Williams news., 1922-12-29

brought their horses and were waiting for Simon's command. They loosened the ropes from about his ankles, and two of the clansmen swung him on to the back of horse. Then they passed a rope under the horses belly and tied his ankles anew.
 Simon gave command, and the strange file started. The night air dis pelled 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 Bill-led the horse on which he rode. Two of the clansmen rode fn front. grim, silent, incredibly tall hg- ures in the moonlight. The remainder rode immediately behind. Simon him. self. bowed in his saddle, kept a little. to one side. Their shadows were long and grotesQue on the soft grass of the meadows, and the only sound was the soft footfal1 of their mounts.
 A full mile distant across the lush fields the cavalcade halted about a grote que shadow in the grass. Bruce didn' have to look at it 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 1t if you did and maybe spoil tho evening for Bruce"
 Strong arms sawed at the bits, and the horse quieted, trembling. For . moment Bruce saw their white moon lit faces as they stared down at him.. men asked.
 "No. 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 moonlft 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
 
 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 thickets. or some of the Little People in their scurried, tremulous business of the night hours. But lying helpless at the edge of the forest, they were nOCnlnS to ToJOlcO in now He tried to shut his ears to them.
 He rolled again to his back and tried to find peace for his spirit in the stars There were millions of them. They were larger and more bright than any time he had ever seen them. They stood in their high places wholly indifferent and impassive to all the strife and confusion of the world be- low them; and Bruce wished that he could partake of their spirit enough so that he could rise above the fear and bitterness that had begun to oppress him. But only the pines could talk to them Only the tall trees, stretching upward toward them, could reach into their mysterious calm.
 His eyes diScerned a thin fiIament of cloud that had swept up from be him to his own position with added force The moonlight, soft as it was, had been a tremendous relief to him. At least it would have enabled him to keep watch, and now he dreaded the fall of utter darkness more than he had ever dreaded anything in his life. It was an ancient instinct, coming from the young days of the world when nightfaH brought the hunt ing creatures to the mouth of the cave. but he had never really experienced it before.
 He watched with growing horror the