San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-06

was carrying q repeating shotgun,
and Skinner approved Of that. Under
certain circumstances buckshot was
very effective.
Two minutes later he slowed up with
a frown. Coming out, he had simply
trailed the gray car over an unknown
road. He knew the general direction,
of course; hut just ahead road
brnnched to the left. Should he turn
there? By general direction it ought
to be his way. There was no one in
sight to ask; but, in any event, it
could hardly take him far out. He
swung into the left branch and jammed
down the accelerator again. 1t was
very good going until he passed a small
white farmhouse then the gravel
ceased and it became a dirt road.
In a-few minutes the ground sloped
down and the dirt road resolved itself
into a rutty wagon track. The road
grew worse. Overhanging bushes on
both sides dashed the churning car. The
heat and the dank smell became
stronger. Obviously, he was in a
swamp Now and then through the
bushes, in fact, he could see where q
ditch had been run on both sides of
the road in some long-abandoned at
tempt at drainage. 1t was impossible
to turn here. The prospect of back
ing IN mile through that tortuous
rutty road was not inviting. He pushed
on, hoping to come either to a better
road or at least into space where
he could turn around. So far the
road had been dry and baked hard
as iron. Now it dropped into lush
ground that yielded spongily and with
sCuashy sound under the wheels.
Three rods ahead the miserable road
curved out of eight beneath overhang-
ing bushes.
With bitter thought that the road
couldn't be worse, he shifted into low
gear, churned through the screen of
overHanging bushes at the curve and
almost Immediately stopped the car,
every nerve in his body tingling.
A rod ahead of hiIn the road was
blocked by an automobile with the
top up. The back Of the car was
scratched and the top torn in half a
dozen places. Gaping at this appari-
ton, SINNERS first thought-which
came with n deep pang-was that he
had no weapon. His second thought,
which came fast on the heels of the
first, was to shift the driving lever
into reverse position for backing. He
was doing that when man stepped
out of the bushes and laid a right hand
on the foredoor of the car as though
he were taking possession of it. cit
out !" said the man.
He was q burly person, with broad
shoulders and deep chest. Although
he wore loose, faded gray coat, one
might see that his waist-encircled by
rusty leather belt that help up his
frayed trousers-was smaller than his
chest. He had lean loins. and in COM
parison with the mighty chest his legs
looked almost spindling. His collar
less calico shirt was open at the throat.
showing hairy chest and the base of
thick neck.
In other circumstances. Skinner
might have admired his figure and
guessed that he was a prize-fighter.
Just now he could see scarcely any
thing except the mans face foot from
his own. 1t was swarthy. animal
face and there was peculiar meaning
upon lt---in the eat eyes that glittered
into SINNERS and on the lips that
made a straight line which was BIZ
sected by-a diagonal white scar That
diagonal scar across the long. straight
line of the lips seemed to belong on the
face like natural feature of ii.
That is what skinner noticed-and
the pockets in the mans loose. faded
gray coat. The mans hand was thrust
into the left pocket, where is grasped
an automatic revolver. From the gap
ing righthand pocket a hammer pro-