The Lamar register., 1920-11-10


pearl and left the mask behind TO com
plefe the tanzle he WIS weaving
around anotler man. He had probably
Intended taking The pearl some time
that night. leaving bis mask behind.
and sffefAard. when the hue and cry
was raised. suggest q search Of the
cabin He chance had come sooner
than he had expected. OF course, he
could n0r have fOreseen that the man
be wished 10 TX the crime upon would
be the first 10 find the body.
II was not lost on the Pearihunter
that he had undoubtedly crowded the
murderer close. else why had he left
NE EnIIs; out WHY al rness eisporste
plans against hinf Was II some an
Gent grudgs he tore MS bioodf DID
be wish somebody 20 die IN his plsct
70 deceive an ged world into
thinking the Red Mask was settled for
good and all. and - give him & chance
10 start over again: Was II because
he was not yet ready 10 leave the Flat
woodsf II was probably for ell these
reasons. But with the last, there
flashed across the young mans mind
tAAaA HNFbf al ii4t renee II rAbi4@ MN
Ike lash.
Even though the evidence secreted In
the cabin was now In ashes. by that
dead body was the most dangerous
place In the world for him just then.
Hardly FIVE seconds had passed since
the last gasp Of Louie Solomon. 80 fast
does a man think under such stress.
when the Pearlhunter threw the mask
down by the body and turned to steal
back up the hill.
up with 'ern!-
He whirled: stared; slowly raised
his hands. It's one thing to face odds;
quite another to face certain death.
Behind the three black muzzles poking
out through the bushes glowered the
truculent. bearded faces Of Louie Solo
mons three rowers.
Grim as the three Fates. they stalked
toward him. Two Of them kept him
covered. while the third plucked the
revolver from his pocket and dropped
II Into his own. After that he bent
over the body of his master; touched
his face; lifted hand laid Il across
bis breast. He picked up the red mask
and snarled around at the others. The
others growled; swore; and the Pearl
hunter fancied the revolvers pointed
at him little straighter. q little more
vlndictively. II was not the first time
these three had faced the Red Mask.
He had long been their particular
nightmare. II was the first time they
had seen him with his mask OF. and
with empty hands.
The one kneelIng by the body
seemed TO be the leader. He felt care
fully inside the pocket where the pearl
had been pinned: searched the other
pockets; felt carefully over the cloth
ing. He rose after the fruitless search
and faced the Pearlhunter.
"Where iss itT''
The Pearlhunter shook his head.
With snarled word Of Yiddish,
doubtless curse, and flourish OF
his clenched hand that came uncom-
fortably close to the young mans
face. the jew began to search him:
pockets: hens; waist-band: socks;
even his hatband. ears and hair. OF
course the search again proved fruit
less. The Jew drew his revolver,
cooked II. and thrust It into the Pearl
hunters face.
where iss itf'
The bearded lips were drawn so
tense that the yellow teeth were bare.
The Pearlhunter knew the yellow
teeth meant exactly what they seemed
to mean. Louie Solomon's three
guardsmen had reputation along the
Wabash. The reward for the Red
Mask wns the same whether dead or
alive. Still, his death would not bring
them any nearer finding the pearl. He
pinned his hope there. and shook his
head.
I'm not the Red Mask. ! didn't kill
Louie Solomon. And I don't know
where the Blue Moon Is"
The answer was not convincing.
Nothing he could have said just then
would have been. Whether the Jew
believed It. or any part Of II, his face
gave no sign. He backed away two
steps and leveled his revolver full nj
the Pearlhunter's breast, like man
about to pistol another and deliberate
ly planning TO make clean job of 1t.
The instant came when the Pearl.
hunter believed the grimy finger was
about to press the trigger and he was
almost In the act of diving beneath
the muzzle when the Jew motioned to
nnn nf tho nthare and enid SnmPfhinr