The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-09-15
CHAPTER XVII,

Harry's disappearance This re-
mountains had failed. This
But Fairchild suddenly realized that
now was not time for conjecturing
upon the past. The man on the bed
was unconscious, incapable Of helping
himself Far below, a whfte-haired
woman, her toothless jaws uttering
one weird chant after another, was
digging for him quicklime grave, In
the insane belief that she was aiding
In accomplishing some miracle of i'm
mortality. In time-and Fairchild did
not know how long-an i11-visaged,
scar-faced man would return to help
her carry the inert frame Of the I'M
conscious man below and bury 1t. Nor
could Fairchild tell from the CONVEX
perform the merciful act Of killing the
poor, broken being before he covered
1t with acids and quick eating lime In
q grave that soon would remove all
vestfge Of human identity forever.
Certainly now was not a time for
thought; 1t was one for action!
And for caution. Instinct told Fair
child that for the present, at least,
Rodaine must believe that Harry had
escaped unaided There were too
many other things In which Robert
felt sure Rodaine had played a part,
too many other mysterious happenings
which must be met and COPIED 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.
Fafrchild bent and unlaced his shoes,
taking off also the heavy wooden
socks which protected his feet from
the biting cold. Steeling himself to
the ordeal which he must undergo, he
tied the laces together and slung the
footgear over a shoulder. Then he
went to the bed.
AS carefully as possible, he wrapped
Harry in the blankets, seeking to pro-
tect him in every way against the
cold. With a great effort, he lifted
him, the sick mans frame huddled in
his arms like some gigantic baby, and
started out of the eerie, darkened
house.
The stairs-the landing-the hall!
Then a query from below:
us that you, Roady2"
The breath pulled sharp into Fair
child's lungs. He answered in the
best imitation he could give Of the
voice of Squint Rodaine:
"Yes. Go on with your digging,
Honey. I'll be there soon."
"And you'll kiss me?"
Eyes. 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
and 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
IL ROdaine were not to knOw-the ap-
pearance that Harry had aroused him
self sufficiently to wrap the blankets
about him and wander off by himself
And this could be accomplished only
by the pain and cold and torture Of a
barefoot trip
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 as 1t often did without at
tendance while the engineer made 6
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 E
telephone. Fairchild went within anC
placed Harry on the floor Then he
reached for the phone and called tn,
hospital.
"Hello!" he announced in a husky
disguised voice. This is Jeb Gresham
of GeOrgeville. I've just found a maj
| lying by the side Of the Diamond ]
pumphouse, unconscious, with a hi!
cut in his head I've brought him in
! side. You'll find him there; I've go
| to go on. Looks like he's liable to di
unless you can send the ambulance 70
! him.
We'll make it a rush trip" cam
| the answer, and Fairchild hung up tn
| phone. to rub his half-frozen. achin
| feet moment. then TO reclothe then
! in the socks and shoes, watching tn
entrance Of the Diamond J. tunnel a
] he did so. A long minute-then he lef
| the pumphouse. made few tracks il
| the snow around the entrance, an
walked swiftly down the road Fifteel
| minutes later. from a hiding place a
| the side of the Clear creek bridge. h'
| saw the lights of the ambulance as i
! sweryed to the pumphOuse. Out cam'
! the stretcher. The attendants went il
/ search of the injured man. When the!
came forth again, they bore the form
( Of Harry HarkinS. and the heart o
| Fairchild began to beat once NOR
| with something resembling regularity
| His partner-at least such was hi
hope and his prayer-was on the wa.
TO aid and TO recovery, while Squin
Rodaine would know nothing othe
than that he had wandered away
! Grateful, lighter in heart than he ha,
been for days, Fairchild plodded alonl
the road IN the tracks of the ambu
lance, as 1t headed back for town.
The news already had spread by tn
time he reached there; news travel
fast in a small mining camp. Fair
l child went TO the hospital. and to tn