The Adair County news., 1922-11-28
CHAPTER XVIII

To Simon, the night had seemingly
ended in triumph, after all. 1t had
looked dark for q while. The bolt Of
lightning, setting fire to the pine, had
deranged all of his. plans. His men
had been thrown from their horses,
the blazing pine tree had left them
exposed to fire from the house, and
they had not yet caught their mounts
and rallied. Young Bill and himself,
however, had tied their horses before
the lightning had struck and had lin
gered In the thickets in front Of the
house for just such Ii chance as had
been given them.
He had not understood why Bruce
had not opened fire on the fleeing
Turner'S. He wondered If his enemy
were out of ammunition. The tragedy
of the Sentinel Pine had had no mean
ing for him; and he had held his rife
cooked and ready for the instant that
Bruce had shown himself.
Young Bill had heard his little eX-
ultant gasp when Linda and Bruce had
come out into the freight. Plainly
they had kept track of all the attack
ing party that had been vi4ible, and
supposed that all their eneipies had
gone. He felt the movement Of ST.
mons strong arms as he raised the
rifle. Those arms were never steadier.
In the darkness the younger man
could not see his face, but his own
fancy pictured 1t with entire tlearness.
The eyes were narrowed and red, the
lines cut deep about the bloodhound
lips, and mercy was as far from him
as from the Killer who hunted on the
distant ridge.
But Simon didn't fire at ohce. The
two were coming steadily TOWARD him,
and the nearer they were the better
his chance of success in the unsteady
light. He sat as breathless, as wholly
free from telItale motion as a puma
who waits in ambush for an approach
ing deer He meant to take careful
aim. 1t was his big chance, and he
intended to make the most of it.
The two had halted beside the
ruined pine, but for a moment Simon
held his fire. They stood rather close
together; he wanted to wait until
Bruce offered a clear target. And al
that instant Bruce had drawn the
leather wallet from the tree.
Curiosity alone stayed SimOn's finger
as Bruce had opened it. He saw the
gleam of the white paper in the dim
light; and then he understood.
Simon was a man Of rigid, unwaver
ing self-contrOl; and his usual way
was TO look a long time between the
sights before he fired. Yet the sigh
| of that document-the missing Folger
Ross agreement on which had hung
| victory or defeat-sent a violent i'm
pulse through all his nervous system
For the first time in his memory hi
re1iexes got away from him.
1t had meant too much; and his fin
ger pressed back. inyoluntarily agains
| the trigger He had not taken his us
ual deliberate aim, although he hat
seen Bruce'S figure clearly betweel
the sights the instant before ne nreo
Simon was rifleman, bred in tn
bone, and he had no reason to thinl
that the hasty aim meant complet
miss. He did realize, however, tn
difficulties of night shooting-a real
ization that all men who have lingere'
after dusk In the duck blind exper
ence sooner or later-and he locke
up over his sights to see the result o
his shot. His self-control had con
pletely returned to him; and he wa
perfectly cold about the whole mattel
From the first second he knew b
had not completely missed. He raise
his rife to shoot again,
But Bruca'S BODY Ma no longer n