Sioux County pioneer., 1922-11-09
CHAPTER XVII.

so this explained, after fashion,
Harry's disappearance. This re-
vealed why the search through the
mountains had failed. This
But Fairchild suddenly realized that
now was not time for conjecturing
upon the past. The man on the bed
was unconscious; incapable of helping
himself. Far below, a white-halred
woman, her tootfless jaws uttering
one weird chant after another, was
digging for him quicklime grave, in
the insane belief that she was aiding
IN accomplishing some miracle of i'm
mortality. In time-and Fairchild did
not know how long-an ill-visaged.
scar-faced man would return to help
her carry the inert frame Of the un-
conscious man below and bury it. Nor
could Fairchild tell from the CONVEX
sation whether he even intended to
perform the merciful act Of killing the
poor, broken being before he covered
1t with acids and quick-eating lime in
grave that soon would remove all
vestige Of human identity forever.
Certainly now was not q time for
thought; it was one for action!
And for caution. Instinct told Fair.
child that for the present, at least,
Rodaine must believe that Harry had
escaped unaided. There were too
many other things in which Robert
felt sure Rodaine had played a part,
too many other mysterious happenings
which must be met and coped with,
before the man Of the blue-white scar
could know that finally the underling
was beginning to show fight, that at
last the crushed had begun to rise.
Fairchild bent and unlaced his shoes.
taking off also the heavy woolen
socks which protected his feet from
the biting cold. Steeling himself to
the ordeal which he must undergo, he
tied the laces together and slung the
footgear over shoulder. Then he
went to the bed.
AS carefully as possible, he wrapped
Harry in the blankets, seeking to pro-
tect him in every way against the
cold. With great effort, he lifted
him, the sick mans frame huddled In
his arms like some gigantic baby, and
started out Of the eerie, darkened
house.
The stairs-the landing-the hall !
Then a query from below:
rs that you, Roady?"
The breath pulled sharp into Fair
child's lungs. He answered in the
best imitation he could give of the
voice of S1uint Rodaine:
Yes. Go on with your digging,
Honey. I'll be there soon."
"And you'll kiss meT
"Yes. Just like l kissed you the
night our boy was born"
It was sufficient. The chanting be.
gan again, accompanied by the swish
Of the spade as it sank into the earth
and the cludding roll Of the clods as
they were thrown to one side. Fair
child gained the door. A moment more
and he staggered with his burden into
the protecting darkness Of the night.
The snow crept about his ankles,
seeming to freeze them at every
touch, but Fairchild did not desist. His
original purpose must be carried out
II Rodafne were not to know-the .ap-
pearance that Harry had aroused him
self sufficiently to wrap the blankets
about him hnd wander off by himself.
And this could be accomplished only
by the pain and cold and torture of a
barefoot trip.
Some way, by shifting the big frame
of his unconscious partner now and
then, Fairchild made the trip to the
main road and veered toward the
pumphouse Of the Diamond ]. mine.
running as it often did without at
tendance while the engineer made a
trip with the electric motor into the
hill. Cautiously he peered through
the windows. No one was there. Be.
yond lay warmth and comfort-and a
telephone. Fairchild went within and
placed Harry on the floor. Then he
reached for, the phone and called the
hospital.
"Hello" !" he announced In a husky,
disguised voice. "This is Jeb Gresham
Of Georgevilfe. I've just found man
lying by the side Of the Diamond ].
pumphopse, unconscious, with a big
cut in his head. I've brought him in
side. You'll find him there; I'VE got
togo on, Looks like he's liable to die
unless you can send the ambulance for
him."
"We'l make 1t a rush trip" came
the answer, and Fairchild hung up the
phone, to rub his half-frozen, aching
feet moment, then to reclothe them
In the socks and shoes, watching the
entrance Of the Diamond ]. tunnel al
he did 90. A long minute-then he left
the pumphouse, made few tracks In
the snow around the entrance, and
walked swiftly down the road. Fifteen
minutes later, from a hiding. place at
the side Of the Clear creek bridge, he
saw the lights Of the ambulance az It
swerved to the pumphouse. Out came
the stretcher. The attendants went In
search Of the injured man. When they
came forth again, they bore the form
Of Harry Harkins, and the heart Of