Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-25

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
taineer, after a tantalizing pause.
The blood rushed to Gains face
and Cor moment he appeared to be
| choking.
Gone, you lunkheads!" he cried in
a fury. What have 1 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 il came into View
| again IL held a wicked-looking six
| shooter. The demonstration was sui
| f1cient. The color left Gains face
as quickly as it had mounted and
| ne became very pale. Th,Ie was a
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:
ITS getting late; ! must be GO
ing"
There was no answer to this re-
mark, either. Cain hesitated a mo-
ment, then started to walk In the di-
reCtiOn of his horse
Come on back yere." The bearded
man spoke in a quiet tone, but Cain
stopped instantly and turned.
"W-what do YOU want?" he asked
in faint voice.
Settle" said the bearded man, la
conically
Cain gulped once or twice and then
answered.:
Why, 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 IAN right" he
said; 'Tll send it to you same as be-
fore"
II reckon not: you git It up we're
and you stay right yere till 1t comes
The black bearded man, il 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
ID, Ia n
parley with the mountaineers.
Il don't see any way to get any
money up here to you unless l 60
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 I 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,
l promise you on my honor as a gem
| tleman that l will send you the money
as soon as 1 get there"
This would have been the proper
place for a word or two of increduli-
| ty, but none was offered by the
| bearded man. Cain tried several forms
| Of entreaty without getting a rise out
| Of his listeners, and then said:
well, all right; just tell me how
/ | 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 / have something to eat2
haven't eaten since early this morn
ing"
A Dash to Escape.
The three men arose from the
bench. One Of them went indoors to
start a fire, another took a pail and
went to a nearby spring for water,
and the third began gathering an
armful of wood from a small pile
few feet behind the cabin. The black
bearded man, rating Cain an arrant
coward (Which he was), but choosing