Cheyenne record., 1915-09-16
CHAPTER xVIII-contlnued.


self to encounter insult. and what had
famed into quarrel which reached
Its elimination when he mentioned
divers name with a taunt. which the
boy. for all his obstinate clinging to
his journalistic idea did not deserve.
Knowing my own temper, | drew
back into the Hollow.
He followed me.
Itried to speak
He took the word out of my mouth.
This may have been with the intent
OF quellfng my anger. but the tone
was rasping. and. noting this and not
his words, my hand frightened insen-
sibly about the stick which the devil
Tor John Scoville) had put in my hand.
Did he see this, or was he prompted
by some old memory Of boyish quar-
rels that he should give utterance to
that quick, sharp laugh Of scorn!
shall never know. but ere the sound
had ceased the stick was whirling over
my head-there came a crash and he
fell. My friend! My friend!
Next moment the earth seemed too
narrow. the heavens too contracted
for my misery. That he was dead
that my blow had killed him. never
doubted for an instant knew it, as
we know the face Of Doom when once
1t has risen upon us Never, never
again would this lump of clay. which
a few minutes before mad filled the
Hollow with shrillest whistling,
breathe or think or speak, He was
dead. dead, dead!-And l? What was I?
The name which no man hears un-
moved, no amount of repetition makes
easy to the tongue or welcome to the
ear! the name which I had
heard launched In full forensic elo-
Quence so many times in accusation
against the wretches I had hardly re-
garded as being in the same human
class as myself rang in my ears as
though 'intoned from the very mouth
Of hell. | could not escape it. l should
Though | was standing in a familiar
scene-a scene l had known and fire.
quented from childhood, felt myself
is isolated from my past and as COM
pletely set apart from my fellows as
he shipwrecked mariner tossed to
precarious foothold on his wave
dashed rock. forgot that other
criminals existed.
In that one awful moment was In
my own eyes the only blot upon the
universe-the sole inhabitant of the
new world into which had plunged
the world Of crime-the world upon
which I had sat In judgment before I
knew
What broke the spell? God knows;
all can say Is that, drawn by some
other will than my own. I found my
glance travelling up the opposing bluff
till at Its top. framed between the
ragged wall and towering chimney of
Spencer's Folly. I saw the presence
l had dreaded. the witness who was
to undo me.
1t WAS woman-a woman with a
little child in hand. did not see her
face. for she was just on the point of
turning away from the dizzy verge. but
nothing could have been palmer than
the silhouette which these two made
against the flush Of that early evening
sky.
AS long as I could catch a glimpse
OF this woman's fluttering skirt as she
reGeated through the ruins. l stood
there self-convicted. above the man |
had slain, staring up at that blotch of
shining sky which was as the gate of
hell to me. Not till their two figures
had disappeared and 1t was quite clear
again did the instinct of self-preserva
ton return, and with 1t the thought
OF fight.
But where could fly? No spot In
the whole world was secret enough to
conceal me now. I was a marked man.
Better to stand my ground, and take
the consequences than to act the cow
ards part and stink away like those
other men of blood had so often sat
in judgment upon.
Had | but followed this impulse!
Had but gone among my fellows,
shown them the mark of Cain upon
my forehead and prayed. not for in
dulgence. but punishment, what days
of gnawing misery l should have been
spared!
The horror of what lay at my feet
drove me from the Hollow. AS my
steps fell mechanically into the trail
down whichI had come in innocence
and kindly purpose only few minutes
before. a startling thought shot
through my benumbed mind. The