The Adair County news., 1922-11-14


Everything is Toierapie Clear to Us
Already" Simon Said, Except
Your sentence.1 .
ly, the words rang clear. But the an
swer of the evil-hearted man before
him was only laugh. a..
"And there's one thing more / want
to make clear" Bruce went on in the
strong voice Of man who had con.
quered his terror. And it was not be
cause he did not realize his danger.
He was in the hands of the Turner's.
and he knew that Simon had spoken
certain words that, if for no other
reason than his reputation with his
followers, he would have to make good.
Bruce knew that no moment of his life
was ever fraught with greater peril
But the fact itself that there were no
doors Of escape open to him, and he
was face to face with his destiny,
steadied him all the more.
The boy that had been wakened in
his bed at home by the ring of the
phone bell had wholly vanished now.
A man Of the wild places had come
instead, stern and courageous and un-
flinching. ......
Everything is tolerable clear to US
already" Simon said, except your
sentence"
81 want you to know that 1 refuse
to be impressed with this judicial atti-
tude of you and your blackguard fol-
&owers," Bruce went on. "This gath
ering of the group of you doesn't
make any evil that you do any less
wrong, or the payment you'll have to
make any less sure. 1t lies wholly in
your power to kill me while I'm sitting
here, and I haven't much hope but
that you'll do it. But let me tell you
this. A reign of bloodshed and crime
can go on only so long. You've been
kings up here, and you think the law
can't reach you. But it will-belieVe
me, it will" T..
'And this was the man who was 60
ing to renew the blood-feud-already
hOllering about the law" Simon said
to his followers. He turned to Bruce.
'It's plain that Dave isn't going to
come. I'll have to be the chief witness
myself, after all. However, Dave told
me all that / needed to know. The
first question / have to ask of you, Fol
ger, Is the whereabouts of that agree
ment between your late lamented faith
er and the late lamented Matthew
Ross, according to what the trapper
Hudson told you a few days ago."
Bruce was strong enough to laugh
In his bonds. up to this time 1 have
given you and your murderous crowd
credit for at least natural intelligence" 4"
he replied, "but see was mistaken
or you wouldn't expect an answer
to that question"
do you mean you don't know it's
whereabouts?"
81 won't give you the satisfaction
of knowing whether know or not. l
just refuse to answer"
Il trust the ropes are tight enough
about your wrists"
Plenty tight, thank you. They are
cutting the flesh so it bleeds."
"How would you like them some
tighter?"
"Pull them till they cut my arms
of, and you won't get a civil answer
out of me. In fact" and the mans
eyes blazed-"Tm tired of talking to
this outlaw crowd And the sooner
you do what you're going to do, the
better it will suit me-"
"WelI come to that shortly enough.
Disregarding that for a moment-we
understand that you want to open up
the blood-feud again, Is that true?'
Bruce made no answer, only gazed
without flinching into his questioner's
face.
'That was what my brother Dave
led me to understand" Simon went
en-, so we've decided to let you have
your way. It's open-it's been open
since you came here. You disregarded
the warning gave-and men don't
disregard my warnings twice You
threatened Dave with your rife This
is different land than you're used
to, Bruce, and we do things our own
way. You've hunted for trouble and
now you've found it. Your father be-
fore you thought he could stand
against us-but he's been lying still a
long time. The Rosses thought so,
too. And it is part of cur code never
to take back threat-but always to
make it good"
Bruce still sat with lowered head,
seemingly not listening. The cIansmen
gazed at him, and new, more deadly
spirit was in the room. None of them
smiled now; the whole circle of faces
was dark and intent, their eyes glit.
tered through narrowed lids, their lips