The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1921-01-21

| foot. TOOK his thunIbS our or ms yes
pockets. The easy smile left his face
the real man came out--a wildcat
fanged and clawed.
IN uncork this rotten old jug" he
growled, III you'll bolt the Flatwood'
and stop queerin' my game
lis lips snapped tight. His cards
were on the table. The Pearlhuntei
pondered them in his deliberate way
and cast up the sun total of their ex-
act value.
First. There wonld be no mob.
Otherwise he would have trusted to
that. The meeting behind the Mud
Hen had fzzled.
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 Pearhunter knew he
had it, His game. That tense scene
at the fence the evening before flashed
up clear as the river bed under the
jack light: girl with basket;
frightened eyes; yellow curl that rose
and fell upon startled bosom.
I'm stay where l 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 were expect
ing to ask-I might answer them to
boot"
The PearIhunter's fingers frightened
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-
Their"
The other whipped curious look at
him.
"Your fatherl" he snarled. The
scowl on his face became 1t better than
the smile. GAS 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 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 ii stopped before II got
there. The Pearlhunter had snatched
the revolver from under his blouse and
held 1t 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.
I'D kill you he retorted finally. his
tones steady, though strained, like the
current that plays across the top of
"only haven't time. There's
a flock of yellow curls and a devilsh
trim pair of ankles waitin' for me
DOWN the road"
He had so framed the taunt as to re-
q 1 srfr-I a. I
Without another word he.
urned and walked away.
The Pearlhunter seriously debated
whether to shoot hiE1 dead and trust
o fate for the rest. The revolver
'rawled up over the window sill. He
,rasped one of tie bars to steady his
land. A start of surprise came to his
ace. The revolver went back below
he window sill. The bar was loose.
II was almost unbelievable. hut it
vas so. For some reason or ether IL
ad not been fixed very firmly In It's
uger hole sockets. There was play
heartening amount of it-between
he upper and lower auger holes. His
lOod missed a beat; then leaped the
igher.
he damned the har into me lower q
oclIet The bottom OF the hole was ,.
oft. The rain saS probably rotted IT,
Ie damned the bar rgain and the wood
ave. He put all pic strength TO It,
ach effort drove the mar a little deep 7
gave It little DoHe play at the "
~. II Re could only drive Il far
Rough so that the top would clear He
as working like a wild man.
Bearing down with all his strength. v
; rotated the bar. The tremendous n
,ertion opened the cuts sid scratches u
his neck and breast until they bled "
'resh. lie jamned the bar down e
yain; bore upon 1t with all his o
rength rotated it again and again.
ess than half an inch still held at the Il
p. Il
His exertions brought the sweat out "
BON his face. Another effort; ire e;
endous; to the last ounce of his N
over. a.
His hands were like fire-but the 10
IT cleared. He could move 1t a tiny
lite to the side of the upper auger d