Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-03-22

Toward dawn some of the confusion was
gone, but he was firmly fixed in the past The
horse wandered on, head down, occasionally
stopping to seize a leaf as it passed, ana once
to drink deeply at a spring. DICK was SUN
not thinking, there something that Tor
bade him to think-but he was weak and
emotional He muttered:
'Poor Bev! Poor old Bev!''~
great wave of tenderness and memory
swept over him. Poor Bev! He had MADE
life hell for her, all right. He had an almost
uncomfortable impulse to turn the morse
around, go back and see her once more. He
was gone anyhow. They would get him. And
he wanted her to know that he would have
died rather than do what he had done
The fight impulse died; he felt sick and
very cold and now and, then he shook vlo-
lently. He began to watch the trail pehlnd
him for the pursuit, but without fear lie
seemed to have been wandering tor thoc,
sand dark nights through deep gorges anu
over peaks as high as the stars, and now ne
wanted to rest, to stop somewhere ana Sleep
to be warm again. Let them come and take
him, anywhere out of this nightmare.
With the dawn still gray he heard
horse behind and below him on the tran
I'D the cliff face He stopped and sat
waiting. twisted about in his saddle, his
expression ugly and defiant, and yet toucn-
ingly helpless, the look of a boy in trouble
and at bay. The horseman came into sight
on the trail below, riding hard, mlddIe-
aged man IN a dark sun anu d SCI dW nav
an oddly homogeneous figure and MANIFEST
ly weary He rode bent forward, and now
and again he raised his eyes from the rail
and searched the fall above him with blood
shot, anxious eyes.
/ On the turn below Dick, Bassett saw
him for the first time, and spoke to him IN
quiet voice.
"Hello. old man." he said Il began to
| think I was going to miss you after all.
| His scrutiny of Dicks face had rather
treasured, him. The delirium had passed,
! apparently. Dishevelled as he was, covered
| with dust and with sweat from the horse
| Livingstone's eyes looked level into his AS
! he rode up to him, however, he was not so
! certain He found himself surveyed with
! a sort of cool malignity that startled him.
| Miss mel" Livingstone sneered bitterly,
with every damned hill covered by this
| time with your outfit! I'll tell you this.
If Id had a-gun you'd never have got me
alive"
Bassett was hurt and slightly ruffled.
''My outfit I'll tell you this, son, I've
| risked my neck half the night TO get you
! out of this mess"
"God Almighty couldn't get me out OF
this mess" Dick said somberly
1t was then that Bassett saw something
not quite normal in his face, and he rode
! closer.
See here, Livingstone" he said. in "a
| soothing tone, "nobody's going to get you.
I'm here to keep them from getting you
! We've got a good start, but we IL nave TO
| keep moving"
Dick sat obstinately STILL his horse turned
across the trail, and his eyes still susp1c-
! ious and unfriendly.
81 don't know you" he said, doggedly.
| And I've done all the running away m
! going to do. You go back and tell wilkins
I'm here and to come and get me. The
! sooner the better The sneer faded and
he turned on Bassett with depth of trag-
edy in his eyes that frightened the reporter.
''NIy Cod" he said, Il killed man last
night. I can't go through life with that
on me. I'm done, I tell you"
Last night. Some faint comprehension
began to dawn in Bassett's mind, sus-
! picion of the truth. But there was no time
to verify it. He turned and carefully in
spected the trail to where it came into
sight at the opposite rim of the valley
When he was satisfied that the pursuit was
still behind them, he spoke again
Pull yourself together Livingstone,D he
didn't kill anybody last night. Now listen"
he added impressively. you are Living
stone, Doctor Richard Livingstone. You
! stick to that, and think about it."
But Dick was not listening, save to some
bitter inner voice, for suddenly he turned
his horse around on the trail. Get out Of
| the way he said, I'm going back to give
myself up"
He would have done it, probaly, would
have crowded past Bassett on the narrow
trail and headed PACK toward capture, DuI
for his horse. 1t baked and whirled on
the ledge, but it would not pass Bassett.
Dick swore and Kicked it, his face ugly
and determined, but it refused sullenly.
Been drinking my head Off" he said at
last '"That's what's the matter with me.
I'm funking, of course, but that's not ALL
| I'd give my soul for some whisky"
II can get you a drink, if you'll come
about a mile" Bassett coaxed CAT the
cabin you and I talked about yesterday"
''Now you're talking" Dick made an eff
fort and got to his feet, shaking off Bas-
sett's arm. "For Gods sake. keep your
hands off me-" he said irritably 1--WE
! got a hangover, that's ALL
C4oo4;ruo5 ctofurdov