The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-03-21

Stingaree did not move a muscle. He
might have been dead, and IN his dis
appointment II was the easier to lie as
though he were. Really bruised, really
battered, really faint and stiff and sore,
to say nothing of his bonds, he felt
himself physically no match for so
young a man with the extra breadth OF
shoulder and the extra length Of arm
which were part and parcel Of his de-
fOrmity. With the elderly sergeant he
might have had n chance, man to man,
one arm TO two, but with Superintend-
ent CAIRNS his only weapons were his
wits. He lay quite still and reviewed
the situation, as II was and as It had
been. In the very moment OF his down
fall by instructive presence Of mind he
had preserved the use of his right
hand, and that was a still unsupported
asset Of incalculable worth. IL had
been the nucleus of all his plans. With
out hand he must have resigned him.
self to the inevitable from the first.
Then he had split up the party. He
heard the sergeant and the constable
ride or with HOWE, exactly as he had
intended two Of the three captors to do.
His fall alone introduced the element
OF luck. It might have killed or MAIN
ed him, but the risk had been run with
open eyes. Being alive and whole, he
had reduced the odds from three
against two TO man and man, and the
difference was enormous, even though
one man held all the cards. Against
h.. AAA NIn,,
ever but HOWE was eliminated from
present calculations. And as Stingaree
made them with the upturned face of
seeming insensibility he heard a non
chalant step come and go, but knew an
eye was on him all the time and never
opened his own till the striking OF a
match was followed by the smell OF
bush tobacco.
The shadow OF the hop bush was
spreading like split ink, and for the
moment Stingaree thought he had 1t to
himself But wreath of blue smoke
lowered overhead, and when he got TO
his elbow and glanced behind there sat
Cairns in his shirt sleeves, filling the
niche his body made In the actual
green bush, q swollen wet water bag
at his feet. his revolver across his
knees. There was an ominous click
even as Stingaree screwed around
where he lay.
"Give ME a drink" he cried at sight
Of the humid canvas bag.
"Why should II" asked the superin.
tendent, smoking on.
Because | haven't had one since we
started-because I'm parched with
thirst"
"Parch awayr' cried the creature OF
suspicion. You can't help yourself,
and can't help you with this baby to
nurse"
And he fondled the cooked revolver
In his hands.
Very WE'LL Don't give me Onew ex.
claimed Sungaree and dealt the moist
bag kick that sent Jet of cold water
squirting over his foot He expected to
be kicked himself for that He was
only cursed, the bag snatched out Of
his reach and deeply drained before his
eyes.
II was going to give you some" said
Cairns, smacking his lips. "Now your
tongue may hang out before do"
Stingaree left the last word with
the foe. 1t was part of his preconceiv-
cd policy. He still regretted his soil
tary retort, but not for a moment the
more petulant act which he had just
committed. His boots had been re-
moved after his fall; one Of his socks
was now wet through, and he spent
the next few minutes I'm taking It off
with the other foot The lengthy proc
ess seemed TO afford his mind Ger.
tain pensive entertainment 1t was a
shapely and delicate white foot that
lay stripped at last-a foot that its
owner, with nothing better to do,
could contemplate with legitimate sat
isfactiOn. But Superintendent Cairns,
noting his prisoners every look and
putting his own confident interpreta
ton ON them all, cursed him afresh for
cOnceited pig and filed another pipe,
with the revolver for an instant by his
side.
Stingaree took no interest In his pro-
ceedings; the revolver he especially ig-
nOred, and lay stretched before his
captOr, one sock OF and one sock on,
one arm In splints and sling and the
other bound to his ribs, model pris-
oner whose last thought was Of es-
cape. His legs, indeed, were free, but
man who could not sit ON a horse
was not the man to run away. And
then there was the relentless superin-
tendent sitting over him, pipe In
mouth. but revolver again In hand and
crooked finger very near the trigger.
The fiery wilderness still lay breath
less In the great heat. but the length
ening shadow of the hop bush was now
a thing TO be thankful for, and I'm It the
broken captive fell into a fine sem.
blance Of natural slumber. Cairns
watched with alternate envy and sus-
picion; for him there could not be q
wink; but most likely the fellow was
shamming all the time. No ruse. how
ever. succeeded In exposing the sham,
which the superintendent copied by
breathing first heavily and then stem
tOrOusly. with one eye open and on his
man. Stingaree never opened one OF
his; there was no change I'm the regu
lar breathing. I'm the peaceful express
sion OF the blood stained face-asleep
the man must be. The superintendent
own experiments had gone 90 show him
that n.g extremity need necessarily