Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-09-10

III lOdAg 6AOOt aAA 0AOO
man and agree to forget his faulty
method of courtship. This time he
would be more diplomatic. Yesterday
he had gone to the boss and called
for his time" Today he was paid off.
and a free lance.
AS he reflected On these matters a
fellow-trainman came along the top
of the car and sat down at Tamarack's
side. This brakeman had also been
recruited from the mountains, though
from another section-over toward the
Virginia line.
$50 yer quittin'?" observed the new
conner.
Spicer nodded.
Coin back thar on Misery?"
Again Tamarack answered with a
jerk of his head.
eve beer layin' off ter tell ye some
thin, Tam'rack."
"Cut her loose"
81 laid over In Hixon last week. an
some fellers that used ter know my
mothers folks took me down in the
cellar of Hollman's store, an give me
some Ticker"
What of hit7"
They was talkin' bout you"
What did they say?"
IT seen that they was enemies of
yours, an they wasn't in no good hui
NOR, SO, when they axed me eff l
knowed ye, l lowed / didn't know
nothin' good about We. l had ter cuss
ye out, or git in trouble myself"
Tamarack cursed the whole HOLMAN
tribe, and his companion went on:
Jim Asberry was thar. He lowed
they'd found out thet you'd done shot
Purvy thet time, an he said"-the
brakeman paused to add emphasis to
his conclusion-"thet the next time We
come home, he lowed ter git We plumb
shore"
Tamarsck scowled.
Much obleeged," he replied.
At Hixon Tamarack Spicer strolled
along the street toward the court
house. He wished to be seen. So long
as 1t was broad daylight and he dis
played no hostility, he knew he was
safe-and he had plans.
Standing before ths Holman store
were Jim Asberry and several COM
panions. They greeted Tamarack az
fably and he paused to talk.
"Ridin' over ter Mieery?" inquired
Asberry.
Lowed I mout as we'll"
mind eff ] rides with ye es fur es
Jesse's placer"
Plumb glad ter have company"
drawled Tamarack.
They chatted of many things, and
travelled slowly, but, when they came
to those narrows where they could not
ride stirrup to stirrup each jockeyed
for the real position, and the man who
found himself forced into the lead
turned in his saddle and talked back
over his shoulder, with wary, though
seemingly careless, eyes. Each knew
the other was bent on his murder.
At Purvy's gate Asberry waved fare
we'll and turned in. Tamarack rode
on, but shortly he hitched his horse
In the concealment of a hollow, walled
with huge rocks, and disappeared into
the laurel.
He began climbing, in a crouched
position, bringing each foot down
Q~oiselessly and pausing often to listen,
Jim Asberry had not been outwardly
armed when he left Spicer. But. soon,
the brakeman's d~elicately attuned ears
caught a sound that made him lie fiat
in the lee of a great log, where he was
masked in clumps of Towering rho
dodendron. Presently Asberry passed
him, also walking cautiously, but hur.
rriedly, and grading a Winchester rifle
in the hollow of his arm. Then Tama-
rack knew that Asberry was taking
this cut to head him off and waylay
him in the gorge a mile away by road
but a short distance only owe the hill.
Spicer held his heavy revolver cooked
in his hand, but it was too near the
Purvy house to risk a shot. He waited
a moment, and then, rising, went on
lno~iselessly with a snarling grin, stalk
ing the man who was stalking him.
Asberry found a place at the foot
of a huge pine where the underground
would cloak him. Twenty yards below
ran the creek-bed road, returning from
its long horseshoe deviation. When
he had taken his position his faded
butternut clothing matched the earth
as inconspicuously as a quail matches
dead leaves, and he settled himself to
wait. Slowly and with infinite eau
ton his intended victim stole down,
guarding each step, until he was in
short and certain range. but. instead