Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1914-12-17
CHAPTER IV-Continued.

He sauntered down the road. but,
when he had passed out of vision, he
turned sharply into the woods, and
began climbing His steps carried him
TO the rift in the ridge where the white
oak stood sentinel over the watch
tower OF. rock. As he came over the
edge from one side his bare feet max
ing no sound, ne saw Sally sitting
there, with her hands resting on the
moss and her eyes deeply troubled
Sheswas gazing fixedly ahead and her
lips we're trembling. At once Sam
sons face grew black. Some one had
been making Sally unhappy. Then he
saw beyond her standing figure,
which the tree trunk had hitherto con-
ceaIed. II was the ioose.knitted figure
of young Tamarack Spicer.
In course" Spicer was saying, I'VE
don't Tow Samson shot Jesse Purvy,
but them Hollmans II 'spicion him. an
j heered just now tibet them dawgs
was trackin' straight up hyar from the
mouth of Misery. They'll git hyar
against suHdown."i }'
Samson leaped violently forward.
With one hand he roughly seized his
cousins shoulder and wheeled him
about
''"Shet up!" he commanded. What
d-n fool stuff hev We been tellin'
Sally?" RI = Dies
For an instant the two clansmen
stood fronting each other. Samson's
facewas set and wrathful Tamarack' s
was surly and snarling. "Hain't got
a license ter tell Sally the news?" he
demanded.
Nobody haint got no license" re.
torted the younger man In the quiet
OF cold anger, ter tell Sally nothin
thetn fret her"
"She air bound ter know hit al
pretty soon. Them dawGs--"
Didn't tell ye ter shet up?" Sam
son clenched his fists, and took steI
forward. "Ef ye opens yore mouth
again. I'm a-goin' ter smash hit. Now
git!"
Tamarack Spicer's face blackened
and his teeth showed His right hanC
swept to his left arm-pit. Outwardly
ne seemed weaponless. but Samson
knew that concealed beneath tn,
hickory shirt was a holster, worI
mountain fashion.
What air ye a-reachiu' after
Tam'rack?" he inquired, his lips twist
ing in amusement
"Thets my business"
Well. git hit out-or git out yeseli
afore throws ye often the cliff"
Sally showed no symptoms of alarm
Her confidence in her hero was absc
Lutte. The boy lifted his hand, an
pointed of down the path. Slowl
and with lncoherent muttering, Spice
took himself away. Then only di
Sally rise. She came over, and laid
hand on Samson's shoulder. In he
blue eyes. the tears were yelling.
Samson" she whispered, "ef they'r
after ye, come ter my house. | XII
hide ye out. Why didn't ye tell m
Jesse Juryey'd done been shot?"
Hit faint nothin' ter fret abou
Sally" he assured her. He spok
awkwardly. for he had been trained [
regard emotion as unmanly. "Ths
haint no danger"
She gazed searchingly into his eye
and then, with a short sob. threw b,
arms around him, and buried her fax
on bis shoulder
"Ef anything happens ter ye, Sar
rson," she said, brokenly. 'hitlI je
Kin me. l couldn't live withouten y
Samson. | Jest couldn't do hit"
The boy took her in his arms, al
pressed her close. His eyes were ga
ing of over her bent head, and his Ii
twitched. He drew his features in
a scowl. because that was the only G
preston with which he could sal
guard his feelings. His voice W
husky.
tIreckon. Sally" he said, Il couldl
live withouten you. neither"
The party OF men who had start
at morning from Jesse Purdy's sto
had spent hard day. The roads (
lowed creek-beds, crossing and !
crossing waterways in a fashion th
gave the bloodhounds hundred b
iiRg difficulties. Often, their nos
lost the trail. which had at first be
SO surely taken. Often, they circl
and whined, and halted in perplexi
but each time they came to a poi
where, at the end. one of them aga
raised his muzzle skyward. and ga
voice.
Toward evening. they were work.
M Misery along a course less brok'
The party halted for a moments re
and. as the bottle was passed, the m
from Lexington. who had brought I
dogs aud stayed TO conduct the cha
pot question:
'?oat DO you call this creek7"
Tits Misery