The Washington times., 1919-10-14
He was willing to
lead another mans S
life and he did!
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% ~ cath Of duty He represented the law For ten-seven
menns he n.o iSu ;; 49, "a t5 i5iJ - 49, M - vIbeb
be was parDOnt back until you your man, dead
ruetinE cough split upon his thoughts. He on the
edge Of his and at the gasPng Of pain that came with ne
strong supported his shoulders He said nothing and after
moment Connon wiped the stain away and laughed softly
His fingers closed the manacled-marked wrist
Over their heads the arctic storm vas crashing IN mlgn
fury as If striving to beat down the little cabin that nae oeg
itself in the dungray emptiness At the top Of the world
"YOu'd better lie down." suggested Keith
Conniston instead slowly his feet and went to table
IL, oB.s 5evilisb ogse be said T vas told bring you
In dead aive-and the end Of the tVsny-sTth Ton5
seen white vOmsns face in eighteen months; But beat you
at last That's the jolly good part OF It, hen OeS yoG 1o
DO YOU conceds that be fair old top because
this Is the last big game I'll play There was break
yearning that almost Plaindve IN hs voice. -,
K nodded "You won" he said. you won 80 square that
ou ms 5i5D tSfs Advantage of me- interrupted conn'On
That's the funny part OF It. Keith I9a{s gneis le
comes In you all tied and scheduled Tor the hangman
And instead doing going to DO to you instead
Of killing making your getaway " Hhe ht y. i I.1,t
tbat funnyl Could anything be funnisrf =,
He reached hand the table and grPPed keit And
bs for few moments he bowed his head while his body was
oonvussd BY another -raeking cough
ou see I've got figured out to the day ne vent on pnE
ov fbe ssip with cloth already dyed red This Is Thurs
dsv won't see another Sunday Then you'll have to dig
word Of honor you gave when slipped of your mannels
Over tie table they looked into each others eyes and l' ue
II as Keiths fingers tghtened about Conniston'
ss face aged the dying EnEi'hman stared At him
y mean 70 "a Coronation Cuff You'll return to stink
ing msss'of Eskimo iglOosl If you do, you'll 60 madl
Il was Connistons nod his head slowly and thought
fully es Of course" he agreed But they'll get you even
B.r hand, uncas4sd ConnistOn filled bis pipe and
lighted it ,.v-4s.
wish we'd been born brothers and you hadn't killed nan
That night slipped the ring-dog' on you fslt almost hAS
What's the use Of keeping back no1 I'd make topping good
wager you're the they make you out And 90 Ia Ike
Keits two fists knoted in the Of the table Connon
bis blue darEsn for an instant With savage hFs
'm after fae and you can't lie to dying man. Did you
SSoSt know replied K. slowly looking steadily into the
others eyes Il think and yet am not positive went to
s nome ne ~ VII 5 u could I5oF al II ali 7vith my eyes
o0non You could if you had known my faher From the
Re told me Of the deadly feud'hat existed between
him KirksOns, and troubled me muc5oecau'e
him Then realized that all through the the old rattle
snake bad been watching for his chance va. tameuP iO
faer cot ten year He innocent And the only man on
i.tSg Its sbvioeE over his pound Of flesh Conniston
yo1 bad Known thss things and had been in my Shoes what
would you have donef
CoNNIsToN, lighting another taper over the oil fame
hesitated and answered: i don't kno" yet ola enaP
~" What did you dor"
m
him free He there fat and oily big rings hi; 'tubby
fBpr-a toad in human fo-and he chucked and
laughed in his JOY as though were mGuneoanE play
iBr amuaing tricks for hand there soul bleeding
And his fat and oily
and aeced like his father, and he laughed at could sul
hear er goang laughter when stumbled out into the night
Il haunted heard it in the trees 1t came in the wind
filled with i-and suddenly turned back and
went into house again without knocking and faced the
two Of them alone IN that ROOM And this une
Conniston back get usdce-Or 10 kill Thus far It
was Prsmsditatsd but went with my naked hands"
Ke rose the table and began back and forth
Se oon began it." said Keith "He sPTang at me- struck
~ oort c weapon IN his hand. The first blow almost broke
obouIder In Bcue WTenched 1t from his hand, and
hen found long rectangular bar OF copper made for
that instant the son snatch up
ar object the table and IN the act he smashed the
frbe rht In the darkness fought did not feel that
S1 6VbnE men They and the horrible
StrucF hard And striking and neither Of US could
0ee I felt nv weapon hit and then that kIrksone
crrDpIed down with blubbey wheeze The next morning
o1v one copperWegh found IN that room AND the one
a was eft was covered with Krkstonss blood and hair Six
later father died IN prison. and tor three years I've
been hunted az a fox Is hunted BY the hounds
"Sit doVnV
The Englishman'5 voice was commanding Keith dropped
back 70 his seat breathing hard. g.
lot Of nE But when be knows he's going to die its different
If you had me story month I'd have taken
down the hangman Just the II would have been
duty, know and might have argued you were lying But
can't lie TO Kirkstone deserved to dc AND so
I've made mind what you're going to do you're not
going back to Coronation Gulf You're going south You're
going back into Gods country again And you're not going
John Keith, the murderer but Deren ConnIson OF His
you undeFStand7"
Keith simply stared The Englishman twisted mu'tache,
half-hunOrOus CLEAN in his eyes
@Quie scheme don't YOU think old ehapl Trim that
tlhe and beard Of yours little and bit Of your
Eght eye and you walk in old Mcdowell himself and
~ wager hsd jump and say Bless my heart it isn't