The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1922-12-28


u.s."
ness men regarded him with fresh in
terest. Somehow, they hadn't counted
on his smiling. 1t was almost as If he
were of the wilderness breed himself,
: instead of the o of cities. "Im here,
am I not?" he said. "It isn't as If you
came to my house first"
Eyes. you're here" Simon confirmed.
"And I'm wondering if you remember
what l told you just as you left Mar,
tins store that day-that I gave no
man<two warnings"
az remember that" Bruce replied.
"I saw no reason for listening to you.
/ don't see any reason now, and /
wouldn't If 1t wasn't for that row of
guns" I
Simon studied his pale face. "Per-
haps you'll be sorry you didn't listen.
before this night is over. And there
are many hours yet in 1t. Bruce-yOu
came up here to these mountains to
open old wounds"
"Sfmon, / came up here to right
wrongs-and you know 1t. If old
wounds are opened, l can't help It,"
"And tonight" Simon went on as II
he had not been answered, -"you have
come unbidden into u house. II
would be all the evidence the courts
would need, Bruce-that you crept In
to our house in the dead of night. If
anything happened to you here, no
word could be raised against us. You
were q brave man, Bruce"
$50 I can suppose you left the
note2'
The circle laughed again, but Simon
silenced them with a gesture. you're
very keen" he said.
"Then where is Linda?" Bruce's
eyes hardened. 81 am more interested
in her whereabouts than In this talk
with YOU"
"The last seen of her, she was going
up a hill with Dave. When Dave re-
turns you can ask him."
The bearded man opposite from
! Simon uttered a short syllable Of 2
laugh. "And 1t don't look like he's go
ing to return" he said. The knowing
look on his face was deeply abhorrent
to Bruce. Curiously, Simon's face
flushed, and he whirled in his chair.
"Do you mean anything in particu-
lar, Old Bill?" he demanded. {
at looks to me like maybe Dawes
forgot q lot of things you told him,
and he and Linda are havin' a little
sparkin' time together out In the
brush"
The idea seemed to please the clan.
But SimOn's eyes glOwed, and Bruce
himself felt the beginnings of a blind
rage that might, unless he held hard
upon it, hurl him against their re-
morseless weapons. II don't want any
more such talk out Of you, Old Bill"
Simon reprOved him, 'and we've talked
enough, anyway" His keen eyes stud
led Bruce's flushed face. "One of you
give u guest a chair and fix him up
in 1t with a thong. We don't want
him flying off the coop and getting
shot until we're done talking to him."
One of the clansmen pushed a chair
forward with sudden force, striking
Bruce In the knees and almost knock
ing him over. The circle leered, and
he sat down in it with as much ease
as. possible. Then one of the men
l0Oped his arms to the arms Of the
chair with thongs of buckskin. Anoth-
er thong was tied about his ankles.
p TIL an tho 11onc,,,oo xroYaf ho or 70 fhOfr
chairs.
II really don't see the use OF all
these dramatics," Bruce said cOldly
"And 1 don't particularly like yelled
threats. AT present I seem to be in
your hands,"
"You don't seem to be-" Simon an
swered with r~eddening eyes, "You
are"
II have no intention of saying I'm
sorry / didn't heed the threats you
gave me beforehand as to those I've
heard tonight-they're not going to do
you any good, either. 1t is true that
you found me in the house you Occu-
py in the dead of night-but 1t isn't
your house to start with. What a man
seizes by murder isn't his"
"What a man holds with a hard fist
and his rifle-in these mOuntains-is
his" Simon cOntradicted him. :
Besides, you got me here with a
trick" Bruce Went on without heed
ing him. $50 don't pretend that any
wickedness you do tonight was justi-
fed by my coming. You'll have to n
swer for 1t just the same"
Simon leaned forward in his chair.
His dark eyes glowed In the lamp
light. "Pve heard such talk as that
before" he said. II expect your w
father talked like that a few times
himself" r
The words seemed to strike straight
home 20 the gathered Turner's. The
moment was breathless, weighted with
suspense. All of them seemed strain
ing in their chairs.
Bruce's head bowed, but the veins
stood out beneath the short hair on
hts tompIac and his Inns tramhlQd