The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1917-01-05


III many things when death Is
SsssA imminent. and for days and
Cs4sy days something had been dy-
ing hard in Stephen 0'Mara's breast
His step was slow that afternoon when
he drew apart to take up his position
alone upon a bit of higher ground, his
shoulders heavy and dropping, yet his
brain was feverishly active.
They came slowly at first-Wicker-
sham's Bodybuilding heavily, one by
one. into the underpinnings Of the
bridge, sliding free or lodging cross cur
rent, as the case might be, then in a
thicker and thicker tide that ground
and up ended and settled with the
weight Of the coffee colored food be-
hind 1t. In the beginning the handful
of men who had put those timbers into
place set themselves doggedly to save
their completed structure until the man
who had worked with them shoulder
to shoulder through the night called
them with a nod back to the bank.
0bedieDtly then they collected In a
small knot behind him. murmurous,
gutturally grumbling.
The coming of Wickersham's men
was not thing of degrees. They pour
ed into view through the brush fringe
at the north edge of the marsh and
halted, but only for an instant
"Who is your friend at the time
when you need a friend? Harrigan,
that's mew
"Harrigan, that's mew And there
came lull in the valley at Thirty
Mile, broken only by heavy breathing
and the crunch of logs jamming be-
meath the bridge and the ugly swirl OF
backed up water
And then Harrigan stood forth. Long
arms dangling. palms back. almost to
his knees, that red headed one minced
forward on the balls of his feet. Har-
rigan was redeeming a promise many
weeks overdue. 1t was spring, and
Harrigan had come back!
I'm here" he spoke to that bowed
head, ''if you are afther carin' to well
come mer'
I've been expecting you, Harrigan."
Again that startling mildness..
There Is little wonder that It deceiv-
ed the riverman. Listening, watching
0'Mara's slack form, even Fat Joe's
face burned, even Archie understands
dared flash in triumph. And Harrigan's
went savagely exultant.
"You talked out loud to me once" he
tainted. rs it so difficult you find
it now to speak up so can hear"
"Would you promise to listen to ar
gument, Harrigan?"
Vilification tore at the others lips I'M
til friend and enemy marveled at what
Steve took In silence.
"You have begun many things In
this country" the long TRADE end
ed. "You came out Of these woods
with rags on your back and started at
bein' a gentleman when we were only
bhoys. You've made a great. sue
cess av it with the ladies, we'll grant
you that. But you should have stuck
to your soft and lily white pastime, for
when you aimed to turn this river into
a gentleman's proposition you started
something too big for you to finish. Pm
taking it of your hands now. Can't
you even talk back like a MANI"
maybe you are right, Harrigan,"
Steve said. "You may bel do not
know. l lave started big things and
left them unfinished But you are
wrong for the rest of it, Harrigan, for
am going-to-fnish-youP'
Like a blast of wrath o'Mara lifted
and struck him. Harrigan's hands had
not left bis hips before he met the
ground, and he was back on his feet
Ike a bounding ball. only to go down
again before the smashing impact Of
those blows. Caution he tried to use
In rising, and they searched out his
face, his chin, and drove him hither
and yon. Open fighting was not the
river style Of fighting, and he closed
this time and wrapped his gorilla arms
about this fury who fought with light
ming strokes to keep him off. His
greater weight o'erbore them both. He
broke away, and his hobnailed boots
flashing out bit the flesh of 0'Mara's
temple-they tore the turf where bis
face had been.
There was madness in Harrigan's
hideous roarings Of hate, madness In
his blind rushes, and his bull strength
availed at first. He weathered destruc-
ton and managed to close again. This
time the lighter man was ready for
the scuff of those armed boots. He
twisted and covered his face with his
shoulder, and only his shirt ripped open
to let blood stream from the rent On
their feet they rocked-to their kneesl
Faces grinding into the earth, they
strained and broke away. And always
Harrigan came back and found him
blindly. Once his hairy hands search
ed OMara's face, and O'Mara's fore
head went wet with the agony Of fin
gers tearing at his eyesockets. Drop
ping, he escaped that gouging grip.
Coming up, he caught Harrigan's chin
and turned him over backward
Harrigan squandered his strength In
drunken rushes, his breath in screams
of hate. And now Steve was laughing
aloud. He knew that she was watch.