The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1920-02-19

and it is just place A tiamna-
bic place, but just II place. !
= guess a gentleman can die there
, as dcccntiy as in "a trench il
Flanders. And tic safe stays
shut, Meyer
The German uttered q furious
oath,
SHUT Fool, YOU vii! die a
gentleman You will die con
victcd thief, a convict who broke
Ills parole and robbed his bcne-
factor. A man spit Al by his fell
low conyicts -
Sit still" ordered Bruce: his
left hand lifted from his pocket,
bringing a glitter Of blue metal
" You watched my right hand,
didn t You? But II m a south
paw. Don t move. You haven t
heard me out yet. | m not going
to Rio Nabuco as a thief, Meyer !;
d rather so as murderer. But
| won t. Murdcrers have trials.
And by the time that comes
around Granados will be awake,
perhaps Senior Noel Will be
home And in that safe which
you can t open. ! put letter 10
Noel explaining all this.
You mean to kill me -
With--with pleasure, said
Bruce. II would rather explain
your corpse chan ex.pain the
open safe. y
Meyer sat immovable. Even a
poor shot could hardly miss the
target at that range His pale
glass eyes regarded Bruce with
fury, but with more respect than
he had before accorded the other.
He had physical courage enough
to watch the pistol center upon
his heart and not provoke a hasty
shot by moving.
Wait, he spoke jerkily. can
instant.'
Well?" Bruce checked his
trigger finger,
The delay was enough. Some
thing muffling and soft was
wound around Bruce's head and
face from behind. A hand
knocked up his exploding pistol
and he was borne down by men
who surged from behind the Win
dow curtains. Meyer had not
come alone.
To Bruce, stifled in the thick
folds Of cloth presently Meyers
voice came again.
=" Will you open the safe? Nod
your head"
The lnuffled head Of the man
on the floor moved; from side
to side.
Then we will open it, pig"
the voice snarled. "Not tonight,
perhaps, but another night. We
Will blow it open, and take what
we want. Take also your letter
to Noel! Dc you heart We
have your letter to Valdez; we
will get your letter to Noel. He
shall never receive it or know.
You will die in Rio Nabuco for
nothing, for nothing. So?
Bruce did not move. His
glasses had not been broken. He
hoped he might keep them, and
keep them whole. It would be
easier II one could see distinctly,
through the long days. He did
not even shake his head in sec
ond denial lest he injure that
which was now his last ambition
and his last protection.
Ii only he had shot Janice
Meyer on sight!
Deep in the second night, the
jailer of Rio Nabuco reused from
sleep, listening to tumult at the
gate. Some one was shouting
he heard the guard calling him.
Grunting, tousled from his sleep,
he hurried to the door.
A shining automobile stood
there, its doors surrounded by a
group Of men. AS Manuel CAPPED,
three men dragged out a prison
er, q peasant by his ragged, soiled
garments; garments of which
there were only two, a cotton
shirt and trousers. The prisoner
seemed either i'll or in liquor, he
staggered in stupefied submission
to his captors, so that they had
to support as well as lead him
One Of the men thrust a paper al
the jailer; an order from the
magistrate, he stated CURLY. Els
capped prisoner returned to Gus.
tody Strict confinement for him
lin solitary!
Manuel peered at the hand.
euffed man, and uttered an ejac.
ulation as the lamplight shone
across the dropping head.
Santa Maria The red head e
q L