The Adair County news., 1922-11-14

Simon Stood Up and 6ruce Sprang
From His Chair Like a Wildcat.
tension, the head ducked to one side,
and his own huge fists struck out
If Bruce's blow had gone straight
home where it had been aimed, Simon
would have had nothing more to say
for few moments at least The leap
ly inaccurate. And the reason was
Just that his wrists and ankles had
been numbed by the tight thongs by
which they had been confined. Simon
met the leap with short, powerful
blow into Bruce'S face; and he reeled
backward. The arms of the clansmen
alone kept him from falling.
The blow seemed to daze Bruce; and
at first his only realization was that
the room suddenly rang with harsh
and grating laughter. Then Simon's
words broke through 1t. Put back
the thongs" he ordered, ''and 60 ger
your horses"
Bruce was dimly aware Of the fall
ing Of a silence, and then the arms Of
strong men half carrying him to the
door. But he couldn't see plainly at
first He knew that the clan had
brought their horses and were waiting
for SimOn's command. They loOsened
the ropes from about his ankles, and
tuO nf tho olopcrnor cyunno him On 70
the back Of horse. Then they passed
a rope under the horses belly and tied
his ankles anew.
Simon gave a command, and the
strange file started. The night air dis
PEELED the mists in Bruce's brain, and
full realization of all things came to
him, again.
One Of the men-he recognized him
as Young Billed the horse on which
he rode. Two of the clansmen rode in
front, grim, silent, incredibly tall fig
ures In the moonlight. The remainder
rode Immediately behind Simon him.
self, bowed in his saddle, kept little
to one side. Their shadows were long
and grotesque on the soft grass Of the
meadows, and the only sound was the
soft football of their mounts.
A full mile distant across the lush
fields the cavalcade halted about a
grOtesQue shadow in the grass. Bruce
didn't have to look at 1t twice to know
what it was: the half-devoured body
of the yearling calf that had been the
Killers prey the night before. From
thence on, their operations became as
Outlandish occurrences in a dream.
They seemed to know just what to do.
They took him from the saddle and
bound his feet again, then laid him in
the fragrant grass. They searched his
pockets, taking the forged note that
had led to his downfall. "It saves me
a trip" Simon commented. He saw
two of them lift the torn body of the
animal on to the back of one of the
horses, and he watched DULY as the
horse plunged and wheeled under the
unfamiliar weight.
Simon spoke in the silence, but his
words seemed to come from far away.
"Quiet that horse or kill him." he
said softly. you can't drag the car
cass with your rope-the Killer would
trace it if you did and maybe spoil the
evening for Bruce"
Strong arms sawed at the bits, and
the horse quieted, trembling. For a
moment Bruce saw their white moon
lit faces as they stared down Mt him.
What about a gagF' one Of the
men asked.
mo. Let him shout if he likes. There
is no one to hear him here"
Then the tall men swung on their
horses and headed back across the
fields. Bruce watched them duly.
Their forms grew constantly more dim,
the sense of utter isolation increased.
Then he saw the file pause, and It
seemed to him that words, too faint
for him to understand, reached him
across the moonlit spaces. Then one
of the party turned off toward the
ridge.
He guessed that it was Simon. He
thought the man was riding toward
Linda's home.
He watched until the shadows had
hidden them all. Then, straining up
ward. he tested his bonds. He tugged
with the full strength of his arms, but
there was not the play of an inch be-
tween his wrists. The Turner's had
done their work well. Not the slight
est chance of escape lay in this quar-
ter.
He wrenched himself to one side,
then looked about him. The fields
stretched even and distant on one side,
but he saw that the dark forest was
but fifty yards away on the other He
listened; and the little night sounds
reached him clearly. They had been
sounds TO rejoice in before-impulses
to delightful fancies of a fawn steal
ing through the thiekets. or some OF