The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-07-17
account.

account. E
1t was only when Holt laid his cool
hand on the dirty, crusted brow and
spoke in his quiet voice Of command,
that Scathlin settled back, the terror
still in his eyes, and consented to be
still. He began gradually to realize
that Holt was there in the flesh, and
that not for r%etribution either. He had
not succeeded In escaping his captor.
He never could do that. But his cap
tor would not be a tormentor. That
was plain. He had heard that Holt
was square" with his men, but had
never believed II. Now he had oppor-
tunity to Judge for himself. And so
cunning and contemplate was he
creature that when he was once as.
sured Of the fact that Holt would not
strike him when he was down, he at
once set about to take advantage OF
II. 1t was as IL he had found a spot OF
honor wherein Holt was vulnerable,
and there upon his bed OF pain, in his
toathsome helplessness, with no n
to relieve him but Holt, he attacked
that n pregnable spot of Hollis fort
ress. Day and night he moaned and
fretted. Hour after hour he demand.
ed this and that, whining like a baby
and cursing like a demon by turns.
The householder did not return. 1t
is possible that something i'll @befell
him in that lonely plain over which he
iourneyed skirting the desert; it is
probable that he had had enough Of
Scathlin's complaints and was glad
to escape from his unwelcome guest.
However It was, Holt was there. alone
with him for many days, nursing him
as tenderly as a woman might have
done; bearing with his varying moods;
washing him, feeding him, cooling his
hot forehead. Only ono did Scothlin
lapse from his role Of pampered pa
tient and beg with terror and abject
humility in his eyes and voice, and
that was the day when Holt declared
his intentio nof going after a doctor.
Scathlin was sure that Holt meant to
desert him, and he cried like q baby.
swors like a mad man, and then plead
ed and promised contritely. But it was
all OF no avail and Holt left him for a
few hours, with a supply at hand
for every need, and went for a doctor.
Scothlin's cries and curses followed
him as far as he could hear, and some
thing like pity came into his heart for
the poor, wicked old criminal, so that
he fastened his steps with all his
might. .s...
When he returned four hours later
with a gruff but, kindly doctor, the
cunning look came back into the little
beedy eyes and the bristly old jaw
grew stubborn and seufish again. He
saw that Hollis honor still held and he
meant to get the worth of his money
out of him. GO N. '.t.N .u ..'
The doctor came every few days
after that and Scathlin improved rap
idly, growing more arrogant every
day. ..~,..
Holt . went about silently for the
most part; nursing the patient, cook
ing his meals-there were a few sup
plies in the shack and Holt hal
bought more when he went for the
doctor; besides there was game to be
hadfor the shooting. There was some
thing about his set. stern face eyel In
his gentieness that sometimes shamed
Scathiin aud silenced him for a while.
as il his mind was far away on
higher things, and Scathlin's petty tor
ments did not reach up into the rare
fled air where he really lived
Once when he was getting better and
up Scathlin attempted a story,
so. -viletand low that the devil himself
must have originated it. He laughed
immoderately as he told it, hoping to
break the stern sadness Of Holt face,
which fairly made him frantic to-look
at, but Holt looked at him with a
kind of pity for a second, and then the
sternness grew terrible.
"Scathiin, cut that out, you BEAST"
he said, and left the cabin for the open
air. 1t was that day that Holt had a
struggle with himself to stock to his
job. '.Ss
There was no longer the necessity
that brought him. The papers, the rest
of them, wherever they were, were
surely not here. Holt had gone over
every inch Of Scathlin's clothes and
possessions, and there was no place
where he could possibly have hid them
about the shack that Holt had not
looked. He had watched Scathlin by
night and by day when he did not
know he was. being watched, and he
was convinced that Scathlin was no
longer protecting any papers OF his.
The one which he had taken from the
toe of Scathlin's shoe had proved to
be his own and most important. What
Scathlin had done with the rest he
was not sure, but 1t was probable that
he had given some OF them to Jean
with the. wallet which he had, OF
course, recognized, when he picked it
up and handed II to her. 1t was also
possible that the man who owned the
shack had, by some means. been
wheedled into taking the NJ back
10 Harrington. Every circums.
made his, speedy return TO Hawk Val
ley advisable, and yet here he was
chained to this helpless, peevish old
man, who when he was done with him,
- - ~o-l .k.k Hs-o a. 1.n