The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1914-12-26
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 MIN
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, he saw Sally sitting
there, with her hands resting on the
moss and her eyes deeply troubled
She was gazing fxedly ahead and her
lips were trembling. At once Sam
sons face grew black. Some one had
been making Sally unhappy. Then he
saw beyond her a standing figure,
which the tree trunk had hitherto con-
cealed. 1t was the loose-knitted figure
of young Tamarack Spicer.
"In course" Spicer was saying, "we
don't low Samson shot Jesse Puryy,
but them Hollmans II 'spicion him, an
/ heered just now tibet them dawgs
was trackin' straight up hyar from the
mouth of Misery. They'll git hyar
against sundown''
! Samson leaped violently forward.
With one hand he roughly seized his
about.
, "Shet up!" he commanded. What
d-n fool stuff hev ye been tellin'
Sally?"
For an instant the two clansmen
stood fronting each other. Samson's
face was set and wrathfuI. Tamarack's
was surly and snarIing. "Hain't got
a license ter tell Sally the neWs?" he
demanded.
Nobody hain't got no license" re-
torted the younger man in the quiet
of cold anger, ter tell Sally nothin'
thetll fret her.
''She air bound ter know hit all
pretty soon. Them dawgs-"
Didn't tell ye ter shet up?" Sam
son clenched his fists, and took a step
forward. EFF 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 hand
swept to his left arm-pit Outwardly
he seemed weaponless, but Samson
knew that concealed beneath the
hickory shirt was a holster, worn
mountain fashion.
What air We a-reachin' after
Tam'rack?" he inquired, his lips twist.
ing in amusement.
"Thet's my business
We'll, git hit out-or git out yeself
afore throws We often the cliff"
Sally showed no symptoms of alarm
Her confidence in her hero was abso
lutte. The boy lifted his hand, and
pointed OFF down the path Slowly
and with incoherent muttering. Spicel
took himself away. Then only did
Sally rise. She came over, and laid q
hand on Samson's shoulder. In he1
blue eyes. the tears were yelling.
Samson she whispered, 'tef they're
after ye, come ter my house. I kir
hide ye out. Why didn't We tell me
Jesse Jurvey'd done been shot?"
Hit faint nothin' ter fret about
Sally" he assured her. He spoke
awkwardly, for he had been trained tc
regard emotion as unmanly. THAI
hain't no danger"
She gazed searching1y into his ewes
and then, with short sob, threw heI
arms around him, and buried her face
on his shoulder.
EFF anything happens ter We. Sam
son., she said, brokenly, "hit'n les
kill me. I couldn't live withouten We
Samson. I jest couldn't do hit!"
The boy took her in his arms. ant
pressed her close. His eyes were gaz
ing on over her bent head, and his lin
twitched- He drew his features int
scowl, because that was the only e1
preston with which he could safe
guard his feelings. His voice wa
husky.
Il reckon, Sally" he said, st couldn'
live withouten you, neither"
The party of men who had starte
at morning from Jesse Purdy's stor
had spent hard day. The roads 70
lowed creek-beds, crossing and re
crossing waterways IN a fashion tia
gave the blOodhounds a hundred ba
fling difficulties. Often, their nose
lost the trail, which had at first bee
so surely taken. Often, they circle
and whined. and halted in perpIexit,
but each time they came to a poir
where, at the end, one of them agai
raised his muzzle skyward, and CAV
voice.
Toward evening, they we're workin
up Misery along a course less broker
The party halted for q moments res
and. as the bottle was passed, the ma
from Lexington, who had brought IL
dogs and stayed to conduct the chas
put a question:
What do you call this creek p"
Hits Misery"
Does anybody live on Misery thu
~eF-that you might suspect?"
The Hollmans laughed.
This creek is settled with Soutl
thicker'n hops"
The Lexington man looked up. f
knew what the name of South meaI
to q Holman.
Is there any special South, wi
might have particular grudge?''
The Souths don't need no parti'I
grudge. but thar's young Sans,
South He's q wildcat"
"He lives this wsy?"s
These dogs air a-makin' a heel
fer his house. Jim HOLMAN "
speaking Then he added: Eye do