San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-01

ment. BY the merest chance the hand
cuffs were fastened to his left wrist
instead of to his right. Had Guthrie
lived, things would have been other
wise Guthrie. physical enemy, could
have been outwitted-but now that
something deep in Maynard's soul
| questioned and would not be salts
fled.
He fell to counting the mileposts
as they flashed by. With each his
security lessened. With each the
probability that he would be recog-
niZed by some new passengerssnV
creased. Quite impersonally he began
pen.
Darkness fell. The train rushed on.
They spent the night sitting bolt
upright in the day coach. Guthrie
would have taken prisoner into the
| dining car for an evening meal. May
nard dismissed the thought. The OPP
portunity for escape while crossing
the swaying platforms was too OBJ
vious. A sudden push. an overwhelm-
ing strain on the slender links which
hound them together, and freedom!
Such an accident would take the re-
spOnsihility from his shoulders. but
not If he could foresee the accident.
During the night the coach gradual
ly emptied. At each stop sleepy pas
sengers nodded farewell to Maynard.
and disembarked. Morning c.me as
the train neared their destination,
and but for few scattered travellers
doing in distant seats Maynard and
his companion had the car to them
selves.
1t was then that Toselli spoke. He
leaned toward Maynard and Kissed
the wolds into his ear:
"You-no Guthrie."
Maynard was too weary to feel sur
priscd.
"No." he admitted candidly. ~I'm
not Guthrie
Toselli grinned.
"Then why you say you Guthrie,
eh?"
Maynard's thoughts went crashing
back to the scene Mt the Jail. The
detective had addressed him bv the
name of the dead man. Tosclli had
started. He had not noticed it
then.
He waited for the man to continue.
"Guthrie-he arres' me-five years
ago. know Guthrie!"
"Well. what of that?" Maynard
hea arc, ninselr saying; hAT
"Mebbe you kill Guthrie. what?"
Noble you kill Guthrie. All RI. 1 no
tell eef you le' me CO."
"I'm not going to let you CO." said
Maynard very quietly.
you!" threatened the man. Il tell!
Sill tell"
$50 you would" smiled Maynard. /.
The murderer leaned toward him.
"Le' me co." he Kissed.
"No," Maynard said: and then,
more positively: "No, Toselli."
He yawned. carelessly raising his
manacled hand to his mouth. That
action might well have been his last.
In flash Toselli's right hand darted
over his head. dragging the chain
mercilessly across his throat; and his
free hand. Selling Maynard's shackled
wrist. drew the chain tighter and
tighter. Maynard struck out blindly.
1t was useless. The demon was mt
his back. strangling him to death.
With bursting lungs. with protruding
eyes and tongue. MAYNARD staggered
to his feet. bearing the whole weight
of his assailant. and with a supreme
effort flung the CHASTITY burden over
his head.
Toselli struck the floor with a
thump which stunned him momentari-
". Then he rose catlike to his feet,
jerked onen the door. and leaped from
the moving platform.
Maynard stood for an instant stu
pidly regarding the broken chain
which dangled from his wrist. Then,
so quickly that the dozen travellers
in the distant seats never quite un-
derstood what had happened. he too
ran to the door of the car am leaped
after the fugitive.
A curious procession now ~ the
principal street of Madison. 1t was
headed bv what might have bee1--a-
man. and might also have S6ecn =
gorilla. Battered to a pulp. eyes
DitthtDeV. SDlltlHS Out tettH. INV
thing sobbcd and begged for mercy
ms il stumbled along. Its arms swung
helplessly at its sides. and on one Of
the wrists glittered the broken half
of a pair of handouts.
Behind the creature. pushing it
ahead whenever il faltered. came a
man. His coat was snlit. his collar
gone, his face torn and bleeding. and
quite unacceptable for the coal-dust
and cinders ground into IL.
Yet there was sometime impressive
about the man. something which
made the growing crowd which escort
cd him give him plenty of room. Per-
hans il was the odd set Of his Jaws:
perhaps il was the STRANGE light thrt
rndioted from his ewes: pcrhars IL
was the fact that the othc- half If
the broken handouts danglcd from
his wrist.
Without slackeninc his deliberate
pace. without glancing to the right
or to the left. Maynard marched the
prisoner into the policc station.
"This is Toselli.r he said. Half a
dozen hands at once laid hold of the
murderer.
MAYNARD glanced at the curious
crowd which had pressed into tho lit
tie room with him. He could have
called man after man by name: vet
in no eyes could he discover an an-
swcring CLEAN If RECOGNITION. SO Of
fectually had the cinders and co'l-
dust disguised him. Even In that in
slant he noted that he was unidcnti-
fled. that the way to freedom still
Low opcp IN him