The state herald., 1921-03-25


dcring whnt would have been the out
come had the sheriff needed the re-
quest and cut loose the hands of his
prisoner. Things would have hap
pencd-and they would have hap
pened fast.
The sheriff laughed: hard. raspy
laugh. A good many things In that
laugh the jangle of handcufrs the
CRATE of keys In stiff locks-but never
mite of mirth.
"lIe's roped now"
Hes not" was the Pearlhunters
incautious answer. 'but he's handy"
He had purposely raised his voice.
But the man for whose ear 1t was in
tended never shifted his position: :
never changed. even In the slightest,
! his easy smile. He did slip his hand
down the front of hi. frock coat and
loosen it against his side, bu, that
was all.
The sheriff swore; turned slowly in
his saddle and glanced the crowd over.
Ladies' an gentlemen" he said. rails
Ing his voice, ''as said before, this
man Is entitled to trial. an trial
he'll git. He'll hang--but it'll be the
law that hangs i'm. an not YOU adj
wise YOU to break up this damn fool
ishness an 90 home"
1t could be seen with half an eye
that the sheriff was in no humor to
stand any back talk. The crowd didn't
try 1t: they obeyed-many sullenly.
some grumbling openly. A few stayed.
The man leaning against the hitch
rack went back to the Mud Hen.
The village of Buckeye struggles
for quarter of mile along the river
road. The road is n bigger institution
than the town. 1t formed the .princi-
pal street. The village lookup or
jail. stood In plain sight n short way
to the west on the north side OF the
road.
The sheriff dismounted. picked mp
the slit and trampled blouse. threw 1t
about the shoulders of his prisoner
and united the severed rope end still
knotted about his neck With NUT
tered command, he made slight mo-
tion toward the Jail with his revolver
The Pearlhunter. still with hound
hands, his shirt so tattcred that II
left him half-naked from his waist up
the blood upon his face and body fast
stifTening into clots. obeyed the com.
mand.
Inside the lookup the sheriff cut his
hands loose, and Immediately stenneh
outside and locked the door. seem'nr
TO have no fancy to ,arry after his
prisoners hands were free. Turning
back 10 his prisoner he pointed ont
his house and told him he would bring
over some supper later on.
The Buckcve lookup was n two
story, rectangular structure of heavy
logs. There were two cells. with
hallway between. on the first floor
and the same arrangement above Tho
Pearlhunter was the only prisoner. 50
he had free range Of both lower cells
The barred gate opening 10 the stair
leading 10 the upper floor was heavily
padlocked. The door of the .inll fnccd
cell had one window: the window NJ
the one looking east. the window "
the other looking west. These win
dows We're both rather larger than
might have been expected. Each con.
tained n single sash. with the four
bars TO each window, set In nuger
holes IN the logs AT the top and bot
tom. The sash was hinged NJ the side
so as to swing In.
The pcarlhuntcr opened the sash ai
the west window and swung II hack
ms far rs Il would 20. Through the
bars he could look ont under The cnol
calm trees In the inil yard. The river
road wound dusty and dry toward the
sundown; wound Ia the first curve
and hid itself IN the hills: wound on
10 that sharp iurn nj the rim of the
deep woods by the low fence. And
there the path began. the him slim
path worn by wonderful feet the path
that led to glrl with eyes Ike the
placid sky at the bottom the
spring: eyes that "trusted" him. fhu;
would iaolS for him. What would they
he like when he didn't come when
the word reached her That he WIS the
Red Mask7 lie thought ~ that bit Of
scarlet cloth behind the books. with
the knife thrust near nm cyeholc
What II he should never have The
chance to set himself rlght-if he
should die without the chnnccT What
would the eyes be like them
The thought distressed him we'll
nigh past bearing. He WINGED ms
though II had been blade that
stabbed him. The crinklc OF paper Ia
his tattcrcd blouse caught his atten.
ton. He drew the paper forth--the
draft! In the fast failing light he
smoothcd II out and pored over the
words ngnin.
His day' His great dny' He had
watched II slip into starry world
upon the crest OF midnight; had
watched II unbnr the gates Of dawn.
And now II Ind driven across the