The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-08-02

blood bay pcny-an 81 pony they call
Three Spot"
"Tell me one more thing" Kentucky
said. "Did this-did Mason see you"
"He ought to have seen me. was
in plain sight. But he didn't answer
to my wave."
Kentucky rose and went about his
work Of keeping up the fires. By the
signal fire he stood listening for long
time, suspicious Of small sounds far
away; but he could make certain Of no
indication of nearby human life. He
went back to Lee Bishop.
"Are you there, Kentucky?"
"Right here. Lee"
"Kentucky, I'm sorry I never told
that. If only I'd told some people
about it, 1t would clear you. But-use
it any way you can"
"You never told anybody at all"
"Just one person in the world, Ken
lucky; and that isn't liable to do you
much good"
"Who was that?"
"Jean Ragland. She'll back up
your word If you tell 'em what said.
But don't know as 1t will carry much
weight. Anybody can see that she's
dead gone on you, Kentuck. Most
likely they'll discount what she says
in your favor, on that account"
Kentucky Jones said gently, you're
wrong there, Lee"
"You're a fool If you think i am.
told her about seeing Mason, and she
made me promise not to tell anybody
else. l disremember what / thought
was her reason for that; 1t seemed
a reasonable thing to ask, at the time"
Kentucky Jones sucked in his breath
through his teeth. "Lee," he said slow
ly, 'yOu sure you got this straight?"
"Sure, Kentucky. wouldn't disrec-
ognize Old Iron"
II don't mean that, Lee. I mean
you told Jean about seeing this, and
she told you not to tell anyone?"
"You beat me, Kentucky. How the
hi would man get thing like that
mixed up?"
"All right, Lee"
"Whats the matter with you, Ken
tuck?"
"There's a link or two missing yet,
Lee" Kentucky said. "But I'm dead
sure in my own mind, now"
"What are you talking about?"
"You've got me the killer of Ma
son." Kentucky said.
Lee Bishop started, WINGED, and set
tied back again, more limp and more
still than before. "You mean," he said
at last, you know who killed Mason"
"Don't your"
"I- Listen!"
They were silent for long moment
while Lee Bishop lay with closed eyes,
as if the life had gone out of him once
and for all.
There's a horse coming" Bishop
said at last.
Kentucky listened, but could hear
nothing; it seemed to him that the
small purr and hiss of the fire over
which he crouched was preventing him
from distinguishing far off, fainter
sounds. He got up and walked down
the gully, past the signal fire, to a
place from which he could sight across
the fiat snow to the canyon narrows.
Here the freight was no longer in his
eyes, and the small whisper of the
embers could not confuse his ears;
and presently he was certain that he
distinguished the slow trample of
walking horse. He listened for what
seemed long time, while the sound
g
taxable, and again died away until he
was half convinced that the rider had
turned and drawn off.
Then the sound of the walking
hoofs suddenly became sharp and close
at hand. Three hundred yards away
Kentucky made out the movement of
shadow in shadows, and knew that
the rider was sitting his horse in the
mouth Of the notch. Kentucky Jones
freed his rifles safety catch, carefully.
without any click of metal.
For nearly five minutes the rider in
the notch sat motionless, and Jones
knew that their visitor was watching
the signal fire, trying to make out
figures near it, or other sign Of what
the builders Of the fire intended.
The rider moved out Of the mouth of
the notch at last, turned uncertainty to
the right, and began to skirt the foot
of the canyon wall so slowly that for
little while Kentucky Jones was In
clined to think that there was no rider
there at all, but only an unridden horse
wandering about in search of its bunch.
Moving slow it circled the signal fire,
as If trying to pass at the greatest pos
sible distance. Then the pony passed
before a drift of quilted snow which
stood like panel Of white set into
the gray rock; and against this Ken
lucky Jones saw the unmistakable sill
houette of the figure in the saddle.
The rider turned now, cutting back
to circle the signal fire more closely;
and at last, as If suddenly impatient,
turned directly toward the fire itself
and rode to the edge of Its circle of
light. At a distance of no more than
fifty feet, Kentucky Jones slid his rifle
over the lip of the coulee and brought
a. 20 hoar tnon the mounted figure