Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1920-12-02

back; a hot wild face near her ~.
A step creaked the plank st the door.
Her assailant whirled at the sound and
she sank painting against the wall.
Just inside the door, his body
crouched forward, his lips tight drawn,
stood the tall form of the Pearlhunt-
er.
Things happened so fast in the next
instant that words are too slow to
keep up with them. 1t was man to
mah, and an even draw. The two
shots came so close together that the
hills out through the open door caught
but one echo. But the shot from the door
struck tirst-a scant little mite of an
instant tirst-and Jared the aim of
the other a tritle high. The shot from
the corner merely clipped a bandage
at the top of the Pearlhunter'S Shout
der. drew a little welt on the skin,
and WhiStled harmleSsly away into the
night. The bullet from the door evil
IDENTIFY found the core of the target.
The Red Mask bent backward. The
revolver dropped to his side. He tried
to raise it again; seemed surprised
that he couldn't. He laughed oddly,
II SWOre; stared round toward the
cir! :; gasped and choked. The revolver
slipped from his fingers. He CROPPED
with his hands, as if searching the
air for it; staggered, caught himself,
tottered, pitched heavily to the floor.
The girl edged out Of the corner
past his body and threw herself upon
the form of the old man. The Pearl
hunter eased down the hammer of his
revolver, thrust it back into his peck
ct, n stopped beside her. AT the
touch of his hand, she raised her head
and knelt Stroking the still face and
crying softly. The Pearlhunter opened
the old mans coat and felt over his
heart.
Hes a~live!"N
She laid her face down close and
spoke his name-the only name she
knew. There was no response.
Help me lift him to the COUCH"
the man said.
They had the old man on the couch,
and the girl had run for water, when
the sheriff, who had been far out
stripped by the younger man, dashed
into the cabin. All three worked over
him. The ~Pearlhunter chafed one
wrist, the sheriff the other, while the
girl bathed his face, washed the blood
out of his hair, and strove to staunch
its flow by binding up his head in cold
cloths.
Suddenly, without any warning signs
Of returning consciousness, the old
man plucked his hand away from the
P%earlhunter and rubbed it wei his
face. His eyes came open, but they
were not the same eyes. And his face
vas free from twitching. The girl
stared down upon him In wonder. The
Pearlhunter stopped low and marveled
at the startling transformation. Nei-
Their knew, nor eve suspected, until
the doctor explained 1T days later, that
the blows of the revolver butt had
loosened the tiny bit of skull that had
SO long shackled his brain-loosened
itSat the expense of a far worse hurt,
but undoubtedly loosened it. They
only knew that the eyes were free from
the vacant stare; that his face was
calm with the light of reason.
He felt again over his face, seemed
astonished at the beard. His eyes
calmly gazed up at the girl and stud
led her a long time.
"You couldn't be Dotty?"
His voice was queer, hollow, quaver-
ing, like some sound from another
world, so long had it gone unused.
ooh, Daddy"
She threw her arms around him and
dropped her head on his breast. He
sat stroking her hair, finally raised
her, looked hard at her, rubbed his
eyes and looked again.
"You must be Dotty. But you've
changed so since morning."
The girl seemed unable to tell him.
She strove for words, but none came.
The ~Pearlhunter drew nearer.
you've been-sick a long time, sir"
he said. "Seven years. And you're
just getting well again."
The puzzled eyes, suddenly Weakened
into a world new and strange, turned
toward him.
81 haven't the pleasure of your &C.
quaintance," he said with the stately
politeness Of a day long gone. May
I ask-?"
"Im-I'm-"
He hesitated, flushed. The girl,
calm again, came to the rescue.
He's the P%earlhunter, Daddy. He's
been-good to me-since you've been
sick"
The old man reached out his hand.
1t seemed heavy for him. The Pearl
hunter grasped it. He was startled to
find it cold. He glanced hastily into
the old mans face. A pallor was
spreading over it that was unmistak-
able-:the momentary return to con-
seriousness was but the CLEAN that, at
the end Of a gray day, sometimes flares
out between shutdown and dark. He
said nothing of it to the girl, who was
happily busy again with the water and