Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1916-12-14


| The glow leaped up again, and in its
momentary glare David caught sight
of his face, struck out against the sui
rounding shadows, like a face which
some dead master of the brush had
painted-dark, cruel, weak, cOntemp-
tuous. But his reply was never spo-
ken.
The cold chill of the stones on
which he lay had sunk deeper and
deeper into David's bones. With the
grip of desperation, he strove to hold
himself suddenly there burst from his
lips, with the staggering unexpected
ness of q thunderclap, q paroxysm of
coughing.
With a single leap, Glrty had
| reached the spot where David lay.
Davils head had vanished with an
even greater speed. But Glrty's only
thought was to seize the wooden
bucket and dash it's contents on the
fire, plunging the room into instant
darkness. David heard the sharp
whisper of Scull's command.
1--WE are watched. Go out at once.
Captain Girty, you will be the first.
Mr.. Cranmer, second, If you please.
1 will follow"
The thing which David did then was
probably his salvation. 1t occurred
to him that his chance of meeting
| Scull single-handed was greater IL he
] should return to the pitch-dark shop
| than If he remained in the street.
And this he did.
When he had crawled soundlessly
back into the smithy, kicking off his
shoes outside, he was just in time to
see the door opened and the figure of
the first man, Girty, family outlined
in the aperture. Unseen, unheard,
David stole forward. Then the door
opened wider to allow the heavy fig
ure Of Cranmer to emerge. And then
Scull, the third man, went out. With
the quicIness of death, David glided
at his heels.
He had picked up a heavy horse
shoe on the floor of the smithy, the
first weapon that had come to hand
The tall figure was just before him
His arm rose; and even as tho heavy
weapon hung in the air, Scull pushed
open the door of a cabin that stood
next the smithy and vanished.
David heard the door close again
and the heavy wooden bar dropped
across it on the inside. For a mo
ment he stood dumfounded. Girty
and Cranmer had disappeared. Davit
walked on slowly, brooding over plans
for the morning, and found himself Al
the river, talking to itself in the night
He became aware that he still held
something in his hand; and looking
down, beheld the horseshoe. He
tossed it into the stream and went
back to the tavern.
For many days after that his rag
ged, discarded shoes lay unnoticed a
the low aperture of 1sraeps smithy.
David awoke in the morning as
fresh as the day. But day brought
with it the demand that he take VI
his new work; and he crossed the
square to Colonel Posey's store. scan
ming the village sharply as he went
He hurried to the cabin by the
blacksmith's shop. An hOnest-faceC
woman, with brood Of babies cling
ing to her skirts, answered his knock
"Scull?" she replied to his query
"nO, nobuddy by tibet name Twin here
My man is Israel Butt, thar at tn
forge" She was positive that NJ
such person as Scull lived in the vii
lage; her husband was equally at ;
loss to remember the name; and Da
vid, confident as he had been, wa
forced to turn away, baffled by thei
, honest perpleXity. The man had dis
appeared as completely as though
he had been swallowed up in tn
earth.
. Stupetied, David made his way t
Cranmer's lodgings. He had no ide
,, what he would say to the man, bu
his steps took him mechanically t
the door. And there he received
second shock. Cranmer was gone
l his daughter with himI
Whittier?
/, His question brought the reply tina
they had said, they were going to Viz
. cennes. David's friend, John Tiptor
the hunter and militiaman, was Their
he would send Johnny q letter t
warn him and Governor Harriso
. against Cranmer, Girty and Scull, an
telling of their talk of an Indian VI
! rising.
He returned to his store, wrote til
letter, sent it on by post. That don,
he could do no more, except wait |
patience for Cranmer's return.
i CHAPTER v.