The spectator., 1920-03-16

Dut DUCK WOutu uOt haVe II lHdI way. What about him?' he demand ed out loud. his voice grating like steel when it grinds.
 'is he-how is he dong:'
 What's eatin' you? Amt he dying fast enough to suit youy'
 Flandrau shrank from the cruel | words, as n schoolboy dneS from his l teacher when he jumps ar him with l cane.
 IL was then that Maloney made a friend of the young man for life. He le' Il hand drop carelessly on Curiy's shoulder and looked at him with a icndly smile in his eyes, just as if he knew that this was no wolf but poor dog up against it hard. | Doc thinks he'll make it all right" But there were times when Curly wondered whether 1t would make any | difference to him whether CuilisOn got well or not Something immediate was in the air. Public opinion was sitting down to a decision Most of these men were up to the average for the milk of human kindness. They were the squarest citizens in Arizona. But Elan | drau knew they would snuff out his | life just the same if they decided it was best. Afterward they might re- | gret it, but that would not help him, | Darkness came. and the lamps were l lit. Again Curly ate and smoked and chatted little with his captors. But as he sat there hour after hour. feel 1 ing death creep closer every minute cold shivers ran up and down his spine | They began 10 question him, at first casually and careessly. so 1t seemed to Curly. But presently he discerned q drift in the talk. They were trying to find out who had been his partners in the rustlng.
 | And I reckon Soapy and Bad Bill left you lads at Saguache to hold the sack" Buck suggested sympathetically Curly grew wary. He did not intend to betray his accomplices. Wrong guess. Soapv and Bad Bill weren't in this deal" he answered easily.
 The foreman of the Bar Double NJ | interrupted impatiently, tired of trying ] 10 pump out the information by l fincSSe You've got to speak, Elan l drau. You've got to tell us who was engineering this theft. Understand?' l The young rustler looked at the 1 grim frownins face and his heart sank.
 Out with it." ordered Buck.
 "Oh, I expect I'll keep that under my hat" Curly told them lightly.
 They were crowded about him in 1 half circle. nearly a score of hard 1 leatherfaced plainsmen, Some of | them were riders of the Circle c out 1 fit. Others had ridden over from neighborng ranches. All of them plainly meant business.
 Think again. Curly" advised Swee- ney quietly. The boys ain't tritling about this thing. They mean to find out who was in the rustling of the Bar Double NJ stock"
 Not through me, they won't"
 "Through you. And right now" | A dozen times during the evening Curly had crushed down the desire to beg for mercy. to cry out desperately for them to let him or He had kept telling himself not to show yellow, that it would not last long Now the fear of breaking down sloughed from 1 his soul He rose from the bed and looked round at the brown faces cir cled about him in the shine of the | lamps.
 'I'll not tell you thnG-not thing"
 He stood there challl-faced. his lips | So dry that he had 10 keep moiStonng 1 them with the lip of his tongue. Dutch had new rope in his hand with a loop at one end. He tossed il l over the boys head and drew it taut. Two or three of the faces in the circle were almost as bloodless as that of l the prisoner, but they were set to see the thing out.
 twill you tell now?" Bonfils asked
 Curly met him eye to eye, NO" | Come along. then"
 One of the men caught his arm at the place where he had been wounded. The rustler flinched.
 Careful. Buck. Don't you see you're hurting his bad arm?" Sweeney said sharply.
 'I didn't aim to hurt him." Buck de- tended himself
 | Curly's senses had never been more alert. He noticed that Buck had on red necktle that had got loose from his shirt and climbed up his neck. It had black polka dots and was badly frayed. Sweeney was chewing tobacco. He would have that chew in his mouth after they had finished what they were going to do
 "Ain't he the gamest ever?" some one whispered.
 The rustler heard the words and they braced him as a drink of whisky does man who has been on bad spree,
 Better do II nt the cotlonwoods down by the creek" Buck told Bondls In low voice.
 Tho fnrpns1p of thp Rnr noubla NJ