Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-03-24

give me the gun!"
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 if they go free! She's got the
packet. Kill her and get the packets"
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 it. 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 eyes to
Siletz and spoke as If he obeyed
some compelling power, some urge to
justify himself before her.
Il answer to the Right Law
obeyed the ancient Right Law. little
S'letz, and | have no regrets"
Il know!" cried Siletz, Il know"
the smoke was so dense that the
actors in this drama could scarcely
see each others faces, but they took
no note of it, The climbing roar had
| shut them apart in a sound-made ST.
lence and they did not know it. Only
Hampden, edging sidewise. was alive
| to the possibilities of the moment.
| He saw the gun hanging in Sandry's
hand, forgotten. He saw Siletz de-
vouring his face with her blazing
eyes of passion. He saw his moment
and took it.
With one 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 a reed, and
as his knees buckled under him there
was 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 one in
his trousers band, tumbled 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 pace, her eyes like
fire, and deliberately sought for q
chance to kill Hampden
"Sandry," she cried, ''le fat Lie
fat"
From under Hampdens arm thai
was choking the breath from his
lungs the owner saw that slim fig
ure of doom and strove to cry out A
last he got his voice for moment.
"SiletZ!" he rasped, don't shoot.
command you, don't kill" But thu
bark of the gun drowned his words
She was firing around them.
With the first shot Hampden, re
Numbering the guns that he hat
failed to get, felt his flesh rise on hi
body and he loosened his hold, SHOOT
off 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 fire.
point blank at him He took the bal
in his shoulder and spun half round
The girl pulled the trigger again. go
an empty snap, threw the weapon
away and raised the other.
"Siletz!" shrieked Sandry from tn
ground, "for my sake stop"
1t was a command, a Cry of owner
ship, and it went straight to that par
! of her nature which had obeyed TO
generations. She hestated holdin
the man across the barrel.
AS for Hampden. he stood. wavel
ing drunkenly chuckling in his throat
thing of horror in his maevolence
Well" he rasped dryly. Il guess it
just as well. III leave you to We
pleasant dreams. ! sail fer Panama
Hawaii-the Yukon. I'm done"
He turned ON his heel, to strid
away into the pail of smoke towar
the north. In one moment ne cam
rushing back to run down to the ives
For the first time the three peopl
left together remembered the fire!
saw the thickened smoke, heard tn
roar that had made them scream thei
tragic words, unconsciously, for tn
last half hour.
1t was all around them, that pourin
mass of smoke. and 1t was black, as
the fires were near. Hampden's hug
figure tore past them toward the ma
row point of the ridge, then cam
lurching back, long red streame
staining his bedraggled shirt.
"My God!" he shouted hoarsel.
Were hemmed in! It's on ever
side! Wen burn like rats!"