The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1921-01-13


the charge OF a horse. The crowd
parted. The horseman reached this
dangling man, and, with one slash
of a huge jacklSnife, cut the rope.
The stroke came barely in timA
The Pearlhunter, only saved from
crumpling down to the grass by the
arm of the horseman, dropped limp
and gasping against the side Of the
horse. Slowly the world quit reel
ing; the light came back: he raised
his eyes; caught the glitter OF a
Sherifrs star upon the vest Of his,
rescuer.
It is marvellous how one brave
man. with the law behind him. can
awe a mob.
g, Who WI is this MANI" yelled the
A man, whose mouth had been
mashed by a butt Of the Peart-
hunters head, clawed the red mash
up from the ground, trarnpled ana
soiled, but still unmistakable, ana
held II high. The Sheriff starteds
glared hard at the Pearlhunter
AN SO it's you they've ropedi" hs
growled. Damned II ! amt a no.
ton to let 'em finish the job
A snarl ran through the mob. They
surgeds forward. The Sheriff drew
his revolver again, and cursed them
back. -
RED Mask or red devil" he
stormed, ''he's entitled TO a trial up-
der the law; and trial he'll git"
And there the Pearlhunter stood,
with the rope around his neck--tha
wrong neck-and no proof to put Il
around the right one. Something
swelled under the rope: something
that surged UP to his eyes and struck
out splinter OF fire. He turned 10
the man on the horse.
sheriff, II you'll stick my gun back
and cut my hands loose, I'll rope you
the real Red Mask"
But the Sheriff bad no such intens
ton. He laughed: a hard, raspy
laugh. A good many things in that
laugh: the jangle OF handouts; the
CRATE of keys in stiff locls;-blIA
never a mite Of mlrth.
Hes roped now"
Hes not" was the Pearlhunter'N
incautious answer but hes handy
He had purposely raised his voice.
But the man for whose ear It was
intended never shifted his positionA
never changed, even in the slightest.
his easy smile. He did slip his hand
down the front of his frock coat and
loosen IL against his side, but THAI
was all.
The Sheriff swore; turned slowiS
over. He personally knew every man
present-eUcept one. His eye rested
on the man leaning against the hilton
rack. and so searchtngly that thu
man appeared to think something
was expected OF him.
EFF you have any doubts as TO thu
fellows identity" he said, with an
easy drawl, as II bored with the
whole proceedings, you might search
his cabin"
The devilish completeness of thN
| plot staggered the Pearlhunter. From
the first, he had been glad Of the
| caution that prompted the burning
J OF the two masks IN the cabin; he
/ was doubly glad now.
The Sheriff led Pbarlhunter to the
| nearby lookup, diSmounted. picked
up the slit and trampied blouse,
threw It about the shoulders OF his
/ prisoner and united the severed rope
| end stin lInotted about his neck.
/ With muttered command, he made
slight motion toward the Jail with
/ his revolver. The Pearlhunter, stilI
with bound hands his shirt 50 tat
| tered that II left him half-naked from
/ his waist up, the blood upon his face
and body fast stiffening into clots.
/ obeyed the command.
Inside the lookup the Sheriff CUE
his hands loose, and immediately
4 stepped outside and locked the door.
seeming TO have no fancy to taTT1T
after his prisoners hands were free.
A few of the crowd had followed in
Guiding the three Jews, who appeared
to be more concerned about their re-
ward than about their master, whose
dead body had been left lying bach
on the grass. Telling them the re-
ward would not be overlooked, the
Sheriff ordered the stragglers away,
and warned them not to gather again
The Pearlhunter opened the sash at
the west window and swung it back
as far as 1t would go.
The crinkle OF paper in his tattered
blouse caught his attention. He drew
the paper forth-the draft. In the
ast-failing light he smoothed It out
and pored over the words again.
, His, day! His great day! He had
watched it slip into a starry world
upon the crest OF midnight: had
watched 1t unbar the gates of dawn.
And now It had driven across the
, world and out at the gates OF sun
set. Deadl Gone back into the niFhtJ
He left the window; dropped down
r upon the one broken chair IN tbs
E cell and buried his face in his handa
CHAPTER XII.
t T was late when the Boss an,
peared at the window, and Al.
lently slipped a revolver through
the bars. As Pearlhunte1
reached his hand out in grateful
i handshake, he found that one Of th1
I. bars was loose.
1t was almost unbelievable. but A
r. was SO. For some reason or other 4
had not been fixed firmly in its arps
hole sockets. The lunge of IN
10 shoulder had loosened It. He slid tn
lie revolver, muzzle down, into the mar
q row, holsteT-shaped pocket at his hi,
10 and laid his strength to the bar. Their
10 was playa heartening amount OF I
l. between the upper and lower a1Ipe
" holes. His blood missed a beat: the,
n leaped the higher.
,e He damned the bar into the lowe
n socket The bottom OF the hole wa
"a soft, The rain had probably rotte
it. He jammed the bar again an
NJ the wood gave. He put all his strengt
No to It. Each effort drove the bar
- little deeper, gave it a little more pla-
~ at the top II he could only driv
~ 1t far enough so that the top woui
~ clear. He was working like a viii