Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-05-08

the bearded face with his hand.
"My God!" he muttered-"the red
lock-it's Ken"
He set the candle down; straight
ened; stood staring at the PROSTATE
figure on the floor, for the moment
swept beyond his habitual calm and
poise. The transformation that the
one lock of red wrought on the beard
ed face was nbelievable-cruel; SIMS
ter; brutal-as if the face of Red
Colin, the old sea pirate, had sprung
out of long dead past.
The fallen man stirred, ratified his
heels on the floor, moved his arms, sat
up and stared about him. Suddenly
aware of the hard eyes upon him, he
hurriedly raised a hand and hastily
brushed the mass Of hair back into
place.
ut amt no use, Ken" came from
the other side of the candle. ST seen
it."
The man on the floor scrambled to
his feet; glanced toward the window,
at the candle within reach of his foot,
as if meditating some desperate move;
frowned at the shattered fingers; stiff
fened, leaned against the safe door.
'.Well-?"
The old arrogant haughtinesS that
the woodsman remembered so we'll
that used to awe him, dominate him
was in the expressive monosyllable.
But it didn't awe him now-it rasped
him; crawled up through his blood
and struck a spark from his eyes. He
was a long time answering; when he
did, it was with another question.
"What have y'u got t. say why /
oughtn' t. hand y'u over t Jerry
BROWNE"
"Not d-n' thing, though I'd rath-
er be pinched anywhere else in the
world than here"-a shade of the
haughtiness left his tones-"on ac-
count of-Sis."
The big woodsman winced-which
the other, with his quick wits, just
then strung to keenest pitch, doubt
less noticed.
'Live while y'u may :. t. hi when
y'u must-it's game Of chance any
how, with the odds on the man with
the quickest fingers. I've seen twenty
seven years Of it-a game not worth
the candle"
1T is if y'u play it square"
Square" the other snarled, ga word
the devil invented t. throw men off
guard. There amt any such word
he hesitated, a softer light fitted
across his expressive face-"except-
in the Flatwoods."
The woodsman caught the transient
softer ight-an expression that in
other days used so to win him.
"Then why not come back t. the
Flatwoods-"
The other glanced down at the
money on the floor half lifted his face
and covertly studied the man before
him.
"Texie-she still b'lieves in y'u, and
1 amt quite give up b'lievin' in y'u
m'self. You was careful t. git-her"
his eyes were again drawn irresisti-
bly, toward the concealed household
tout of danger t'night, and I low y'u
never aimed t. hurt Pap Simon, and
y'u amt takin' away nothin' but what
y'u brought. 1t would kill-her, If she
knowed it was you that done-this"-
he swept his hand toward the scat
tered money, the open safe, the dead
robber; glanced in the direction of the
churchyard, where lay a new-made
grave-"and worse. You could go
'way-a while, and then comeback"
He paused; his eyes hardened. "But
the next time y'u've got t. come
clean"
The eyes OF the other turned in
every direction except toward the man
addressing him. A moment of silence
fell.
where's Belden2" Jack suddenly
asked.
The other started; glanced at the
open window-a bit uneasily, as it
might have seemed.
"He didn't show up, that's all I
know"
did they know who y'u-are?"
The man addressed glanced down at
the huddled body on the floor; frowned
in the direction Of Eagle hollow.
Cattle like them-h-lw
The woodsman frowned at the
words, but apparently decided to pass
them over.
''Then-nobody needs t. know" He
dropped a half-opened hand toward
the body of the fallen robber. "He's
enough t. satisfy Jerry Brown, and one
more mark ag'in' i'm won't make no
difference t. Black Bogus now"
Still watching the window, as well
as the man leaning on the door of the
safe, he picked up the ruins of the
ivory-handled six-gun-being careful
to hunt the pieces that had scattered
about the room-and dropped them ell
into the pocket of his hunting blouse
lifted the tall hat from the floor and
held it forth; motioned toward the
open window.
The other took the hat; put it on
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