The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-01-25

And I don't particularly like yelled
threats. At present l seem to be in
your hands,"
you don't seem to be-" Simon IN
swered with r%eddenlng eyes. You
are
Il have no intention of saying I'm
sorry | didn't heed the threats you
gave me beforehand as to those I've
heard tonight-they're not going TO do
you any good, either. Ii Is r hat
you found me In the house you occu-
by In the dead of night-but 1t isn't
your house to start with. What a man
seizes by murder isn't his"
what a man holds with a hard fist
and his rifie-in these mountains-is
his" Simon contradicted him.
Besides, you got me here with a
trick" Bruce went on without heed.
wickedness you do tonight was justi-
fled by my coming. Your have to an
swer for II just the same"
Simon leaned forward In his chair.
His dark eyes glowed in the lamp
light. 1--WE heard such talk as that
before" he said. 81 expect your own
father talked like that a few times
himself"
The words seemed to strike straight
home to the gathered Turner's. The
moment was breathless, weighted with
suspense. All of them seemed strain
ing in their chairs.
Bruce's head bowed, but the veins
stood out beneath the short hair on
his temples. and his lips trembled
when he answered. "That was a great
er wickedness than anything you can
do tonight. And you'l have to answer
for ii all the more"
He spoke the last sentence with n
calm assurance. Though spoken soft
ly, tie words rang clear. But the an
swer of the evil-hearted man before
him was only a laugh.
"And there's one thing more | want
10 make clear" Bryce went on In the
strong voice of a man who had con-
quered his terror. And 1t was not be-
cause he did not realize his danger.
He was In the hands OF the Turner's.
and he knew that Simon had spoken
certain words that. If for no other
reason than his reputation with hts
followers, he would have to make good.
Bruce knew that no moment of his life
was ever fraught with greater peril.
But the fact itself that there were no
doors of escape open to him, and he
was face to face with his destiny,
steadied him all the more.
The boy that had been Weakened in
his bed at home by the ring of the
phone bell had wholly vanished now.
A man of the wild places had come
instead, stern and courageous and un-
flinching.
Everything is tolerable clear to us
already" Simon said, except your
sentence"
~ want you to know that / refuse
to be impressed with this judicial atti-
tude of you and your blackguard fol-
lowers" Bruce went on. This gath
ering of the group Of you doesn't
make any evil that you do any less
"i'iS' vi IC pay hi'iiir you u ioNO w
make any less sure. II lies wholly In
your power to kill me while I'm sitting
here, and I haven't much hope but
that you1l do ii. But let me tell you
this. A reign Of blo0dsbed and crime
can go on only so long. You've been
kings up here, and you think the law
can't reach you. But 1t will-belieye
me. 1t will"
"And this was the man who was go
ing to renew the blOOd-feud-already
hollering about the law" Simon said
TO his followers. He turned to Bruce.
ITS plain that Dave isn't going to
come. I'll have to be the chief witness
myself, after all. However, Dave told
me all that | needed to know. The
first question | have 10 ask of you. Fol
ger. is the whereabouts of that agree
ment between your late lamented faith
or rad the late lamented Matthew
Ross. according to what the trapper
Hudson told you a few days ago"
Bruce was strong enough to laugh
in his bonds. Sup to this time / have
given You and your murderous crowd
credit for at least natural intelligence"
he replied, "but I see | was mistaken
or you wouldn't expect an answer
10 that question"
"Do you mean you don't know its
whereabOutsI"
~ won't give you the satisfaction
Of knowing whether | know or not. I
just refuse to answer"
II trust the ropes are tight enough
abOut your wrists"
"Plenty tight, thank you. They are
cutting the flesh 80 il hlceds."
How would % like them some
tighteri"
Pull them till they cut my arms
off. and yOu wont get a civil answer
ont Of me. In fact" and the mans
eyes blazed-"Tm tired OF talking to
this outlaw crowd. And the sooner
you do what you're going to do. the
better ii will suit me-
well come to that shortly enough.
D~isregarding that for a m~oment-we
understand that you want to open up
the bloOd-feud again. Is that true?'
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