The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-05-21

Then, with cruel craft. he placed his
foot against Young's cheek, showed his
face down into the spring and leaped
the now roily pool
Breathe nd drown, damn you" he
growled shakily and set off at slow
run.
1t was the Juggling of the whining
dog on his collar which stirred Kerry.
He stirred and gulped and gasped.
With a herculean effort, he raised his
head and half rolled over; then dropped
it TO the ferns and lay there moaning
lowly. He should not be there, he
knew; he had something TO do; some
where to go; matter to attend. . :.
But things were so far away, so faint
ly outlined, so
Tips tongue was frantic against his
closed lids; Tips breath hot in his
| own nOstrils. Consciousness came back
with a nauseating surge.
"Oh, GOdr' he moaned, getting his
knees somehow beneath him. "0h {.
It's gone :. Tip! 1t was West =. +.
1t was And he's got itr'
Fighting down sickness, shaking his
The money was gone. The money was
gone! Tears coursed his cheeks as he
shouted that at Tip and then stopped,
| leaning close TO see better as the re-
trieyer licked savagely at his thigh.
"Oh!" he gasped. And he almost
got you'll" With his good right hand
he touched the creatures leg. Bro
ken!" he muttered as Tip WINGED. 1.-The
two of US. E. And he's making his get
away with Mans money!"
A great and cody rage shook him,
| lifted him above pain, above dizziness
| for the moment, sent a savage will
surging through his broken body.
Tip, it's up to US Shy an arm, shy
leg. Which way, Tip"-reaching
for his gun and sobbing (which way ?
Come. HE. :. HereI"
Footprints in the muck gave him a
lead. He walked bent over, following
the sign in the soft forest mould, dog
on three legs, whimpering with hurt,
at his heels.
West had been running. His foot
prints were far aparr and deep. That
made trailing easy, but it meant that
he was gaining on this feeble pursuit
of cripples.
Kerry breathed through dry and
open lips. He staggered once and
stopped, leaning against a tree, look
ing backward. He had come such a
little way!
up to US d. :" he painted. US
cripples. HE on, Tip!"
The dog looked into his face and,
with a moan, dropped his muzzle to the
ground, shifting. He reeled as he
lurched along; his tongue Iolled but
he was trailing and his tail was up!
Young began TO laugh, bit crafty.
THE old dauber's up" he gasped.
Its still up. He can't beat US,
chum! Not on your life"
He reeled along after the dog. Now
and then he could see the trail him.
self; at other times sickness engulfed
! him, the trees swung and tilted Graz
lily, he could scarcely see Tip. But he
kept on, up a gentle rise, out onto a
| limestone ridge. -.
Tip was snuffing wildly, there, tail
motionless. Then he found what he
was following again. With whimper,
| half Of pain, half of delight, he stag
gered forward, his master, dragging the
rifle by its muZZle, close behind.
Kerry walked that way for a month,
a year. generation. He fell and cut
his lips. He bumped into a tree with
| his wounded shoulder and screamed
from the pain. Tip looked back and
stopped and waited. When the man
got up to him again he went on, trail
| ing like a hound!
Time and distance and pain meant
; nothing -. until they came TO a stop.
| Perhaps it was the respite from the
effort of movement, perhaps the i'm
| perative demand for alertness from
deep in him that brought Kerry slowly
| out of that numb state. s. Anyhow,
| he saw that they had come to a clear
| ing and he was halted on its edge, Tip,
nose uplifted, before him. A building
was swimming before his eyes, like a
moving mirage. -. He laughed and cut
| the laughter short because that was
| TOwnline cabin and through the open
| door he could see movement that was
no trick of his vagrant senses.
A man in there was fiinging things
| TO the floor, dropping TO his knees be-
| side them, making wild, extravagant
motions as he crammed articles into a
| pack sack. Young closed one eye tight.
| ly TO concentrate on recognition. The
man was Enthusiastically Tod West.
| Kerry staggered on a few steps, try
ing to get the rife to his shoulder with
one arm. He could not do it. The
thing was a tremendous and unwieldy
weight. He needed a rest for the bar
/ rel. Yonder was a rock and he
| lurehed toward it. An outstanding slab
of limestone, it was, split by frost with
crack into which he could have
laid his arm.
But he did not try TO lay his arm
there. He laid the rifle barrel in the
opening and stretched himself labori.
ously on his belly.
Carefully he sighted on the doorway
and worked his tongue in his parched
mouth, striving TO conjure moisture
! there so his speech might be good.
Put up your hands," he croaked
I've got you covered and"
| West reared on his knees. rigid
Young's finger was on the trigger
ready to thwart any move. And
then his man was out of sight, throw.
ing himself sideways along the floor.
Kerry fired and the shock Of recoil
sent fresh agonies through his body
He saw a leg of the table. on the far
side of the room and opposite the door
| way, splinter. Then silence.
When he rallied the strength, be
| called: