The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-12-22
By EDISON MARSHALL
Author of s'The Voice of the Pack"
Copyright by Little, Brown, and Co.

mons house; Linda had emptied her
pistol at the Killer.
We've got to get more shells"
Bruce told Linda. "The Turner's won't
be such feels as to wait until we have
the moon again, to attack. / can't
understand why they haven't already
come. OF course, they don't know
the condition of our ammunition sup
ply. but it doesn't seem to me that
that alone would have held them off.
They are sure to come soon, and you
know what we could do with five cart
ridges, don't your"
Il know" She looked up into his
earnest face. "We could die-that's
ALL"
"Yes-like rabbits. Without hurting
them at all. 1 wouldn't mind dying
so much, If l did plenty of damage
first. It's death for me, anyway,
suppOse-and no one but fool can
see it otherwise. There are simply
too many against us. But / do want
to make some payment first"
Her hand fumbled and CROPPED for
his. Her eyes pleaded to him-more
than any words. And you mean
you've given up hopper" she asked.
He smiled down at her-a grave,
strange little smile that moved her
in secret ways. Not given up hope,
Linda" he said gently. They were
standing at the door and the sunlight
coming low from the south-was on
his face. 1--WE never had any hope
to give up-just realization of what
lay ahead of us. I'm looking it all
in the face now. just as did at first
"And what you see-makes you
afraid?"
Yet she need not have asked that
question. His face gave an unmistak-
able answer: that this man had con-
quered fear in the terrible night with
the Killer. mot afraid, Linda" he
explained, "only seeing things as they
really are. There are too many against
us. If we had that great estate be-
hind us, with all it's wealth, we might
have a chance; If we had an arsenal
of rifles with thousands of cartridges,
we might make stand against them.
But we are three-two women and one
man-and one rifle between us all. Five
little shells to be expended in five sec
onds. They are seven or eight, each
man armed, each man a rifle shot.
They are certain to attack within a
day or two-before we have the moon
again. In less than two weeks we
can no longer contest their title to the
estate. A little month or two more
and we will be showed in-with no
chance to get out at ALL"
perhaps before that" she told him.
Eyes. Perhaps before that"
They found a confirmation of this
the coloring leaves, the dying flowers,
the new, cold breath of the wind. Only
the pines remained unchanged; they
were the same grave sentinels they
always were.
"And you can forgive mel" Linda
asked, humbly.
Forgive your" The man turned to
her in surprise. what have you done
that needs to be forgiven?"
. "Oh, don't you see? To bring you
here-out of your cities-to throw your
life away. To enlist you in fight
that you can't hope to win. I've killed
you, that's all I've done. Perhaps
tonight-perhaps few days later"
He nodded pravelv
"And I've already killed your smile"
she went on, looking down. you don't
smile any more the way you used to-.
You're not the boy you were when you
came. Oh, to think of it-that it's all
been my work. To kill your youth,
to lead you into this slaughter pen
where Notwithstanding lives but
death-and hatred-and unhappiness."
The tears leaped to her eyes. He
caught her hands and pressed them be-
tween his until pain came into her
fingers. Listen, Linda he command
ed. She looked straight up at him.
"Are you sorry I Gamer
"More than 1 can tell you-for your
sake"
But when people look for the truth
in this world, Linda, they don't take
any ones sake into consideration. They
balance all things and give them their
true worth. Would you rather that
you and had never met-that / had
never received Elmira's message-that
you should live your life up here with
out ever hearing of met"
She dropped her eyes. at isn't fair
Ito ask me that"
"Tell me the truth. Hasn't it been
worth while? Even If we lose and
die before this night is done, hasn't
it all been worth while? Are you sor-
ry you have seen me changes? Isn't
the change for the better-a man
grown instead of a boy? One who
looks straight and sees clear p
He studied. her face; and after a
while he found his answer. 1t was