Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-10-09
CHAPTER VII
Pardners

From without came the low murmur
of mems voices. Judith laid her book
aside and drew her rifle across her
knees, her eyes bright and eager. AT
1nfrequent intervals for perhaps three
or four minutes the two voices came
indistinctly to those in the cabin. Then
silence for as long time. And then
a voice again, this time quite near the
door, calling out clearly:
"dey, you in there Pitch the mon
ey out the window and we'll let you
60"
There's voice. said Judith quiet
ly, "to remember! I'll be able to
swear to it in court"
Certainly a VOICE to remember, Just
las one remembers an unusual face for
years, though it be bit chance one
seen in a crowd. A voice markedly in
dividual, not merely because it was
somewhat high-pitched for a mans,
but rather for a quality not easily de-
fined, which gave to it a certain vi
brant, unpleasant harshness, sounding
metallic almost, rasping, as though
with the hiss of steel surfaces rub
bling. Altogether impossible to describe
adequately, yet, as Judith said, not to
be forgotten.
Lee turned triumphantly to the girl
1--WE got his tag!" he whispered to
her. II played poker with that voice
one night not four months ago in
Rocky Bend!'
who is he?" Judith whispered back.
With Crowdy down, if we know who
one of these men is, the rest will be
easy. Who is he?"
"A bad egg" Lee told her grayely
Hes done time in the state pen He's
been out less than a year. Gunman
stickup man, convicted once already
for manslaughter /. ;"
mot Chris Quinnion, Bud LeeY, she
cried excitedly. 'Not Chris Ouin-
niong'
"Sh!" he commanded softly.
"Thsre's no use tipping our hand off
t. him. Yes; it's crooked Chris Cuin-
Aion. You don't know him, do your,
He had never seen her eyes look as
they looked now. They were as hard
and bright as steel; no true woman's
eyes, he thought swiftly. Rather the
eyes of man with murder in his
heart.
Then, thank God!" whispered Ju-
dith, her voice tense. "Can you keep
a secret with me, Bud Lee? Were if
not for the man calling to us now
Luke Sanford would be here in our
stead. Crooked Chris Quinnion served
his time in San Quentin because nv
father sent him there. And he had not
been free six months before he kept
his oath and murdered my poor old
dadw
"Well?" came the interrupting snarl
of Quinnion's voice, like the ominous
whine of an enraged animal. whats
the word?"
"Give us five minutes to think it
over" returned Lee coolly. And, in
credulous eyes on Judith's set face he
said gently: II was on the ranch when
the accident happened. He must have
driven that heavy car little too close
TO the edge of the grade. The bank
just naturally gave way"
Judith, her lips tightly compressed,
shook her head.
"You didn't find him under the car
did you? And the blow that killed him
might have been dealt with some heavy
weapon in the hands of a man stand
ing behind him, mightn't it? know,
Bud Lee, know!''
"How do you know?" he demanded
mistakenly. you weren't here even"
mo. / was in San Francisco. But
the day before had letter from IA
Their. He expected me home very soon.
He was going out, he said in his letter,
TO look at the road over the mountain.
He wrote that the grade was danger