The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1921-04-15

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 vas o 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 We're 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
Town from the couch. though wracked
by agony, but had been unable to lift
himsel 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 1t u.s. Cranston or
dered him. Again he pointed his rifle
at Lemons wasted breast.
Tell you where what is? My
money!"
you know what / want-and 1t
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 1t because he was sick.
He isn't sick now. Don'l presume too
much OF that"
Cranston laughed with harsh scorn.
But that isn't the question. l said
I've wasted all the time I'm going to.
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" ~ ss~
nd 4 give sygp." Lepnoxs replied,
zone secOnd less than tfat-t0 go ia
h--ll!"
Both Of them breathed hard in the
quiet room. Cranston was trembling
now, shivering just a 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.
i've stood worse pain from this acct
dent than any man can give me while
l yet live, no matter what he does. II
you want to get on me and hammer
me In the approved Cranston way. |
can't defend myself-but you won't
get a civil answer out of me. I'm used
to pain. and l can stand it. I'm not
used to fawning to a coyote like you.
nd can't stand it."
But Cranston hardly heard. An idea
lad famed In his mind and cast a red
,lamor Y all the scene about him.
t was Installing a poison in his nerves
md a madness in his blood. and 1t was
soaring him. like fire, in his dark
orain. Nothing seemed real. He sud
denly bent forward. tense.
THAT'S all right about YOU. he said.
but you'd be a little more polite If 1t
was Snowbird-and Dan-that would
have to pay"
Perhaps the color faded slightly In
I%.ennox'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"
did you think that was what
meant?" Cranston scorned. Il know a
way to destroy Hose letters, and I'll
do tin the four seconds that I said,
unless you tell. I'm not ever sure I'm
goin' to give you q chance to tell now;
It's too good a scheme. There won't
be any witnesses then to yell around
In the courts. What II l choose % set
1re to this housey
1T wouldn't surprise me q great
deal. It's your own trade" LennOx
s%huddered once IN mis- place on the
floor.
Il 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
sighty miles up here from the nearest
occupied house, with two pair OF
Anowshoes for the three Of you and
one dinky pistol. And you can't walk
q oil. It would be Z nice pickle.
wouldn't IT. Wouldn't you have Z fat
chance Of getting down to civiliEa-
tom"
The voice nj longer held steady. It
trembled with passion. This wal 90
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-nOt only Ia the snow
world outside but In the hearts Of