Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-12-24
CHAPTER Iv-continued.


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, he saw Sally sitting
there. with her hands resting on the
moss and her eyes deeply troubled
She was gazing fixedly 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 q standing figure.
which the tree trunk had hitherto con
cealed. II was the loose.knitted figure
of young Tamarack Spicer.
"In course" Spicer was saying, I'VE
don't low Samson shot Jesse Purvy,
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 shutdown"
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 ye been tellin'
Sally?"
For an instant the two clansmen
stood fronting each other. Samsons
face was set and wrathful. Tamarack's
was surly and snafling. "Haint got
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'
thet'll fret her."
"She air bound ter know hit all
pretty soon. Them dawgs-"
Didn't tell We ter shet up?" Sam
son clenched his fists, and took O step
forward. "Ef We opens yore mouth
again, I'm a-goin' ter smash hit. Now.
giti"
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"
well, git hit out--or git out yeself,
afore l 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, Spicer
took himself away. Then only did
Sally rise. She came over, and lad a
hand on Samson's shoulder. In her
blue eyes, the tears were yelling.
Samson" she whispered, "ef they're
after we. come ter my house. kin
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 smoke
awkwardly, for he had been trained to
regard emotion as unmanly. Thar
hain't no danger"
z She gazed searchingly into his eyes.
and then, with short sob, threw her
arms around him, and buried her face
on his shoulder, iat
EFT anything happens ter We. Sam.
son." she said. brokenly. "hitIl lest
kill me. ! couldn't live withouten We.
Samson. jest couldn't do hit!"
+ The boy took her in his arms. and
d pressed her close. His eyes were gaz-
ing off over her bent head, and his lips
twitched. He drew his features into
{ a scowl. because that was the only ex-
preston with which he could safe
guard his feelings. His voice was
husky.
Il reckon. Sally" he said, Il couldn't
live withouten you, neither"
ic The party of men who had started
5 at morning from Jesse Purdy's store
had spent hard day. The roads fol-
3 lowed creek-beds. crossing and re-
crossing waterways in a fashion that
gave the bloodhounds hundred baf-
fling difficulties. Often. their noses
lost the trail. which had at first been
so surely taken. Often, they circled
and whined. and halted in perplexity.
but each time they came to point
where, at the end, one of them again
raised his muzzle skyward. and gave
voice.
Toward evening, they were working
up Misery along course less broken.
The party halted for moments rest.
and. as the bottle was passed, the man
from Lexington. who had brought TIE
dogs and stayed 90 conduct the chase,
put question:
3 what do you call this fTsek?"
" Hits Misery" @
10 Does anybody live on Misery that
you might suspectY
The Hollmans laughed.
This creek is settled with Souths
thicker'n hops" sW
~ The Lexington man looked up. He
knew what the name of South meant
to Holman. 81 a.t
- is there any special South. who
might have particular grudge?"
'The Souths don't need no parti'lar
grudge. but thar's young Samson
South. He's wildcat"
HE lives this waygp
These dogs air a.makin' Decline
fer his house." Jim Holman was
soos ktnU Than he o. dod. oItva aora