The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-06-22

Shoot them. Sandry. shoot them-or
give me the gum"
Shuddering. Sandry covered her
savage eyes with his hand. Their
reversion sickened him. But she
shook him loose. crying for death.
XIII them both. for they will ruin
you II they 30 free! She's got the
packet. Kill her and get the packet"
What's this?" he cried hoarsely.
Things she has written about you
a-letter to a man by the name OF
Musseldornl"
Slowly Sandry's face went white
beneath It's CRIME as he raised his
eyes and looked at Poppy ordway.
She returned his gaze.
Then True" she said. that's
why went east. cannot lose you,
Walter. There was danger from that
wild creature there. though you did
not know II. and was determined to
make sure Fair means or foul
must win. And there's no law for a
genius know and you know that
YOU are"
Guilty" he said. throwing up his
head.
Then Sandry dropped his eye to
Siletz and spoke as II he obeyed
some compelling power. some urge to
justify himself before her.
u answer TO the Right Law I
obeyed the ancient Right Law. little
Slet2. and ] have no regrets"
Il know" cried Siletz. u know"
the smoke was so dense that the
actors In this drama could scarcely
see each others faces. hut they took
no note OF Il. The climbing roar had
shut them apart In n sound.made 81.
lence and they did not know Il. Only
Hampton, edging sidewise, was alive
TO the possibilities OF the moment.
lie saw the gun hanging in Sandry's
hand. forgotten. lie saw Siletz de.
vouring his face with her blazing
eyes OF passion. lie saw his moment
and took IL.
With n great bound he flung him.
self high in the air. leaped the space
between and came down with his
great weight upon the shoulders OF
the other man. clutching for back and
throat, drawing the one TO him In a
grip OF iron. pushing the other away
Sandry went down like q reed, and
as his knees buckled under him there
a an ominous snap. The bone OF
his right leg. newly healed and fragile.
gave way under the strain.
AS the two men fell. both guns, the
one in ~Sandry's hand and the ore in
his trousers band. tumhled loosely
apart. Siletz. clinging still to San
dry's knees, was borne down with
them. As they rolled over she tore
herself from under them and with
two sweeps OF her ~outspread arms
gathered the guns. Then she sprang
up, drawing back a pace. her eyes like
fire, and deliberately sought for a
chance TO kill Hampden.
"Sandry," she cried. lie hat! Lie
fat." ia,
From under Hampden's arfe ..het
was choking the breath from his
lungs the owner saw that slim fig.
ure OF doom and strove TO cry out At
last he got his voice for q moment.
"siletz!" he rasped. don't shoot. |
command you. don't kill" But the
bark OF the gun drowned his words,
She was firing around them.
With the first shot Hampton. re-
membering the guns that he had
failed TO get, felt his flesh rise on his
body and he loosened his hold. shook
on Sandry and got TO his feet, painting,
fighting mad. his eyes red and awful.
With the courage OF the raging bull
he made straight for Siletz, who fired
point blank at him. He DOL the bali
in his shoulder and spun half round.
The girl pulled the trigger again. got
an empty snap, threw the weapon
away and raised the other.
"Siletz!" shrieked Sandry from the
ground, for my sake stop"
II was a command. a cry OF owner.
ship, and It lei straight TO that part
OF her nature which had obcyed for
generations. She hesitated, holding
the man across the barrel.
As for Hampden, he stood, waver.
Ing ~drunkenly. chuckling In his throat.
a thing Of horror In his ~malevolence.
Well" he rasped dryly. II guess It's
Just as well. I'll leave you 10 yer
pleasant dreams. | sail fer Panama
Hawaii-the Yukon. I'm done"
lie turned on his heel. 20 stride
away into the pail OF smoke toward
the north. In one moment he came
rushing back 10 run down e the west
For the first time the three people
left together remembered the fires,
saw the thickened smoke, heard the
% that had made them scream their
tragic words. unconsciously, for the
last half hour.
II was all around them. that pouring
mass OF smoke. and II was black. as II
the fires were ear. H~ampden's huge
figure tore past them toward the mar.
row point Of the ridge. then came
lurching back, q long red streamer
staining his b~edraggled shirt.
My Cod" he shouted hoarsely.
We're hemmed in. It's on every
side! Wen burn like rats"