The Ozark spectator., 1917-01-10

The gl0W leaped up agaln, ana ID Us | momentary glare David caught sight
 of his face, struck out against the su.- | rounding shadows, like a face which some dead master of the brush had 1 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 | his teeth together, but in spite of | himself suddenly there burst from his | lips, with the staggering unexpected
 ness of q thunderclap, paroxysm of | coughing.
 With single leap, Girty had | reached the spot where David lay. | Davids head had vanished with an
 even greater speed. But Girty'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. | '"We are watched. Go out at once.
 Captain Girty, you will be the first.
 Mir. Cranmer, second, if you please.
 I will follow"
 The thing which David did then was probably his salvation. It occurred to him that his chance of meeting Scull single-handed was greater If 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, faintly 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 quickness of death, David glided
 at his heels.
 He had picked up heavy horse
 shoe on the floor of the smithy. the
 The tall figure was just before him.
 His arm rose; aud even ns the heavy
 weapon hung in the air, 'Scull pushed open the door of q 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-
 meht he stood dumfounded. Girty | and Cranmer had disappeared. David
 walked on slowly. breeding over plans
 for the morning, and found himself at 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 1t into the stream and went back to the tavern.
 For many days after that his rag
 ged, discarded shoes lay unnoticed at
 the low aperture of 1srael's smithy.
 David awoke in the morning as
 fresh as the day. But day brought
 with 1t the demand that he take up
 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-faced
 woman, with a brood of babies cling
 ing to her skirts, answered his knock. "Scull?" she replied to his query,
 mo. nobuddy by thet name Twin here.
 My man Is Israel Butt, thar at tn
 forge" She was positive that 10 such person as Scull lived in the vil-
 lage; her husband was equally at q
 loss to remember the name; and Da- l vid, confident as he had been. was
 forced to turn away, bafiled by their honest perplexity. The man had dis
 appeared as completely as though
 he had been swallowed up in the earth.
 Stupefied. David made his way to Cranmers lodgings. He had no idea what he would say to the man, but his steps took him mechanically to
 the door. And there he received a second shock. Cranmer was gone.
 his daughter with him!
 Whither?
 His question brought the reply that they had said they wore going to Vim
 cennes. David's friend, John Tipton.
 the hunter and militiaman. was there he would send Johnny a letter to
 warn him and Governor Harrison against Cranmer, Girty and Scull, and telling of their talk of an Indian up- rising.
 He returned to his store, wrote the
 letter, sent 1t on by post. That done
 he could do no more, except wait in patience for Cranmer's return.