The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1922-08-01
cHApv6 Rsxvli.

Harry's disappearance. This ire.
vealed why the search through the
mountains had failed. This
But Fairchild suddenly realized that
now was not time for conjectnring
upon the past. The man on the bed
was unconscious, incapable of helping
himself. Far below, "a white-hairel
woman. her toOthless jaws utterlng
one weird chant after another, was
digging for him q, quicklime grave, in
the insane belief that she was aiding
In accomplishing some miracle Of Inn
mortality. In <time--and Fairchild did
not know how rlong-anE lll-visaged,
scar-faced. man would return to help
her carry the inert frame Of the un.
conscious man below and bury it. Nor
could Fairchild tell from the .conver-
sation whether he even intended to
perform the ,merciful act Of killing the
poor, broken being before he covered
it with acids and quick-eating lime In
q grave that soon would remove all
vestige Of human identity forever.
Certainly now was not a time Tor
thought; it was one for action! 5@I
y And for caution. Instinct told Fair
child that for the present, at least,
Rodaine must believe that Harry had
escaped unaided. There were too
J many other things in which Robert
felt sure Rodaine had played a part,
too many other mysterious happenings
which must be met and coped with,
before the man Of the blue.white scar
could know that finally the underling
was beginning to show fight, that at
last the crushed had begun to rise.
Fairchild bent and unlaced his shoes,
taking of also the heavy woolen
socks which protected his feet from
the biting cold. Steeling himself to
the ordeal which he must undergo he
tied the laees together and slung the
foptgear over a; shoulder. Then lie
went to the bed. 'tr' - ~
AS carefully as possible, he wrapped
Harry in the blankets, seeking to pro.
tect him in every. way against the
cold With great effort, he lifted
him, the sick mans frame huddled in
his arms like some gigantic baby, and
started out Of the, eerie, darkened
ffNrise. r.. ~ 80 T4Nr = ~ F.fs, i
The staifsAthe E:lahding-the hall !!
Then a query from below: j., y,
lis that you, Roady?". .;.:;, " =
The breath pulled sharp into Fair.
child's lungs. He answered in the
best imitation he could give of the
| x,hl - 0n,,1uf u oS1ofn
Eyes. Go on with your digging,
Honey. I'll be there soon." -l., .,
"And you'll kiss me?"
"Yes. Just like i kissed you the
night our boy was BORN -. -...
1t was sufficient. The chanting be.
gan again, accompanied by the swish
Of the spade as It sank into the earth
\ aud the Guiding roll Of the clods as
they were thrown to one side. Fair.
child gained the door. A moment more
and he staggered with his burden into
the protecting darkness Of the night.
The snow crept about his ankles,
seeming to freeze them at every
touch, but Fairchild did not desist. His
original purpose must be carried out
If Rodaine were not to knOw-the ap.
pearance that Harry had aroused him.
self sufficiently to wrap the blankets
about him and wander of by himself.
And this could be accomplished only
by the pain and cold and torture Of a
barefoot trip. ,.-.'.,.1
Some way, by shifting the big frame
Of his unconscious partner now and
then, Fairchild made the trip to the
main road and veered toward the
pumphouse Of the Diamond J. mine,
running us It often did without ut.
tendance while the engineer made q
trip with the electric motor into the
hill. Cautiously he peered through
the windows. No one was there. Be.
yond lay warmth and comfort-and a
telephone. Fairchild went within and
placed Harry on the floor. Then he
reached for the phone and called the
hospital. -H.&
Hello I" he announced in a husky,
disguised voice. "This Is Jeb Gresham
Of Georgeville. I've just found man
lying by the side Of the Diamond j.
pumphouse, unconscious, with a big
cut In his head I've. brought him in.
side. You'll find him there; I've got
to 60 on. Looks like he's liable to die
unless you can send the ambulance for
him." r. -. ,..ts-'
"We'll make 1t a rush trip" came
the answer, and Fairchild hung up the
| phone to rub his half-frozen, aching
u feet moment. then to reclothe them
Fin the socks and shoes, watching the
entrance Of the Diamond ]. tunnel az
lie illd so. A long minute-then he left
the pumphouse, made few tracks in
tie snow around the entrance, and
Ralked swiftly down the road. Fifteen
minutes later, from a hiding place q
>lethe side Of the Clear creek bridge, he
saw the lights of the ambulance as 1,
swerved to the pumphouse. Out came
the stretcher. The attendants went In
search of the injured man. When they
came forth again, they bore the form
Of Harry Harkins, and the heart OF
Fairchild began to beat once more
with something resembling regularity
His partner---at least such was his
hope and his prayer-was on the way
to aid and to recovery, while Squin'
| 'Iodaine would know nothing otlel