The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-06-10

penetrating his consciousness. The
sounds seemed to come out OF the air,
the enveloping air; he could not locate
them. n yet the speaker stood at the
end Of the bridge, In plain view.
I'm sorry TO say I taught o that
blow" said the voice. 1t seemed to
the stunned, bewildered boy that this
sentence was repeated over and over
again. There had been words before
these. but they had failed to pierce his
intelligence.
Suddenly, az II spurred by an electric
shock, he sprang to his feet to find
himself staring into the grim. unsmil-
Ing face OF Adam Carr. The realization
that someone had witnessed the sick
ening accident-he could not think OF
1t as anything else-came over him like
q flash
There was a witness! There was
someone to tell his uncle and aunt that
they had been right about him all
along! Uppermost in his mind, In that
instant. was the dread Of their uplift-
ed, accusing hands. They, at least.
! would never believe hat II was an ac-
cident. They would see that he swung
for IT!
Yes, / saw most Of it." said Adam
] Carr, replying to the question Of those
great. stricken eyes.
"Oh, Mr.. Carr, why didn't you come
sooner? Why didn't o stop it?" fell
In hoarse, unnatural tones from the
rigid lips.
II saw 1t from afar. The-the rail
was very rotten. A chlld's weight would
have broken IL down. See!" With that,
he stretched out his hand and pushed
the remaining rail from its f~astenings.
ITS a crime to let such timbers stay
but. this is no time to find fault. We
must get down there to him. He may
be alive"
He is down there-deadl" walled
Eric. Il can see him. Look! That black
thing there by the pile of shellsl"
Brace upl Brace upi Don't lose our
nerve, my lad. I've seen many a dead
man, and so will you before you die.
| You"
but you've never killed a man, as
/ have. / am q MUIR
Don't be so sure that rye never
killed a man, my lad. Come along!
Don't be afraid. He can't hurt you
now"
IT'S no use. He's dead" groaned the
boy. Il KNOW a. see. He hasn't
moved. II didn't know-it would
look like that. Why, there's no shape
to II. L" -
Adam Carr grasped him by the arm
and fairly dragged him off the bridge
and into the path that led by devious
The boy was sobbing, but his eyes were
wide and dry; his lips were contorted
by the ~unspeakable grin that denotes
~overpowering horror.
II didn't mean to do It," he cried.
owe and over again. III forced me
to fight. He was licking me when I hit
him that time. l couldn't have beat
him, Mr.. Carr. The rail"
stop talking" grated the man.
Don't whine about 1t. It's done. and
that's all there Is to It"
I'm a murderer" groaned the mis-
cradle boy.
"They said I'd do 1t some day. They'll
hang me Then what will become Of
Mary? oh, why did I stand up to him?
Why didn't I rum"
Because you're not that sort" snap
ped the detective. Now shut your
mouth. You've got to begin it soone or
later, and you'd better start in right
now. Not another word out of you.
Stop It, I say!"
youth stumbled along in the trail Of
Adam Carr. 1t did not enter his mind
to flee from the hated spot. He fol-
lowed as IL hypnotized.
They were Ave minutes in reaching
the spot where Chetwynd lay, a
crushed, spineless mass. Eric threw
himself down beside the body, pleading
in accent wild for a word, a single word
from the lips Of his late adversary.
Get back" commanded Adam sharp
ly. Let me attend to this" He took
the boys place. In a moment he arose,
and shook his head. IT'S all UP with
him. Dead as a mackerel."
Try again! Maybe he's breathing.
Try his heart" cried the wretched Eric.
1--WE must so for a doctor. I'll go. You
look after him"
mo use, my lad. He's done for. He'll
never bother you again; he'll steal no
more drawings from you; he'll-but
Wen talk about that later on. Here!
Grab hold of his legs"
Eric shrank back. aghast. What
what are o going to do?"
Hide it mean him under that
clump Of vines over there" Eric still
held back. The mar looked al him for
a moment and then laid his hand ON
his shoulder. See here, Erie" he said.
a wonderful kindness In his voice, no
one knows Of this but you and me. No
one ever need know. He's Just disap-
peared, that's all-disappeared forever.
People do that sort Of thing sometimes.
And" here his eyes narrowed, let me
tell you this: your cousin had the best
reason in the world for skipping out"
II don't understand" murmured the
bewildered Eric.
You will. when / explain. Take hold
of him. Don't be afraid. Well hide him
until after dark"
Eric shook his head DULY. mo, l
/ can I uO lLdt1 MI. arr. IL "IOnB.
Didn't you hear what / said about
being the only witness?" demanded
Adam. No one will ever find you out,
depend on that"
i've got t tell Uncle Horace" cried
Eric. twisting his fingers. I've just got
to-"
We'll. IL you won't you won't" said
the man grimly. Stay where 0 are.
I'll do IT myself"
Eric, ~shuddering. turned hts back
while the other mar took UP the limp
figure and, groaning under its weight,
struggled across the rocks to the dense
clump OF vines that sprang from the
base of the wall.
Now you can look he remarked
| coolly, a few minutes later. He had
covered the body in h mass Of green
vines.
Eric looked on dumbly as the older
man, with furtive glances aloft and up
and down the dark ~crevasse, began Il
thorough and systematic searth OF the
ground, his methods not unlike those
Of a dog smelling out a buried bone. He
picked up a match-safe and pieces OF
the broken crystal Of the dead mans
open-faced watch. A few scattered
coins, part of a gold collar button that
had been snapped In two by the strain
on the band, the top of a fountain pen
nothing seemed to escape the trained
eve of the Searcher. who worked with