Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-05-14

But 1t Is q mask, isn't IT,
"Sure it is mask"
And wasn't told to apply here for
a job?'
Perhaps it was a joke"
who would go to all that trouble |?
tell you, Victor, that mask was drop
ped by one Of party who moved back
before us and are hiding somewhere in
the scrub this very minute. And 1t
was party that was expecting met"
And were scared at seeing four Of
us with guns?"
Precisely" -
And the whole talk Of starting up
the quarry again was just moonshine?"
eyes, to inveigle me here"
Daggancourt whistled.
II believe 1t was" he said solemnly.
1T can't have been anything else. 1t
just can't have been anything else"
They increased their pace, urged to
hurry by Mack and Louey, who had
oranked up the car and were calling
frantically. The two mechanics were
panic-stricken, and In frenzy to be
off; and as Matt and Daggancourt took
their seats in front, they, too, caught
the contagion, and were as madly
eager as the Others. The engine roar
ed to the advancing levers; the low
gear slipped swiftly into mesh, and
with grind and jump the sturdy old
car tore round, and re-took the road it
had come. Corduroy, sand, rocks or
Notwithstanding deferred Victor,
who. crouched over the wheel, and
bracing himself against 1t, flung the
car forward at break-neck speed,
never relaxing until the open country
was reached. Nor even here would
he consent to stop and camp Six
miles was still too close to the quarry.
The vote, on it's being put, was three
to one to continue to the outskirts of
Manaswan. and picnic on the bank OF
the river.
. Choosing a shady place in some
willows beside the highway. they ran
in the car and unpacked their lunch.
smoked instead, and reclined on the
grass, debating the extraordinary dis
covery of the mask. and wondering
whether or not they should inform the
police. Matt Joined in but little, except
to negative the suggestion. and this
was more to prevent his silence caus-
ing remark. He was very thoughtful
and moody; he felt for the first time
his own powerlessness; he was sur
rounded by an implacable enmity that
struck at him in the dark. and against
which he had no weapons. What was
he to do? What was to become of him
Had he gone alone to the quarry that
morning he shuddered at the fate that
might have been in store for him. He
saw the body of man floating in one
of those turbid pools. and the man was
himself. 1t shook his nerve. He had
to admit he was frightened.
He looked up as he heard the sound
of horses hoofs growing nearer at a
trot; sprang up. as Mack. whose posi-
ton gave him q view of the road, said
something about a young lady on
horseback. 1t was a young lady In.
deed! 1t was Chris, riding beside her
father, and approaching briskly!
She saw him as quick\ as he saw
her, and at that recognition, so unex-
pected and sudden that it seemed to
and raised his hat. All that happened
after was like dream; 1t had the be-
quality of his first fight-the
same incoherence and mistiness. He
found himself holding her bridle--
talking and listening with breathless
animation. She had not been able to
stay away longer; she loved him. and
would say it before the world, promise
or no promise; it had been unbearable,
and she was twenty-three and her own
and. oh. had he succeeded
in what they had planned? No, he
had not; it was bitter confession,
but he had not; they had got him out
of one thing after another; had forced
him to his knees; he had been perse-
cuted and hunted till he was we'll nigh
crazy. Over ALL was another voice,
stridently crying: Let go my daugh-
ter's horse, sir! Do you hear. sir, let
go my daughters horse! Let go my
daughters horse" voice vibrating
with passion and yet UNNECESSARILY
distant and as unconsidered as the
drone of wasp.
Suddenly there was a flash of q whip
and singing blow cut across Mats
face; another flash; a scream and he
had wrenched the whip from a wrink-
led old hand and was about to lash out
with it himself on that convulsed and
raging figure. To his dying day he was
thankful he threw it from him instead,
dizzily refraining as he realized 1t
was Chris father and that he must not
strike an old man.
But he was furious, nevertheless;
two livid stripes creamed for ven
geance; his voice came in sobbing
bursts as he chung to the generals
horse and told him that his action was
shameful: that no one calling himself
a gentleman could insult one who!
The horse reared and plunged as the
generals spurs dug into its tanks;
the old man was trying to ride him
down. It was then that Matt had a
vision Of Daggancourt leveling gun
at Marshall. Every shred of civiliza-
ton seemed to have dropped from the
all the savage in him was
reused to frenzy; his bloodshot eyes
were taking sight; his yellow-black
finger was drawing back the trigger;
with murderous deliberation he was
awaiting his chance to fire.
1t was Louey who averted a tragedy;
he leaped at Daggancourt and threw
up the gun; 1t exploded harmlessly in
IL l. II.