonder. / thought want
ed to come back to my own kind:
wanted. in spite of the past. to be one
of them again. Perhaps It 10 we'll that
l should be rid of that delusion -
quickly. l am rid Of 1t. and Am ~
Of you-bloody. sodden. stupid. blind.
Yet. with all my horror Of you. my
disdain Of you. should not expe2 one
Of you to do murder. without some
sort OF motive. some paltry hope OF
gain. upon the body Of stranger. II
10 Of that that you accuse me-"
"A stranger!" Tom Fanshaw echoed.
Why. when you confess to so much,
do you try to lie at the end! Yos
can't think we don't know that the
man you murdered was once your
friend-or thought he was. God help
him! Why try to make us believe
that Perry Hunter was . stranger TO
you?"
The girls wide eyes had never left
Cayley's face since the moment of her
return to the deck with the throwing
stick. Through It all-through Fan
shaw's hot accusation. and his own
reply-through those last words ol
Toms. 1t had never changed. There
had been contempt and anger In It
subdued by an iron self-control: NO
other emotions than those two. until
the very end. Until the mention Of
that name-"Perry Hunter"
But at the sound of that name
just then, the girl saw his face 70
bloodless. not all at once. slowly. rath-
er. And then after = little while hs
uttered a great sob: not Of grief, but
such . sob as both the Fanshaws had
heard before, when. in battle or skir-
mish. soft nosed bullet smashes its
way through some great, knotted nerve
center. His hands went out in q con-
vulsive gesture. both the stick and
the dart which he held. falling from
them, the stick at the girls feet the
dart at his own. Then leaning back
against the rail for support. he cover
ed his face with his hands At last
while they waited silently. he drew
himself up straight and looked dazeAr
ly into her face.
Suddenly. to the amazement OF tbs
other two men, she crossed the deck
to where he stood. I'm perfectly
sure, for my part. that you didn't do
1t; that you are not the murderer Of
Mr.. Hunter. Won't you shake hands?-
He made no move to take hers. and
though his eyes were turned upon her.
he seemed to be looking through.
rather than at her. so intense was his
preoccupation.
Seeing that this was so. she laid
her hand upon his forearm. "You
didn't do it." she repeated. but you
know something about 1t. don't youf
You saw 1t done. from . long way Oh
saw the murder. without knowing