The Crittenden press., 1921-12-09


"You calnt fool me ! iest shot "a
put . hole ln yore new hat aud IA
show ~ al ain't no bad shot You
caln't hit my hati"
Dale's temper. the temper that had
always been 30 hard TO keep under
control rose quickly. lie tried 10 rea'
500 with himself. and couldn't; hl'
passion mastered him tie snatched
The hlr revolver from IN holster and
cooked A. with a. steady = hand a,
ever held a weapon trained. he hegnn
10 take aim at Rails slouch hat. ths
hnif of which was ln plain view NJ ons
side ~ the scruhh, oak
y foai,al sau NEE haet there h
ihs middle af ihr uNer DO rrlch hni
-alh uuu iu. aaus to f""l iou
imlnf"
There ass IN bis Voice that old. oid
priniltiye rage. which frightened him,
and puzzled him too. n bic better mo
ments
He lei down the bead until II was
barely visible in the notch. and eused
on the trigger The rrvOiter ro1red
and spaf forth q tiny tongue Of name
and \ little cloud Of whlts smoke hall
sprang erect. wheeled aud fell crash
lug 10 the leaves
~. t...,.,..4 "A. ...uan "a sauf
a. white a. death. and his two hands
clutched uncertainty u bis throat lie
was q murderer No he wasn't-hls
bullet had guns wlld. q had struct
Halls head on the other eide of the
tree. by accident Bui how could hs
prove that q had been an Gccldenti
Would any jury believe hint Il was
far FROM probable.
ils stepped from behind the hen.
lock and sent toward the wnthlnI
Goliath. whose leTs olly sefe visible
nov.
Then q third shot rnug cut on ne
morning stiffness II had been bred
from point soms little distance
aNny. and lisis's coniltion % mlni 81
the moment was such that he didn't
even note ihs difeciion from which
ths sound had come Tie Vas uuturt
and b. bad noi heard the shine u .
bullet o. the paiisunE of shot o. lhs
leaves. When hs looked about him.
be- saw ~ ons neither did be So any
tslltals smoks Perhaps. he thought
dimly. q had been . squirrelhuntef
that had hr-i that shot he fofgs'
shout lt very quickly Tor the time b..
ina. and vent on iosard Adam Bal,
who nos was iylng perfectly siill
Ther sas q bullet.hols through and
through ihs rrrat shaggy head. fhs
face behind The shert. curly blacl
beard sas of the colurisss hue u
soapsions Ths giant hillman as
J dead
Bm Dale kuslt there beside hlaes
Adam. Again he cluiched 81 bis throai
With his two shaking hands. aud ihl'
time he tors his blus flannel shlri. Al
ths agony and ell ihs remofse IN ne
unissrss seemed 10 b. guthsrinE ihsr'
Ia his heart Never before had ~
seen death. lis uim prr-snce terrified
him. That the dsplofabls thlns has
ben 20 accident. due 10 biz faulil
marksmanship. msftered little ~
had Killed q mao. aud the bod ~,
brand II Cain vas burning asay %
BIZ bros he wss man 10 hell o
hls onn making And kneeling her
Bnl Dale sohbsd sreat sob tia
shook his broad shoulders a. sioien
aEas uould have shaken them
No tried 10 look 81 the blue.edgs'
hols 10 The shargy had ~ The crus
brufish face that ~as ~ ths colofles
hue % soapsious Msrcinl tear
blinded him. and b. couldn't ~. ]
was . compensailou. . pitifully beauti
ful compensation.
rive minutes passed nvs minuis
that ser az I've yssn 10 this ma
Who hah never b~en ~ the prsseno
of death before Then be- realltsd tha
he sHs being surrounded BY kinsms
of tis dead mouniaineer ~ locke
~ lnio their ashsu ungry faess. az
they curs-d him hlg and grippln
brown hands wvrr placed upou him
several rifles vsw turned upun hin
iis anus and sprvad oul biz arms. an
offered hls breast 10 the frovnIng mul
liss Thcy oould awe him. ~ lsas
obllvlon
"Shoot. n you llks." hs said blitsrii