The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1921-01-13

foot; took his thumbs put of his vest
pockets. The easy smile left his face I;
the real man came out-a wildcat,
fanged and clawed.
"Tll uncork this rotten old jug" he
growled, "if you'll bolt the Flatwoods
and stop queerin' my game"
His lips snapped tight. His cards
were on the table. The Pearlnunter
pondered them In his deliberate way
and cast up the sum total Of their ex-
act value.
First. There would be no mob.
Otherwise he would have trusted to
that. The meeting behind the Mud
Hen had fiZzled.
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 P~earlhunter knew he
at the fence the evening before flashed
up clear as the river bed under the
jack light: a girl with u basket {;
frightened eyes; a yellow curl that rose
and fell upon a startled bosom.
"Ill stay where ! am" he answered,
crisp and cold. "The law put me In |:
the law can 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 we're expect
ing to ask-I might answer them to
boot"
The Pearlhunter's fingers frightened
on the bar. He breathed deep. Those
questions! His life through. they had
haunted him. And the man before him
knew the answer. His face set hard.
Answer or not, as you please" he
said 'but I'll not bolt the Flatwoods.
/ was expectin' to ask about my-fa-
ther."
The other whipped a curious look at
him.
"Your father I" he snarled. The
scowl on his face became 1t better thar
the smile. "As like Won 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 fell almost short, landing with a
snap instead of a crash, like a lash that
can reach only so far. 1t stung 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 II stopped before 1t got
there. The P%earlhunter had 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 of a man. Anyhow, II
would have been as useless as the re-
volver. Noise precluded the use of
the one; walls and bars the other.
"pd kill you" he retorted finally, his
tones steady, though strained, like the
current that plays across the top OF a
whirlpool, ''only / haven't time. There's
a flock of yellow curls and a devilish
trim pair Of ankles waitin' for me
down the road"
He had so framed the taunt as to re-
fleet on the girl his very thought dis
hobored. Without another word he
turned and walked away.
The ~Pcarlhunter seriously debated
whether to shoot him dead and trust
to fate for the rest. The revolver
crawled up over the window sill. He
grasped one of the bars to steady his
hand. A start Of surprise came to his
face. The revolver went back below
the window sill. The bar was loose.
1t was almost unbelievable, but 1t
was so. For some reason or other Il
had not been fixed very firmly In Its
auger hole sockets. There was play
a heartening amount Of it--between
the upper and lower auger holes. His
blood missed a beat; then leaped the
higher.
He damned the bar into the lower
socket. The bottom of the hole was
soft. The rain had probably rotted II.
He jammed the bar again and the wood
gave. He put all his strength to It.
Each effort drove the bar a little deep
err: gave It a little more play at the
top. If he could only drive 1t far
enough SO that the top would clear ! He
was working like q wild mar
Bearing Gown with all his strength.
he rotated the bar. The tremendous
exertion opened the cuts and scratches
on his neck and breast until they bled
afresh. He damned the bar down
again: bore upon It with all his
strength; rotated 1t again and again.
Less than half All inch still held at the
top.
His exertions brought the sweat out
upon his face. Another effort: tire
mendous; to the last m Of his
power.
HIs. hands were IKE fire-but the
har cleared. H& could move II q tiny