The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-12-14
CHAPTER XVII.

So this explained. sftsr = fashion.
HARMS disappearance. This re-
vealed vhy the search through the
mountains had failed This
But Fairchnd suddenly realized thai
now vas not a time for conJectuTing
upon the past The man On the bed
vas unconscious. incapable Of helping
himself Far below. a whIie-haired
woman. her tcothless Jaws uttering
one weird chant after another. was
digging for him a qulcklime grave. in
the insane belief that she was aiding
In accomplishing some miracle Of i'm
mortality. In time-and Fairc,lld did
not know how long-an nl-visaged.
scarfaced man would return to help
her carry the inert frame q the IN
conscious man below and bnry H. Nor
could Fairchild tell from the cOnver-
sation whether he even intended to
perform the 'merciful act Of killing the
poor. broken being before he covered
Il with acids and quick eating lime IN
grave that soon would remove al
vestlge Of human Identity forever.
Certainly now vas not q time for
thought; Il was one for action
And FOR caution. Instinct told Fair.
child that for the present. az leas,.
RodaiRe must believe that Harry mad
escaped unaided- There we're too
many other things in which Robert
felt sure R0daine had played a part.
too many other mysterious happenings
which must be met and cUped with.
before the man Of the blue-whlte scar
could know that finally the underling
was beginning to show fight. that at
last the crushed had begun 10 rise.
Fairchild bent and unlaced his shoes.
taking OF also the heavy wooden
socks which protected his feet from
the biting cold. Steellng himself to
the ordeal which be must undergo. he
tied the laces together and slung the
foOtgear over a 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 a great effort. he lifted
him. the sick mans frame huddled in
his srms like some gigantic baby. and
starred out Of the eerie. darkened
house.
The stairs-the landlng-the baIl
Then query from below:
''Is that you. RoadyT'
The breath pulled sharp into Fair
child's lungs. He answered In the
best Imitation he could give Of the
voice OF Squint Rodaine:
Yes 20 on with your digging.
Honey. III be there soon
"And you'll kiss meT"
"Yes. Just like / kissed you the
night our boy was born"
II was sufficient. The chanting be-
gan again. accompanied by the swish
Of the spade as Il sank into the earth
and the Guiding roll Of the clods as
they were thrown 10 one side. Fair
child gained the door. A moment more
and he staggered with his burden into
the protesting 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 Rodaine were not 10 know-the ap-
pearsnce that Harry had aroused him
self sufficiently 10 wrap the blankets
about him and wander of 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 7. mine.
running as II 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 Georgeville. I've just found a man
lying by the side OF the Diamond J.
pumphOuse, unconscious. with a big
cut In his head I've brought him in
side. You1l find him there; I've got
TO 20 on. Looks like he's liable to die
unless you can send the ambulance for
him"
"we1l make Il 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 as
he did so. long minute-then he leet
the pumphouse. made 4 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 as II
swerved 20 the pumphouse. out came
the stretcher. The attendants went In
search ~ the Injured man. When they
came forth again, they bore the form
Of Harry Harklns. and the heart OF
Fairchild began TO beat once more