The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1915-02-25
THE CALL OF THE
CUMBERLANDS
Continued from Page 81

| nJllTcQ . lace WcHL tIOM Tcu W
] white, and his shoulders stiffened. He
leaned forward, and for the Instant
no one moved. The tick Of the clock
was plainly audible.
South" he said. his breath coming
in labored excitement, defend your
self"
Samson still sat motionless.
Against what?" he inquired
Against that" Horton struck the
mountain man across the face with
his open hand Instantly, there was
commotion of scraping chairs and
shutting feet, mingled with a chorus
of inarticulate protest Samson had
risen, and, for second, his face had
become thing Of Bnspeakable pas
sion His hand instinctively swept
toward his pocket-and stopped half
way He stood by his overturned
chair, gazing into the eyes of his as
sailant, with an effort at self-mastery
which gave his chest and arms the
appearance of a man writhing and
stiffening under electrocution. Then,
he forced both hands to his back and
gripped them there For moment,
the tableau was held. then the man
from the mountains began speaking.
slowly and in a tone of dead-level
monotony. Each syllable was portent-
ously distinct and clear clipped.
Maybe you know why don't kill
you. Maybe you don't. . don't
give a damn whether you do or
not. That's the first blow I've
ever passed. =. amt going to hit
back. . /. You need friend pretty
bad just now. For certain reasons,
I'm going to be that friend Don't
you see that this thing is damned
frame-up? -, Don't you see that |
was brought here to murder you?"
He turned suddenly to Farbish.
why did you insist on my putting
that in my poke" Samson took out
the pistol, and threw it down on the
table-cloth in front of Wilfred, where
1t struck and shiyered half-flled
ne-glass-"and why did you warn
me that this man meant to kill me?
was meant to be your catspaw to put
Wilfred Horton out of your way. l
may be barbarian and savage, but
/ can smell raft it's dead enough"
. For an instant there was absolute
and hushed calm. Wilfred Horton
picked up the discarded weapon and
looked at it in bewildered stupefac-
ton, then slowly his face famed with
distressing modification.
ANY time you want to fight me-
Samson had turned again to face him,
and was still talking in his deadly
quiet voice-"except tonight, yeu can
find me. I've never been hit before
without hitting back That blow has
got to be paid for-but the man that's
really responsible has got to pay first.
When ! fight you, III fight for myself.
not for a bunch of damned murderers.
Just now, I've got other business.
That man framed this upr' He pointed
a lean finger across the table into the
startled countenance of Mr.. Farbish.
He knew He has been working on
this job for month I'm going to
attend to his case now"
As Samson started toward Farbish,
the conspirator rose, and. with an ex-
eellent counterfeit of insulted virtue,
pushed back his chair.
BY Cod he Indignantly exclaimed,
you mustn't try to embroil me in your
quarrels. You must apologize. You
are talking wildly, South"
Am n" questioned the Kentuckian,
quietly; I'm going to act wildly in
minute"
He halted short distance from Far
bish, and drew from his pocket a
crumpled scrap of the offending maya
zine page: the item that had offended
Horton.
81 may not have good manners,
Mister Farbish, but where come from
we know how to handle varmints He
dropped his voice and added for the
plotter's ear only: Here's a little
matter on the side that concerns only
us. 1t wouldn't interest these other
gentlemen He opened his hand. and
added: Here, eat that!"
Farbish with a frightened glance
at the set face of the man who was ad-
vancing upon him. leaped back, and
drew from his pocket pistol-it was
an exact counterpart of the one with
which he had supplied Samson.
With panther-like swiftness, the
Kentuckian leaped forward, and struck
up the weapon, which spat one in
effective bullet into the rafters. There
was a momentary scuffle of swaying
bodies and a crash under which the
table groaned amid the shattering
Of glass and china. Then, slowly, the
conspirator's body bent back at the
waist, until It's shoulders were
on the disarranged cloth. !
and the white face, with purple veins
swelling on the forehead. stared up
between two brown hands that gripped
its throat
Swallow that" ordered the noun
talneer.
For just an instant. the company
stood dumfounded. then strained,
voice broke the silence.
Stop him, he's going to kill the |