Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-11-03
CHAPTER Xxx

AS Bruce waited his eyes slowly be-
came accustomed to the darkness. He
began to see the dim outlines of his
fellow occupants of the room-fully
seven brawny men seated in chairs
about the walls. Let's hear you drop
your rifle" one of them said.
Bruce recognized the grim voice as
Simons-heard on one occasion before.
He let his rife fall from his hands. He
knew that only death would be the
answer to any resistance to these men.
Then Simon scratched a match, and
without looking at him, bent to touch
it to the wick Of the lamp.
The tiny flame sputtered and flick
cred, filling the room with dancing
shadows. Bruce looked about him.
Simon sat beside the fireplace, the
lamp at his elbow. AS the wick
caught, the light frightened and stead
led, and Bruce could see plainly. On
each side of him, In chairs about the
walls, sat Simon's brothers and his
blood relations that shared the estate
with him. They were huge, gaunt
men, most of them dark-bearded and
sallow-skinned, and all of them regard
ed him with the same gaze Of specula-
tive interest
Bruce did not finch before their
gaze. He stood erect as he could, in
stinctively defiant.
"Our guest is rather early" Simon
began. "Dave hasn't come yet, and
Dave is the principal witness"
A bearded man across the room an
swered him. But I guess we amt
goin' to let the prisoner go for lack
Of evidence"
The circle laughed then-a harsh
sound that was not greatly different
from the laughter Of the coyotes on
the sagebrush hills. But they sobered
when they saw that Simon hadn't
laughed. His dark eyes were glowing.
"You, by no chance, met him on the
way home, did your" he asked.
II wish 1 had" Bruce replied. "But
1 didn't"
81 don't understand your eagerness.
You didn't seem overly eager to meet
u.s."
Bruce smiled wanly. These wilder
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 son of cities 'Tm 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 / told you just as you left Mar
tins store that day-that I gave no
man two warnings"
81 remember that" Bruce replied.
II saw no. reason for listening to you.
/ don't see any reason now, and I
wouldn't IL 1t wasn't for that row Of
guns
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 it, Bruce-you
came up here to these mountains to
open old wounds"
simon, came up mere TO r1gnC
wrongs-and you know it. If old
wounds are opened. | can't help it,"
"And tonight" Simon went on as If
he had not been answered, 'yOu have
come unbid,len into our house. 1t
would be all the evidence the courts
would need, Bruce-that you crept In
to our house in the dead of night. IL
anything happened to you here, no
word could be raised against us. You
were a brave man, Bruce"
$50 can suppose you left the
note?"
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. II am more interested