Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-05-15

! But / will if you do not give me
Basilio and let me take him home. %
Buck reached out his long arms
and caught her around the waist.
Mercedes fought to get free, but he
was too strong for her.
Now you change your mind in a
hurry, or I'll make you" he raised
his voice. Give that kids arms a
twist or two" Then he continued to
the girl: IN show you who's boss
here"
Shorty more than obeyed Bucks
order. Basilio let out a succession of
shrieks, as the brute twisted his arm
until the tender bones were almost
swapping.
"Stopw Mercedes cried so loudly
that her voice carried to kildare,
who was still some distance down
the road. Stop she called out
again.
Maybe you'll listen to reason
now" Buck grumbled.
He caught her by the wrist as he
spoke and drew her closer to him.
Mercedes beat his face with her free
hand. But his jaw was impervious
to her light blows. With feline fe-
rocity she barred her mails then, and
ripped his cheeks until they were
smeared with blood. Bodine did not
release her, however.
you fghtin' wildcat" he num-
bled through gritved teeth, IN kiss
you if it kills me-"
Try as hard as she might, Mer-
cedes could not hold him off. His
cruel, sensuous mouth drew close to
her own. To add to her horror, Ba-
silio shrieked again and again. She
, redoubled her efforts to get free. Be-
dine pinioned her arms against her
hips. She felt something sharp rip
ping her sleeve. It was Bucks re-
volver. Automatically her fingers
closed upon it. With a wrench, she
pulled it out Of the holster. Bodine
felt the gun-barrel boring into his
stomach. His face grew white.
Get backp Mercedes gasped.
'Enseguida! Al momento! or you
die herew
Buck backed away, He knew she
meant what she said. His rifle stood
in the corner. He retreated toward
it. The way to the door between the
two rooms was clear now. Mercedes
ran to it and flung it open.
Shorty sat on the bed beside Ba-
silio, the child's arm still held in his
big hands. A smoky wall lamp re-
vealed him in all of his ugliness. But
ii he saw the girl, he did not show it.
His grip on the child did not relax
either. Mercedes cried out for him
to let go of her brother; she raised
her gun to compel him. But fear
such as she could never inspire in
him held Shorty in its grasp. He had
caught sight Of Blaze peering
through the open window.
Mercedes saw only the man and
child in front Of her Shorty's rigid
Iity turned with incredible swiftness
to most violent action. He dropped
his arm and brought it up with a
gun in his hand so quickly that it
surpassed belief.
buI kildare had been more rapid
than he. Shorty gun came up, and
up, and up, as Mercedes watched,
snellbound. 1t seemed that it was
pointing at her Her fingers
Uwitched, and her owp gun barked.
Kildare saw the play; the girl at
The door, her gun raised; Shorty S
pistol leaping into action; the frantic
child struggling to throw off the iron
hand on his arm. But more piogn-
ant than anything else was the gilt
ter in Shorty's eyes. Blaze knew he
was the mans target, not the girl.
His gun was in his hand. A tighten
ings of the lips and his automatic
spat forth its deadly message.
He saw Mercedes gun flash. The
report of it smothered his own. Only
split-second of time, that words
fail to express, had interviewed be-
tween the two shots. So close had
they been that neither the girl nor
Bodine in the next room realized two
guns had spoken.
Buck rushed to where the girl
stood staring open-mouthed at the
man on the bed For a second, it
seemed, Shorty hung poised in the
air. His face was set, an unearthly
Light in his eyes. And then, with a
thud, he crashed to the floor dead.
Kildare had not waited for sec
ond look. He drew away from the
window and picked up the empty
shell from his gun. He threw 1t IN
to the creek. Why he did this was
mot plain to him at the time. In some
way, he knew, Shorty's death might
! be turned to his advantage. But
how? How? He tried to whip his
mind into helping him. He felt nc
regret over killing the man. 1t was
part Of the debt he had come tc
square. Acklin would be here in {
flew minutes. 1t was almost dawn
How could he twist this thing sc