The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-02-22

exposed 70 fire from the house, and
they had not yet caught their mounts
and rallied. Young Bill and himself,
however, had tied their horses before
the lightning had struck and had lin
gered In the thickets In front OF the
house for just such Ia chance as had
been given them.
He had o understood why Bruce
had not opened fire on the fleeing
Turner's. He wondered IL his enemy
were ont of ammunition. The tragedy
of the Sentinel Pin mad had no mean.
ing for him and he had held his rifle
cooked and ready for the instant that
Bruce had shown himself.
Young Bill had heard his little e
ultant gasp when Linda and Bruce had
come out into the 6relight. Plainly
they had kept track of all the attack.
Ing party that had been visible. and
supposed that all their enemies had
gone. He felt the movement of 81
mons strong arms as he raised the
rifle. Those arms were never steadier.
In the darkness the younger man
could not see his face. but his w
fancy pictured II with entire clearness.
The eyes were narrowed and red. the
lines cut deep about the bloodhound
ups, and mercy was as far from him
as from the Killer who hunted on the
distant ridge.
But Simon didn't fire at once. The
two were coming steadily toward him.
and the nearer they were the better
his chance of success in the unsteady
light. He sat as GREATNESS, as wholly
free from telltale motion as a puma
who waits In ambush for an approach
ing deer. He meant TO take careful
aim. II was his big chance, and he
intended TO make the most of il.
The two had halted beside the
ruined pine, but for IA moment Simon
held his fire. They stood rather close
together: he wanted to wait until
Bruce offered a clear target. And AT
that instant Bruce had drawn the
leather wallet from the tree.
Curiosity alone stayed Simon's finger
as Bruce had opened IL. He saw the
CLEAN OF the white paper in the dim
light and then he understood.
Simon was a man of rigid, unwaver-
ing ~self-control and his usual way
was to look a long time between the
sights before he fired. Yet the sight
of that document-the missing Folger-
Ross agreement on which had hung
victory or defeat-sent a violent i'm
x.,l., .l.~,-xl an lit. narrnntS SuGtpnl
For the first time in his memory his
r~eflexes got away from him,
IL had meant too much; and his fin
ger pressed back ~inyoluntarily against
the trigger. He had not taken his us
ual deliberate aim, although he had
seen Bruce's figure clearly between
the sights the instant before he fired,
Simon was n rineman, bred In the
hone, and he had no reason to think
that the hasty aim meant a complete
miss. He did realize, however, the
difficulties of night shoOting--a real
izatiOn that all men who have fingered
after dusk in the duck blind expert
ence sooner or later-and he looked
up over his sights to see the result of
his shot. His s~elf-cOntrol had com
pletely returned to him and he was
perfectly cold about the whole matter.
From the first second he knew he
had not completely missed. He raised
his rifle to shoot again.
But Bruce's body vas no longer re-
yealed. Linda stood In the way. 1t
looked as If she had deliberately
thrown her own body as a shield be.
tween.
Simon spoke then-a single, terrible
oath of hatred and jealousy. But In
a second more he saw his triumph,
Bruce swayed. reeled and fell In Lin
da's arms, and he saw her half-drag
him into the house.
He stood shiyering, but moi from
the cold that the storm had brought
Come on" he ordered Young Bill
II think we've downsd him for good
but we've got to get that paper
But Simon did not see all things
clearly. He had little real knowledge
of the little drama that had followed
his shot from ambush.
Human nature is full Of odd quirks
and twists, and among other things
symptoms are misleading. There Is
an accepted way for men to act when
they are struck with a rifle bullet
They are expected to reel, to throw
their arms wide, and usually to cry
out. The only trouble with these ac
lions, as men who have been in bat
tIefields know very we'll, Is that they
10 not usually happen In real life.
Bruce, with Linda's eyes upon him
iook one rather long, troubled breath
And he did look somewhat puzzled
Then he looked down at his shoulder
I'm hit, Linda" he said In a quiet
way. II think just a scratch
The tremendous shock Of any kind
Of wound from a thirty-forty calibei
bullet had not seemingly affected hin
outwardly at all. Some hours were
to pass before he completely under
stood. The truth vas that the shoci
IT that rifle bullet. ordinarily striking
a blow OF a half-ton, had cost him FOL
The moment an ability to make any
'ogical Interpretation Of events. The
girl moved swiftly, yet without givini
an impression Of leaping, and stood
very close and In front Of him. II
xuo lf~btntoo .,nyopcou< che ha1 ,no1,