Carolina watchman., 1935-05-24
r!ELUMBFRINC COLD
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AuTocAsIER sERX.


sound. He wore the uniform O:
the Mounted Police.
There are no braver men thar
the Canadian Northwest Mounted
but they are neither immortal no.
impervious to the menace of two
AS six-shooters at blank range.
Speed emptied the mounty'
holster and kicked the gun behine
him into the snow.
''This only makes it worse TO.
you, said the officer. ''I demane
that you and your partner sur.
render to arrest
Here was just the vicious turr
of fate that Speed had feared, witt
an extra twist to make it worse
After evading the supicion Of
Cathcart, who had mistaken Dal-
ton for a Siwash, were they now
by a climax of irony, to be charg-
ed with the murder of Dalton
himself?
This looks compromisin'. ri
concede," he said. ''But you bov,
is on the wrong track. While
y.1 you re stalkln' us, the real game i.
likely beatln' to cover. There,
TWO more men in these mountains
and they're worth trailin'."
SWhere did you see them?" the
officer asked, without belief.
Speed pointed his gun. "Four
miles that way"
, You saw me and an officer who
tralled with me, perhaps, though
we didn't come from that direc-
ton. You've got our distance
ana bearings twisted. If YOU
nave n hope of setting us on a
false trail, you can drop it. The
games up for both of YOU,
Should you refuse to return orr
guns and have heard the warrant.
you'll be hunted down to fin
ish."
Speed picked up the police re-
volvers, emptied the mand threw
them into the chasm. ''It's differ
ence of opinion that makes gamb-
linz he said. Get me two Iengtbs
of rawhide, Bud"
The request brought Maitland
out OF trance. ''Don't do it,
oPeed' he said quickly. 'Let the
Law straighten this out. Investiga-
tons will clear us of what they sus-
pect.''
You've got delusions about the
Law, Bud. can't argue with you.
| amt got no words but a low
down gamblers lingo, and it don t
just fit with what I'm tryin' to
show. But I've got a hunch, and
Pm askin' you now, if ever you
trusted a pardner's word, to take
mine when l say you amt fixed to
deal with the Law. Later maybe
not now"
Maitland was moved by the ap-
peal, but not by its logic. His eyes
were wet when he spoke. We've
reached that junction, Speed, you
once talked of. God knows I'll new
er have truer partner. You know
that if this charge were made
against you alone, and there was nc
other way out than the one you say
I'd travel any road to help you. But
to escape by using force against the
police isn't just crime that woulc
outlaw us for life; it's a needles.
crime. We'd be giving them the
real case against us that they have
MT got. That isn't all. We could.
MT take Pete over that route, and
can't leave her to face this alone.
Pete would have spoken, bu1
Speeds brooding look at her check.
ed the words. "1ow do you figure
it?"
II don't KNOW % said Pete, un
happily. II feel that Buds righ1
though when he says you'd give th'
Law case" -
''You're an ornery young pair Of
cubs" Speed muttered. "Reck
on you can't help it, comm from
where you do. Now it's the SAM
junction, turned backwards, and
fcan be just as damned ornery."
[ He pressed back the gun ham
mers, tensely watched by the polio
Eofficer who had followed his argu
Ement with fateful interest
Speeds eyes, however, strayed to
Hong pendent spruce cone on a ire