South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-03-18

49, -
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a dead fish's belly. Are you in
sane?" he gasped
Not me, denied Billy Wingo.
For a space he considered the
Judge, then he said:
7 guess we're ready for Riley,
now"
Despite his professional calm the
judge almost bounced out OF his
chair. riley Where"
I'm the kitchen with the door
open" explained Billy, He didn't
go with Shotgun and ReelfOot a-tau.
Reelfoot wasn't completely success
full in separating me from my depu-
ties"
"Rney," said Billy Wingo. 81 guess
we'u need another witness. 1 Won
der if you could get hold Of Guerilla
Melody"
u won't go" the Judge declared
feebly.
You said that before" said Billy
WingO, in no wise moved. You'll
go all right Do you wanna know
why? III tell you. You see, Judge,
I know what I'm up against I know
that the only barrier that stands be-
tween me and the graveyard is the
lead in tnis gun. I like life enjoy
it. Besides, I'm too young to die
and too sinful and all that There
fore it's my business to see amt
cut off IN the flower Of my youth.
ct cetera. It's my life or yours, and
it's not gonna be mine"
CHAPTER TX.
Guerilla Melody regarded the
judge without expression. Huh. -
he grunted. Huh"
Within the Quarter-hour they rode
out of a belt of cottonwoods into the
Hillsville trail, three wooden faced
men and the wretched Judge The
latter rode in front, with head bowed
on hunched shoulders.
A mile from the ranch house they
climbed the shelving side of the
draw and rode across the flat to
where a struggling growth of pine
and spruce made a black, pear
shaped blot along the smooth white
slope Of a saddle-backed hill.
Beyond and below this spruce
where the draw met lower ground
and lost its identity as a draw, was
the Walton ranch house.
The four men reached the trees
rode in among them. Three Of them
dismounted and tied their horses
The fourth remained in the saddle
Said Billy Wingo TO the fourth:
Get down"
The judge got down. Swiftly his
hands were tied behind his back, and
his eyes were thoroughly blind-fold-
ed with his own silk handkerchief.
Guerilla Melody seized the judges
right arm and forced him into mo-
ton.
Billy Wingo removed his overcoat
From a voluminous pocket he took
what appeared to be a roll Of cloth
He shook out the roll ard discovered
the common or garden variety OF
cotton nightshirt, size so.
IF whoever's in the house can
pick me out from the snow after
wearing this I'll give his eyes
credit" he muttered, pulling on the
garment in question over his head.
He buttoned the nigntshirt with
meticulous care. fished a washed
flour sack from hip pocket and
pulled it over his head.
Without any fear OF being dis
covered, so confident was he that II
would be impossible to see him
against the white background, he
approached the right angle end OF
the kitchen.
At the corner of the kitchen he
dropped on his knees and one hand
Here behind the windbreak the snow
was no more than two or three
inches deep, and he crawled along
THE side of the house toward q faint
" glowing window that was his goal
Inch by inch Billy raised slow
head above the window sill. For a
long time he could see nothing with
in the room but the fire in the fire
place and a big chair over which had
been thrown a buffalo robe Then
after a time he saw, beyond the
chair. the boot soles Of a man lying
on the floor. The body OF the man
lay In the shadow cast by the bic
chair.
There was something about those
boot soles that told Billy that the
man was dead.
Il figured it would be this way,
Billy told himself II didn't see how
else it could be. Damn their soulsl
They don't stop at anything"
Continued in Our Next Issuc.)