The Ordway new era., 1921-03-18

was the fullest man there. His height
enabled him to see with toleraDie
clearness to the outskirts OF the
crowd. He swept his eyes over the
heads of the others like man looking
for something he fully expected to
find. He was not disappointed In
the onter edge of the crowd, leaning
carelessly against hitch rack. stood
the man he was expecting to see. he
had come out of the Mud Hen at the
beginning of the uproar but had taken
no part in the lynching. He didn't
need to. He had whole town to do
1t for him.
The Pearlhunter was not surprised
to see him there. Why shouldn't he
be there, a very much interested spec
tator at the final working out of his
well-laid plot, plot that had worked
out so Infinitely better than he had
planned? Why shouldn't man come
to see himself hanged?
And there the Pearlhunter stood.
with the rope around his neck-the
wrong neck-and no proof to put II
around the right one. Something
swelled under the rope; something
that surged up to his eyes and struck
out a splinter of fire. He turned to
the man on the horse.
sheriff. If you'll stick my gun back
and cut my hands loose, I'll rope you
the real Red Mask"
1t was an unwise thing to say. He
knew it the moment he'd said it. II
was unlike him. The man leaning In
apparent carelessness against the
hitch rack was probably quite un-
aware that he was suspected. IL
might prove a costly mistake to let
him know that he was. Besides. 1t
was extremely unlikely that he would
have the pearl still on him. With the
pearl gone. the proof would be gone.
The Pearlhunter's usual slow caution
should have brought a good many con-
siderations to his mind before he SAID
that. But rope around mans neck
makes prodiglous difference in the
look of things. One cannot help won
dering what 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
pened-and they would have hap
pened fast.
The sheriff laughed; hard. raspy
laugh. A good many things in that
laugh: the iangle of handouts; the
crate of keys in stiff locks-but never
a mite of mirth.
Hes roped now"
Hes not" was the Pearlhunter's
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 his frock coat and
loosen 1t against his side. but that
was all.
The sheriff swore; turned slowly in
his saddle and glanced the crowd over.
Ladies an gentlemen" he said. rnis-
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. I ad-
wise YOU to break up this damn fool
ishness an go 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 straggles
for a quarter Of mile along the river
road. The road is a bigger institution
than The town. 1t formed the princi-
pal street The village lookup. or
Jail, stood Ia plain sight n short way
to the west en- the north side of the
road.
The sheriff dismounted. picked up
the slit and trampled blouse. threw it
about the shoulders of his prisoner
and united the severed rope end still
knotted about his neck. With a NUT
tered command. he made slight mo-
tion toward the Jail with his revolver.
The Pearlhunter. still with bound
hands, his shirt so tnttered that 1t
left him half-naked from his waist up,
the blood upon his face and body fast
stiffening into clots, obeyed the COM
mand.
Inside the lookup the sheriff cut his
hands loose, and Immediately stepped
outside and locked the door. seeming
to have no fancy to tarry after his
prisoners hands were free. Turning
back to his prisoner he pointed out
his house and told him he would bring
over some supper later on.
The Burkeve lookup was two
Sforr recfoppulor strucf,,ro of heavy
logs. There were two cells. with a
hallway between, on the first floor,
and the same arrangement above. The
Pearlhunter was the only prisoner. so
he had free range of both lower cells.
The barred gate opening to the stair
leading to the upper floor was heavily