Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-10-20


clothes hanging in his closet. He up
set his trunk and paved among old
letters in the suitcase. Then, stealing
like some creature of the wilderness,
he came back to the living room
Lennox was not on the divan where
he had left him. He lay instead on
the floor near the fireplace; and he
met the passion-drawn face with entire
calmness. His motives were perfectly
plain. He had just made a desperate
effort to procure Dams rifle that hung
on two sets Of deer horns over the fire
place, and was entirely exhausted
from it. He had succeeded in getting
down from the couch, though wracked
by agony, but had been unable to lift
himself up in reach of the gun.
Cranston read his intention in one
glance. Lennox knew it, but he sim
ply didn't care. He had passed the
point where anything seemed to mat
ter
"Tell me where it is" CranstOn or
dered him. Again he pointed his rife
at LennOx's wasted breast.
"Tell you where what ISL My
money!
'YOu know what l want-and it
isn't money. mean those letters that
Failing found on the ridge. I'm
through fooling, LennOx. Dan learned
that long ago, and it's time you learned
it now"
''Dan learned it because he was sick.
He isn't sick now. Don't presume too
much on that"
CranstOn laughed with harsh scorn.
"But that isn't the question. ] said
I've wasted all the time Pm going to.
You are an old man and helpless; but
I'm not going to let that stand in the
way Of getting what came to get.
They're hidden somewhere around this
house. I've watched, and he's had no
chance to take them into town. I'll
give yOu-just five seconds to tell me
where they're hidden"
"And I give you," Lennox replied,
zone second less than that-to go to
hip
Both Of them breathed hard in the
quiet room. Cranston was trembling
now, shivering just little in his arms
and shoulders. Don't get me wrong,
LennOx," he warned.
"And don't have any decisions in re-
gard to me, either" Lennox replied.
1--WE stood worse pain from this acct
dent than any man can give me while
/ yet live, no matter what he does. If
you want to get on me and hammer
me In the approved CranstOn way, l
can't defend myself-but you won't
get civil answer out Of me. I'm used
to pain. and can stand it. I'm not
used to fawning to coyote like you,
and l can't stand It."
But Cranston hardly heard. An idea
had famed in his mind and cast a red
glamor over all the scene about him.
1t was instilling poison in his nerves
and madness in his blood, and 1t was
soaring him, like fire, in his dark
brain. Nothing seemed real He sud
denly bent forward, tense.
THAT'S all right about you" he said.
'But you'd be little more polite if 1t
was SnOwbird-and Dan--that would
have to pay"
Perhaps the color faded slightly in
LennOx's face; but his voice did not
change.
They'll see your footprints before
they come in and be ready" LennOx
replied evenly. 'They always come in
by the back way. And even with a
pistol, SnOwbird's a match for you"
aid you think that was what l
meant?" Cranston scorned. II know a
way to destroy those letters, and I'll
do it--in the four seconds that said,
unless you tell. Pm not even sure I'm
goin' to give you a chance to tell now;
it's too good a scheme. There won't
be any witnesses then to yell around
in the courts. What If choose to set
fire to this hOuse?"
at wouldn't surprise me a great
deal. It's your own trade" Lennox
shuddered once on his place on the
floor.
81 wouldn't have to worry about
those letters then, would I? They are
somewhere in the house, and they'd be
burned to ashes. But that isn't all
that would be burned. You could may
be crawl out, but you couldn't carry
the guns, and you couldn't carry the
pantry full of food. You're nearly
eighty miles up here from the nearest
occupied house, with two pair of
snowshoes for the three Of you and
one dinky pistol And you can't walk
at all. 1t would be nice pickle.
wouldn't it'll Wouldn't you have fat
chance of getting down to civiliza-
tion?"
The voice no longer held steady. 1t
trembled with passion. This was no
idle threat. The brain had already
seized upon the scheme with every In
tention Of carrying 1t out The will
derness lay stark and bare, stripped of
all delusion-BOt only in the snow
world outside but in the hearts of
these two men, Its sons.
Il have only enc hope" Lennon re-