The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1917-09-07
CHAPTER INK.
A Little t-eayen.

~ AfAaG A-kASGfss
/ The sumrner-night stars served only
10 make the darkness visible aiong the
read down the Tinanyoni river aud
across to the mining lamp of Ket
Eutts. Smith twisted the gIiy road
ster sharply 10 the left oug OF the road,
and four miles from the turn. shut on
the power and got down to csntAnue
his Journey afeoe. The mine workings
were tunnel-drtven In the mountain
slde. and 4 crooked ore track led cot
to them. Smith followed the .pre track
untii he came 10. the entranesr and 10
the lock OF q small door framed In
the bulkhea3inx he applied key.
II was pitch dark beyond the door,
and the silence was Ike that OF the
grave. Smith had brought candle on
his fotd-carrylng visit Of the day be
fore, and. groping In Its hiding place
Just outside of the door. he found and
lighted II. There was no sign OF occu-
pancy save Jibhey's suitcase lying
where Ii had been flung on the night
OF the assisted disappearance.
Smith stumbled forward Into the
black depths and the chill OF the place
laid hold upon him ard t,heoE him
like the premonitory sh!ver of an mp
preaching agus. Insensihly he quick.
ened his pace until he was hasteRing
blindly through maze OF tunnels and
cross driftings, deeper and still deeper
into the bowels of the mountain. Com
Ing suddenly at the last into the cham
Der OF the dripping water. be found
what b. was searching for. and again
the ague chill shook him. There were
nj apparent signs OF life 10 the sodden.
muck-6egrlmed figure lying In crum-
Piled heap among the water pools,
~Jibbey~ he called: and thea again,
ignoring the unnerving. awe-inspiring
echoes rustling like flying bats In the
cavernous overspaces. "Jibbeyr
The sodden heap bestirred itself
slowly and became q man sitting ny
to blink helplessly at the light and
supporting himself on one hand
Ia that you, Maaty?'. said yaice
! s lysssssaqla,ss+ ssl bfabaa ANA thai =
can see. The light blinds me. Have
you come TO finnish the tohf"
II have come TO take You out OF
this: to take you back with me TO
Brewster, Get up and come on"
The victim OF Smiths ruthlessness
struggled stl!'ly to his feet. Never
much more than a physical weakllng,
and with his natural strength wasted
by a life Of dissipation. the blow Oh.
the head with the pistol butt and the
forty-eight hours OF sharp hardship
and priyation had cut deeply into his
scanty reserves.
"Dld--did verda send you to do itY'
he queried.
~No. she doesn't know where you
are, She thinks you stopped over some
where on your way west Come along.
II you want to 80 back with me-"
Jlhbey stumbled away a step or two
and fattened himself against the cav.
arn wall. His eyes were still staring
and his lips were drawn back to show
his teeth.
Hold on minute" he jerked out.
You're not---not going to wipe II oil
out as easy as that You've taken
my gun away from me. but I've got
my two hands yet. Stick that candle
In q hole In the wall and look out for
yourself, I'm telling you, right now.
that one or the other Of us Ii going
TO stay here--aad stay dead!"
Don't be q fool!" Smith broke In.
4 didn't come here to scrap with you"
You'd better--and you'd better
make q job Of II while you're about
III" shrieked the castaway, lost now
to everything save the biting sense Of
his wrongs. you've put It all over
tne--knocked my chances with verda
HIGHLANDER aud shut Iae up hara In this
hell.hole to 60 mad-dog crazy! II you
let me get out OF here alive Til pay
you back, II It's the last thing | ever
do! You'll gc back TO Lawrenceville
with the bracelets on! You'll" red
rage could 80 no farther In mere
words and he flung himself In feeble
fierceness upon Smith. clntching and
struggling and waking the grewsome
echoes again with frantic, meaningless
maledlctlons.
Smith did not strike back wrapping
the mailman In ptnioning grip, h.
held him helpless. When It was over.
and Jibhey had been released. gaspiug
and sobbing. to stagger back against
the tunnel wall. Smith CROPPED for the
candle and found and religh.ed It.
Tucker" be said gently, you are
more Of man than took you to be-
a good bit more. Now that you're CIV.
Ing me chance to say 1t. I can tell |
you that verda Rchlander doesn't fg- |
ure In this 1t oil. TN not going to
marry her. and she didn't come out |
here In the expectation Of finding me-"
Then what does figure In itr' was
the dry-lipped query.
IT was merely matter Of self-pres-
ervation. There are men In Brewster
who would pay high for the infurma-
ton you might give them about me"
~Tou might have given me a hint
and chanca. Monty. I'm not all Npy "