The Ordway new era., 1921-03-25

/ IOOI. tOOk HIS luulllhs Nut Va $3.50
pockets. The easy smile left his race
| the real man came out-a wildcat
| fanged and clawed.
"Ill uncork this rotten old jug, ne
growled, "if you'll bolt the Flatwoods
and stop queerin' my game"
His lips snapped tight. His cards
were on the table. The Pearlhunter
Wondered them in his deliberate way
and cast I'D the sum total Of their eS-
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 Pearlhunter knew he
had it. His game. That tense scene
at the fence the evening before flashed
I'D clear as the river bed under the
lack light: q girl with basket;
frightened eyes yellow curl that rose
and fell upon a startled bosom.
an 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 coolness 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 were expect
ing to ask-I might answer them TO
boot"
The Pearlhunters fingers tightened
on the bar. He breathed deep. Those
questionsl 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.
1 was expectin' to ask about my-fa-
| ther."
The other whipped curious look at
him.
your fatherw he snarled. The
| scowl on his face became 1t better than
the smile. "As like you 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 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 it stopped before 1t got
| there. The Pearlhunter 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, it
would have been as useless as the re-
volver. Noise precluded the use of
| the one; walls and bars the other.
I'D 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
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
honored. Without another word he
| turned and walked away.
The Pearlhunter 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. 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 It
| 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 beat; then leaped the
| higher.
He Jammed the bar into the lower
| f'ON'N'' 'it bptioih VI tiiC hOlc WAS
soft. The rain had probably rotted It
He jammed the bar again and the wood
gave. He put all his strength to It
Each effort drove the bar little deep.
err; gave 1t little more play at the
top. II he could only drive 1t far
enough so that the top would clear He
was working like wild man.
Bearing Down with all his strength
he rotated the bar. The tremendous
exertion opened the cuts and scratches
cn his neck and breast until they bled
I afresh. He jammed the bar dowx
again; bore upon 1t with all his
strength; rotated 1t again and again
Less than half an inch still held at the
top. M
His exertions brought the sweat ou,
upon his face. Another effort: tre