Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1922-12-26
By Stanley

re-, up to get -ater-or build q
| fire"
lie listened patlontl'. hut shook
his head ui the end
lie struggled Tor hfaaih. ana she
thought be- had slipped back INTO UNI
consciousness. But ln a mom,n, tho
flitcr.us current OF his speech be-
gan again
Take the plstol-und 90" he told
her. You showed me today how 10
give up-and I don't want 10 kill
your hthcr-any more. renounce
% am Eznm-forgive me--oid Ia
that lay dead In the leaves"
Inconsistencies wcllCd hlsh above
him, and the IDS dropped over his
eyes And Ezram. watching high
and afar. and with infinite serenity
knowing at last the true balance OF
an things one with another, gave
him his flll forgiveness.
The tran was long and steep into
Back There for Jcicry Nelson and
hls men.
They had counted on slow travel.
but thu weeks grew into the months
before they even ncared the obscure
heart % Back There where they
thought Ben and Beatrice might be
hidden.
The days passed. June ana July.
ever they moved at slower pace.
The food stores brought Tor the
journey were rapidly depleted.
30 experience OF their individual
lives had ever presented such a daily
ordeal OF physical distress: none had
ever been 80 devastating 20 hope and
spirit
Jcnery Nelson had s'most forgot.
ten the issue Of the cla.l by now lie
had told the truth. those weary
weeks before. when he had wished
be had never seen u. Ills only
thought was OF his daughter. Yet
bee dared not turn back. She might
vet live. held prisoner In some Tar on
cave.
80 FIRST an three agreed on this
point: ,h5t they must no, turn back
until either tcn was crushed under
their heels OF they had made sure OF
his death
They were s,ill partners In their
effor, 20 rescue the girl and STAY her
ahductor; otherwise they were at
swords points.
II mental distress ana u-ysical dis.
comfort can cons'itu.e ngeince.
Ben was already ayeng
one rainy. dlsagrr,a .le morning.
as they camped beside the river near
TIE mouth OF a small creek. Affairs
reached their crisis They had
caught and sadlisi the horses. Ray
was pulling ught the last hitch.
Chan stood beside him. speaking in
an under,ono When he had finished
Ray cursed explos.vely in the
silence
Nelson turned lie seemed 10
sense impending developments
what now" he asked
I'm not going on. that's what Il
ls." Ray replied. Nelson. It's two
against one--lf you want TO go you
can-but Ray and are going back"
You're going back. eh-scared
oui" Nelson commented coldly.
I'm going back-Ond don't say
too much about being scared out.
either"
And you too. Chant You're
against me. toog''
Chan cursed. "Td gone a week
ago n ia been me. We know the
way home. az least"
The old man looked a long time
into the river depths.
Then turn the horses around. you
towards" be answered. Il can't so
on alone"
For once neither RAY nor Chan
had outward resentment for the cpl.
tibet. Secretly they realized that old
Nelson was 20 the wall a, last. and
like a grizzly at bay. Il was safer not
70 modest him. Chan went down TO
the edge OF the creek 10 water his
saddle horse
But presently they heard him
curse. IN inordlnate and startled
amazement. as he gazcd az some I'M
print In the mud OF the shore.
Clear and unmlstskable In the mud
was the stale Imprint Of Ben's canoe
as they had landed. and the tracks
OF both the man and the Flrl as they
had turned into the forest
The dawn that crept 30 gray and
mysterious over the frosty green %
spruce brought no hope 20 Beatrice.
sitting beside the unconscious form
% ben In the cave fnon;lug the
glade.
lConiinued In Our Nc,i tsSuel