The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1921-01-14

| Wds Tue ldileSt man tIeTe. Ills uSlSH'
enabled him to see with tolerablt
clearness to the outskirts Of the
crowd. He swept his eyes over the
heads OF the others like a man looking
for something he fully expected to
find. He was not disappointed. In
careiessly 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 Pearihunter 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 a 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 1t
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 il the moment he'd said IT, 1t
was unlike him. The man leaning In
apparent carelessness against the
hitch rack was probably quite un-
aware that he was suspected. II
might prove a costly mistake TO let
him know that he was. Besides. II
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 a mans neck
makes a prodigious 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 jangle of handouts; the |
CRATE of keys in stiff locks-but never
a mite of mirth.
"He's roped now"
Hes not" was the Pearlhunters |
incautious answer, but he's handy"
He had purposely raised his voice.
But the man for whose ear ii was In
tended never shifted his position
never changed. even in the slightest,
down the front of his frock coat and
loosen II 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, rails
ing his voice, "as / said before, this
nan is entitled to trial, an trial
hell git. He'll hang-but it'll be the
aw that hangs i'm, an not you. | adj
wise you to break up this damn fool
shness an go home"
1t could be seen with half an eye
hat the sheriff was in no humor to
stand any back talk The crowd didn't
ry it; they obeyed-many sullenly,
iome grumbling openly few stayed.
rhe man leaning against the hitch
ack went back to the Mud Hen.
The village of Buckeye struggles
or a quarter of mile along the river
Dad. The road is a bigger institution
han the town. 1t formed the princi-
,al street The village lookup. or
all. stood in plain sight short way
O the west on the north side of the
Dad.
The sheriff dismounted, picked up
he slit and trampled blouse, threw 1t
bout the shoulders of his prisoner
nd united the severed rope end still
NOTED about his neck. With NUT
cred command, he made slight mo-
ion toward the Jail with his revolver.
he Pearlhunter, still with bound
ands, his shirt so tattered that II
1T him half-naked from his waist up,
ne blood upon his face and body fast !
into ciots, obeyed the COM ,
land.
Inside the lookup the sheriff cut his
ands loose, and Immediately stepped ,
inside and locked the door, seeming
, have no fancy to tarry after his
risoner's hands were free. Turning
lck to his prisoner he pointed out
Is house and told him he would bring :,
yer some supper later on.
The Buckeye lookup was a two .
DRY. rectangular structure of heavy :
gs. There were two cells. with a
allway between, on the first floor. :,
I'd the same arrangement above The 9
earlhunter was the only prisoner, so =
, had free range of both lower cells. ;,
he barred gate opening to the stair ;,
aiding to the upper floor was heavily =
blocked The door of the Jail faced
the river road. Each g
II had one window; the window of :,
e one looking east. the window of :
e other looking west. These win :,
WIS were both rather larger than !"