Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-01-22


straight and talked the same way.
Half petulantly he shifted TO his other
foot; took his thumbs out of his vest
pockets The easy smile Left his face !;
the real man came out-a wildcat
fanged and clawed.
I'M uncork 1ais rotten old jug" he
growled. IF you'll boil the Flc-woods
and stop queerin' my game"
His lips snapped tight. His cards
were on the table. The Pearlhunter
pondered them III his deliberate way
and east up the sum total of their ex-
act value
First. There would be no mob
Otherwise he would have trusted to
that. Tb4 meeting behind the Mud
lien had tzzled.
Second. He had no stomach for
going into court.
Third. "Queerin' his game" What
did he mean by his game? He couldn't
have meant the Blue Moon, for he
didn't know the Pearlhunter knew he
had 1t. His game. That tense scene
at the fence the evening before flashed
up clear as the river bed under the
jack light a girl with basket;
frightened eyes yellow curl that rose
and fell upon startled bosom.
''I'll stay where | am" he answered,
crisp and cold. The law put me in
the law cain get me out"
The other shrugged his shoulders,
furious at the battling GOODNESS he en-
cOuntered. And yet he couldn't afford
TO give up his plans. or spoil them by
any untimely show of his real feel
ings. The easy smile came back.
Those questions you were expect
ing to aSk-l might answer them to
boot"
The Pearlhunter's fingers frightened
on the bar He breathel deep. Those
questions His life through, they had
haunted him And the man before him
knew the answe~ His face set hard.
Answer or not, as you please" he
said but I'll not bolt the FlatwOods.
l was expectin' to ask about my--fa-
Their"
The other whipped a curious look at
him.
Your fa+herw he snared. The
scOwl on his face became it better than
the smile. "As like you as two peas
with the same lot of fool, Sir Galahad
notions about the wOmen-angels and
white lilies, and all that rot He
crossed my path once too often, and
for the last time. seven years ago. He's
In hell now. And your mother"
The fist that stabbed out of the win
dow IN almost short landing with a
snap instead Of a crash. like lash that
can reach only 50 far. 1t ing the
man on the point of the cheek and shot
his head back.
He staggered and threw up his hand
to his face. His other hand involun-
tarily dropped toward his hip. Well
for him that it stopped before ii got
there The Pearlhunter hal snatched
the revolver from under his blouse and
held It just below the window ledge.
The man on the outside backed
away, his face stung TO flame by the
blow. He felt for his knife: seemed
to remember where he had left it-be-
tween the ribs If a man. Anyhow, It
would have been as useless az the re-
voIyer Noise precluded the use of
the one; walls and bars the other.
I'D kill YOU he retorted finally, his
tones steady. though strained, like the
current tina, plays across the top of a
whirlpool. "Only haven't time. There's
a flock of yellow curls and a devlish
trim pair of ankles waitin' for me
down the road"
He had so fra ned the taunt as to re-
fleet on the girl his very thought dis
hon0red. Without another word he
turned and walked away.
The Pearpunter seriously debated
whether TO shoot him dead and trust
70 fate for the rest. The revolver
crawled up over the window sill He
grasped one Of the bars TO steady his
hand. = start CT surprise came TO his
face. The revolver went back below
the window sill. The bar was loose.
II was almost unbelievable but It
was so. For so-le reason or other It
had not been fixed very firmly In lis
auger hole sockets. There was play
a heartening amount Of it--between
the upper and lower auger holes His
blood missed beat; hen ieaped the
higher.
He Jammed the bar into the lower
socket The oottom Of the hole was
soft. The rain had probably rotted It.
He damned the bar again and the wood
gave. He put all his strength TO It.
Each effort drove the bar a little deep
er; gave It little more play at the
top. If he could only drive it far
enough so that the top would clear He
was working IKE & wild man.
Bearing down with all his strength.
he rotated the bar. The tremendous
eXertion opened the cuts and scratches
on his neck and breast until they Died
afresh. He damned the bar down
again; bore upon It with ali his
strength; rotated II again and again.
Less than half an inch still held at the
top.
His aIertlons brought tfo sweat out