The Coolidge examiner., 1936-07-17

or two got to his wrists, and now
and again he felt a burning prick
on the shoulders when his jumper
stretched tight But that was as
nothing, in this interval Of sus-
pense.
The tree sagged and shivered. 1t
snapped and swayed. He struck
three more swift blows and stepped
back as it came down with a
mighty, swishing roar and crash.
He had dropped the ak as the
beech t9ppled. Now he took up
the saw and, standing in a cloud
of furious bees which lowered over
the entrance to their fallen store
house, he sent the teeth singing
through the stout wood. Swiftly,
his supple body swung to and fro,
stoutly his long, strong arms drove
the avid blade. The forest rang
with the sound. Rang with the
sound which would have covered
even the noise made by a frantic
man, crashing through brush, run
ming lntently, breathlessly, his hat
gone and face scratched and cloth
ing torn.
No, the man was not close
enough to have the sounds of his
progress reach Young. But he was
close enough to hear the ringing
echo of that saw. He drew a
hand across his face to wipe away
| the blood and the sweat and tried
to still his breathing to listen. His
trembling lips shaped a word and
then he went forward, cautiously,
walking like a cat, rifle held at
ready. . AS he approached the
source of those other sounds, which
had now changed from that of
saving to blows Of a sledge on
metal, he bent forward a trif1e and
went even more slowly, more Qui-
etly. E.
Vests Landing and it's environs
had experienced two long evenings
and one long day of an excitement
pitched to a point never before at
tanned there.
And now the second day was be-
ginning. Work was forgotten where
it could be and before Mel Knights
! store was gathered group which
argued and debated and Grated and
broke short anything 1t happened
to be saying when another arrived,
| just on the chance that he would
be the bearer of fresh incident.
Holt Stuart was in Jail. Nan
Downer, it was said, had brought
in a lawyer from outside yesterday
and the three had been together
in Nat Bridger's office for long but
no attempt to secure Stuart's re-
lease had been made as yet.
Kerry Young had escaped during
the first night of his Imprisonment
and not been heard from since
though the search was frenzied.
Frank Bluejay was gone some
where in his rattling, tattered fiiv-
YER and men combed the blueberry
country for sign or word of him.
And across at Downer's head
quarters, old Ezra Adams sat be-
hind the locked door of Mans office
with the articles he and Young had
brought from Townline, refusing
to bulge, denying Bridger admit
tance, waiting for something :.
one knew not what
Oh, it was something to talk
about. all right. all right!
Tod West had been in and out,
saying little, going into long, heat
ed but confidential talks with the
sheriff.
And now came young Logan De
Priest, walking across the treStle
from Downer's. He was n lad with
mild blue eyes and pimples on his
face and fuzz on his chin.
"Well. Logan, you got it all set
tied over there?" a wag asked.
Dam right! Dam right we
have!" the youth replied impor-
family.
Something about his manner
tugged at the interest of those who
heard and saw, and yet &. Logan
was not to be taken seriously.
II s'pose you've found Young md
Bluejay md know what Ezras got
hatchin', eh?"
Dam right! Dam right, do!'
"a lot you know!'
"Betcha l know more'n any of
you uns! Betcha million dollars,
do!"
"Take you. Bring out the mil
lionw
You think you're funny! Well,
lemme asst you this: you know who
them dudes was that druv into our
place after tn rain las night! You
don't? I know dam well you don't!
Well, 1 do. One of 'em s
corporal md one of ems ser
geant nd they're detectuffs! !"
"Gwan" SO commented one. but
others lost their smiles and drew
closer.
"Betcha two million! You know
it all, you do! Betcha five mil
liOn!" He spit and nodded. "Why,
Miss Nan. she gifts me up to put