The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-12-01

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 you?" he asked.
II wish I had" Bruce replied. "But
I didn't"
II 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. I'm here,
am 1 not?" he said. "It isn't as II you
came to my house first"
Eyes, you're here" Simon confirmed
sand I'm wondering If you remember
what l told you just as you left Mar
tins store that day-that gave no
man two warnings"
~ remember that" Bruce replied
II saw no reason for listening to you.
I don't see any reason now, and 1
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 here to right
wrongs-and you know it. If old
wounds are opened, l can't help It,"
'And tonight" Simon went on as if
he had not been answered, "you have
come unbidden 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. If
anything happened to you here, no
word could be raised against us. You
were brave man, Bruce"
$50 l 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. 81 am more interested
with you"
"The last seen of her, she was going
up a hill with Dave. When Dave re-
turns you can ask him."
The bearded man opposite from
Simon uttered short syllable of a
laugh. "And it don't look like he's go
ing to return" he said. The knowing
look on his face was deeply abhorrent
to Bruce. Curiously, Simon's face
flushed, and he whirled in his chair.
do you mean anything in particu-
lar, Old Bill?" he demanded.
sit looks to me like maybe Dawes
forgot lot of things you told him,
and he and Linda are havin' little
sparkin' time together out in the
brush"
The idea seemed to please the clan.
But Simon's eyes glowed, and Bruce
himself felt the beginnings of blind
rage that might, unless he held hard
upon it, hurl him against their re
morseless weapons. ~ don't want any
more such talk out of you, Old Bill"
Simon reproved him, land we've talked
enough, anyway" His keen eyes stud
led Bruce's flushed face. Zone of you
give our guest a chair and fix him up
in it with a thong. We don't want
him flying off the coop and getting
shot until we're done talking to him."
One of the clansmen pushed a chair
forward with sudden force, striking
Bruce in the knees and almost knock
ing him over. The circle leered, and
he sat down in it with as much ease
as possible. Then one of the men
looped his arms to the arms of the
chair with thongs of buckskin. Anoth-
er thong was tied about his ankles.
Then the clansmen went back to their
chairs.
81 really don't see the use of all
these dramatics," Bruce said coldly
"And / don't particularly like yelled
threats. AT present seem to be in
your hands,"
'You don't seem to be-" Simon an
swered with reddening eyes. "YOu
are"
II have no intention of saying I'm
sorry 1 didn't heed the threats you
gave me beforehand as to those I've
heard tonight-they're not going to do
you any good, either. 1t is true that
you found me in the house you occu-
by in the dead of night-but it isn't
your house to start with. What man
seiZes by murder isn't his"
what a man holds with hard fist
and his rifie-in these mountains-is
his" Simon contradicted him.
Besides, you got me here with
trick" Bruce went on without heed
ing him. $50 don't pretend that any
wickedness you do tonight was justi-
fed by my coming. You'll have to an
swer for it just the same"
Simon leaned forward In his chair.
His dark eyes glowed in the lamp
light. I've heard such talk as that
before" he said. 81 expect your own
father talked like that few times
himself"
The words seemed to strike straight
home to the gathered Turner's. The
moment was breathless, weighted with
suspense. All of them seemed strain
ing in their chairs.
Bruce's head bowed, but the veins
stood out beneath the short hair on
his temples, and his lips trembled
when he answered. "That was great
er wickedness than anything you can
do tonight. And you'll have to answer
for it all the MORE