Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-25
50 Or Fans Th
of

that ever wrinkled the bearded mans
features now appeared on his face.
Hes done gone" he said, after a
couple of puffs from his pipe.
"Gone!" yelled Cain. Gone where?
How?"
Jest gone" replied the noun
ta1neer, after a tantalizing pause.
The blood rushed to Gains face
and for a moment he appeared to be
choking.
Gone, you lunkheads!" he cried in
fury. What have / been paying
you good money for? You are a lot
of fools. I'll show you that you
can't" Gains tempestuous flow
of words stopped suddenly
Not So Easy.
With the careless movement he
would have used to draw a handker-
chief Chad he possessed that useful
article) from his pocket, the black
bearded man reached a hand behind
him and when II came into View
again 1t held a wicked looking six
shooter. The demonstration was suf-
ficient- The color left Gains face
as quickly as 1t had mounted and
ne became very pale. "kaIe was
painful pause. The three men on the
bench shifted uneasily.
beg your pardon" stammered
Cain, feeling as though he ought to
say something to relieve the tension
The mountaineers made no answer
Cain glanced from one to the other of
them. Finally he managed to say:
It's getting late; l must be go
ing"
There was no answer to this re-
mark, either. Cain hesitated a mo-
ment, then started to walk in the d.
rectiOn Of his horse.
Come on back yere." The bearded
man spoke in quiet tone, but Cain
stopped instantly and turned.
'Wwhat do you want?" he asked
in a faint voice
Settle" said the bearded man, la
oonically.
Cain gulped once or twice and then
answered:
Why, I paid You for your work"
'Tain't enough"
Il didn't bring any money with
me--very little" stammered Cain.
cit some"
Cain frightened up. "All right" he
said; 'Tll send it to you same as be-
fore"
Il reckon not; you git it up we're
and you stay right yere till 1t comes
The black bearded man, It seemed,
could talk when he wanted to.
Caught in Net.
Cold sweat broke out on Gains face.
1t dawned on him that he was caught
in the same net that held Gordon
Kelly for weeks He knew now why
the bearded man had brought him to
this deserted spot instead Of telling
him when they met down the road that
Gordon Kelly had escaped. He rap
idly turned the whole situation over
in his mind and then endeavored to
parley with the mountaineers.
Il don't see any way to get any
money up here to you unless l go
home and get It," he said.
Not even the shrug OF a shoulder
did Cain receive in acknowledgment
of this statement. He tried pleading,
and said in a half whine:
You men know l have treated you
all right. I've done just what | said
I'd do. I'm a man of my word. II
you will let me go back to Atlanta,
I promise you on my honor as gem
tleman that l win send you the money
as soon as / get there"
This would have been the proper
place for a word OF two Of increduh-
ty, but none was offered by the
bearded man. Cain tried several forms
Of entreaty without getting rise out
OF MS llHltIltAEt anu AAANAl 9eANs
well, all right; just tell me how
l can get the money and I'll try It."
The leader of the gang, who had
been leaning against the cabin, went
indoors and returned with a pencil
and a stenographer's notebook. which
he handed to Cain. The book was
what was left Of one they had pro-
cured for Gordon Kelly, and had been
used by him in writing the few letters
he was allowed to write. Cain seated
himself on the ground with his back
against the cabin and prepared to
write. Before beginning, however, he
said to the bearded man:
Can I have something to eat?
haven't eaten since early this morn
ing"
A Dash to Escape.
The three mer arose from the
bench. One of them went indoors to
start a fire, another took pail and
went to a nearby spring for water,
and the third began gathering an
armful of wood from a small Pile a
few feet behind the cabin. The black
bearded man, rating Cain an arrant