The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-02-02
CHAPTER XVII.

| SO this explained, after a fashion,
Harry's disappearance. This re-
vealed why the search through the
mountains had failed. This
But Falrchild suddenly realized that
now was not a time for conjecturing
upon the past. The man on the bed
was unconscious, incapable Of helping
himself. Far below, "a white-haired
woman, her toothless jaws uttering
n weird chant after another, was
digging for him a quicklime grave, In
the insane belief that she was aiding
In accomplishing some miracle Of im-
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 1t. 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
it with acids and Quick-eating lime in
q grave that o o would remove all
vestige Of human Identity forever.
Certainly now was not a 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 unalded. 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 COPIED 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 wooden
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 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 arms like some gigantic baby, and
started out Of the eerie, darkened
house.
The stalrs-the ~landing-the hall I!
Then a query from below:
SIS that you, Roady?"
Tho hrnoth DnJIoI cIo-~ IT,. MT
child's lungs. He answered in the
best imitation he could give Of the
voice Of SGuint Rodaine.
"Yes. Go On with your digging,
Honey. I'll be there soon"
"And you'll kiss me?'
YES. Just like l kissed you the
night our boy was born"
1t was sufficient. The chanting be-
gan again, accompanied by the swish
Of the spade as 1t sank into the earth
and the Guiding 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 Rodaine were not to know-the ap-
pearance that Harry had aroused him.
self sufficiently to wrap the blankets
about him and wander Off by himself.
And this could be accomplished only
by the pain and cold and torture Of q
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 j. 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. Falrchild 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. "Thls is Jeb Gresham
Of G%eorgeville. I've Just found a man
lying by the side Of the Diamond J.
pumphouse. unconscious, with n big
| cut In his head. I've brought him in
side. You'll find him there: I've got
to go on. Looks like he's liable to die
unless you can send the ambulance for
him."
"WeIl make Il a rush trip" came
the answer. and Fairchild hung up the
| phone, to rub his half-frozen. aching
feet a moment, then to reclothe them
In the socks and shoes, watching the
entrance Of the Diamond j. tunnel "a
he did 80. A long m%inute-then ne left
the pumphouse, made q few tracks In
the snow around the entrance. and
walked swiftly down the road. Fifteen
minutes later. from a hiding place al
the side Of the Clear creek bridge, he
saw the lights Of the ambulance as I,
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
NJ Harry Harkins. and the heart OF