Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-05-16

lieycd the man had come in with the
others
Here he isl the owner of the
Double A called out, pointing at Bo-
dine
My Gawd! Who done that?"
Brother Jones exclaimed, catching
sight Of the body in the corner.
The coming OF these men turned
Bucks face a sicIy hue He actual
ly stammered when ne SAID: She
Odd did it,"
Mercedes heart leaped as she saw
Kildare. He made no attempt to go
to her. The girls half-raised hand
fell Imply to her side. She dImlv
realized tnat the mans eyes We're
trying TO convey some message to
her She saw him tap his lips sig
niticantly. And then Acblin was say
ing:
You boys forget that remark of
his. Hes dying. There was only
three Of US mere and"
You're not counting me, l
guess. The crowd wheeled on Kill
dare.
Why, you Just came in, now
with Jones, didn't your" Acklin
roared.
Blaze shook his head.
'No, I've been here for almost
half an hour Bodine didn't do any
shooting"
Life flowed back into Bucks veins
Immediately. This was help from
an unexpected source.
"Thatu stop your little game,
Acklinw he cried.
Inc Big Boss paid no attention to
BOdine's words. His eyes we're on
Blaze. In tense tones he said to
him:
'You amt sayin' who did it, Kill
dare. But you and l know. 1t means
a trial-jasl. We don't want that.
If you'll pass me your word, we'll
string up this skunk for blowing out
the dam and killing this man, and
let it go at that"
Then came the cIatter of many
horses.
Here are the rest Of the boys.
Wen get movingn The Big Boss
raised his voice. Somebody bring
in a rope" he cried. Hurry up?
Blaze heard the men dismounting.
There were not less than 25 in the
crowd. There wouldn't. be any delay
now. This affair was going through
to it's sordid finish. Bodine's face
was CHASTITY. Without knowing why
he did it, kildare walked past him
into the kitchen.
There seemed to be some delay
outside. lie could hear a murmur
of voices. Bodine's rifle stood IN the
corner. Blaze picked it up and
threw a shell into the barrel. In the
past he had pondered at some
| length over acquiring this gun. He
! saw that it was the same caIber as
Ackdlin's. That effectually snapped
the flimsy thread Of circumstantlal
, evidence by which he had expected
| to tran Jose's murderer. He told
! himself now that he should not have
expected any other end to such rea-
soning. At least hes still had the
! Indian charm.
The others started moving into
the kitchen. Brother Jones had a
Gun at Bodine's back. Acklin sang
out again for those outside to hurry
up. In answer to his second call the
door was flung open. Blaze could
hardly see for Joy. The man who
had lust entered was Tuscarora!
Sorry had to keep you waiting,
the little fellow cried out. - been
hurrying to beat all get out"
'What're you doing here? Ack-
lin shouted,
Kent smiled family.
"You might enlighten me, too, in
that direction. I got the sheriff and
some twenty deputies outside, II
that's any news to you"
Chapter XXXIV
The Sheriff Arrives.
In silence that followed, Land
squeezed past the little man in the
doorway. He was board-shouldared,
gigantic; a sheriff of bygone days.
In the crook of his arm he carried a
time-worn army winchester that he
had taken away from a renegade
Di,,4Z